Camino Day 5: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

Our last day of walking and we were excited to be done! We left O Pedrouzo and started out for Santiago de Compostela for our 11 mile / 18 km journey. After getting going, we stopped by this restaurant called “15 KM” as it’s supposed to be that distance away from Santiago. We saw our usual friends and all the pilgrims sang happy birthday to an 11 year old from Poland. The pilgrims have such a great sense of camaraderie.



And as Tresa sipped her coffee, and eyes wide open like she had seen Santa Claus, the running driver was running by; Tresa pointed, we all yelled and cheered, and he smiled and said hello. He had promised he would see us today and he kept that promise! The German and Austrians we met last night at dinner laughed and other pilgrims noted they had seen him too running backwards and made them bitter! We also learned from another pilgrim that he was a physical education teacher - this all seemed to make sense as all the pilgrims had wondered about him too!

After breakfast, we continued forward and got closer and closer as you can tell from this marker:



Actually none of the markers that counted the kms showed the kms anymore. We weren’t sure if they didn’t want us to countdown or they had all been stolen at some point. Most of the paths at this point were well trodden and we switched from dirt paths to paved roads and back again.

We stopped for some coffee below where we could put up our feet and watch the pilgrims going by. Here we met some US Air Force guys and one was in terrible pain; his foot completely blistered up on the first day. He said this was harder than his military training and I wasn’t sure I believed him - he said the mentality and the monotony of the walking was hard for him. Despite how fit you are, you really don’t know how your feet are going to react.



And here, is where we saw a guy riding by on a unicycle! I didn’t take a photo, because he was too quick, but the US Air Force guys said they met him at breakfast and he had been trekking from Norway!

Here’s a photo of us at Monte de Gozo where they commemorate a mass led by John Paul II in 1989 with the statue below:



Monte de Gozo is the last hill for the pilgrim and where you get your first glimpse of the Cathedral and it’s three spires. Here’s a picture collage of all of us trying to stand in front of the view:



Also here is San Marcos chapel where we got stamps and said a prayer on Monte de Gozo:



After an hour walk downhill and into the city, we were here! Here’s a sign adorned by gifts as pilgrims unburden themselves along the walk and shed some of their gear and mementos:



And the scallop shell marker of the city and our tired feet:



We snaked through the city of Santiago de Compostela to get to the historical city center - here’s a photo where you can see the spires and as we navigate the city folk:



And then we made it to the main plaza in front of the cathedral!



We were hangry at this point, so we got lunch and celebrated with pilgrim menus and with some cava! We also saw the Dutch and Seville family here and we all congratulated each other. We also learned the Sevilla brothers had a little 9 years old sister who was waiting for them with her aunt and the Dutch couple was actually a brother and sister. The sister was mourning her husband and we all said we would pray for him as she was tearing up about her Camino completion.



Afterwards, we headed into the cathedral which is under heavy renovation and in preparation for the next holy year for the cathedral; the holy year is when July 25th, the holy day for St. James the Apostle lands on a Sunday and the next one is 2021. They expect more than double the amount of pilgrims. Here, we’re in front of the famous fountain right before we enter the Cathedral:



And the famous incense holder:





We stood in line, but couldn’t take pictures as we hugged St. James pictured below and kneeled in front of his tomb:



Despite our ability to navigate northern Spain, we struggled to find the pilgrims office:



But found it and stood in this long line....



To show our credentials and all our stamps! Here’s a collage of my completed pilgrim passport!



And a selfie of us with our Compostela and Distance Certificates which confirms we walked the minimum 100 kms - we actually walked 115!



The Compostela in Latin as is my name, but he obviously couldn’t latinize my Korean middle name:



The distance certificate:



Then we checked in our hotel which is a parador - typically converted convents that are high end hotels. We ran into the Japanese fivesome and here are some photos including the rooms:













After showering and resting, we headed out and wandered though the plazas. We entered Fonseca pictured below which was the seat of the original university and has a beautiful courtyard - you can see the cathedral spires from here:





We had dinner at Petiscos do Cardeal where we ordered all the tapas of the day which included mussels, octopus, stuffed peppers, mushrooms and prawn, and the special white wine. We had flan for dessert as well, all pictured below:



After some chocolate ice cream for Mary Ann and mango sorbet for me, we returned to our hotel for some white wine and listened to the music from the plaza. This included classical, opera, and people singing along as we enjoyed the beauty of the cathedral. Some photos taken by Tresa below:





What a day! I can’t believe we did it after all this planning and waiting and survived! Mary Ann and I first talked about this years ago! I’m so pleased we were all in good shape except for the understandable soreness and tenderness. We had beautiful weather and enjoyed the company along the way. Unfortunately, we did not see our running driver buddy for a second time today, but there’s still a chance we may see him at the pilgrim mass tomorrow. We feel truly blessed to have this experience, and I feel so lucky to have done it with the Thomas sisters!

Camino Day 4: Arzúa to O Pedrouzo

At Hotel Arzúa, our breakfast was included so we saw many of the people we saw on the Camino - the Dutch, the old ladies, and the Korean mother-daughter duo. The daughter whom we saw limping last night at dinner, was clearly in a lot of pain. She may have broken something - unclear; but what I do know is, they started arguing in the breakfast room and I was the only one who could understand. They argued whether they should go to the hospital, take a taxi to the next town, or stay and sight-see; none of which were acceptable to the daughter. The mom tried to stay calm and kept helping herself to more breakfast as the daughter melted down. I’m sure it was super upsetting and disappointing.

All I can say is, we’re lucky we’re feeling the way we are - thank goodness for magnesium and our routines. As a trio, we take Advil, drink magnesium, Salon Pas and ice our body - a routine we have mastered in varying forms. I have learned, I must be very careful because if I sunscreen too early, I can’t prepare my camelback water pack, and I’m deathly afraid of eating or washing my face after I’ve lathered on Salon Pas all over my achy joints. We have figured it out and we continue to make sure we’re all doing okay and taking good care of each other!

So we headed out for our shortest walk thus far and to O Pedrouzo. It was uneventful and we met a woman from Quebec who had done part of the Camino last year, but felt like her hotel experience was not enough. So she decided to return for the full French way which takes over a month and rough it up. We also met a 79 year old Korean woman from Orlando who is on her 3rd Camino! She said she loves the experience - we were very impressed. 

As the various routes were all converging as we get closer to Santiago de Compostela, we saw our regulars, but also many new people and learned faces and characteristics - where are you from, where did you start, and etc. It is definitely getting crowded on the path, as we mixed in with these cows - we took this fun selfie!

We also managed like clockwork, see the running driver - when he passes, we get excited and say hello as he gives us a thumbs up. What’s amazing is as soon as we mention him and think it’s about time, he shows up like Johnny on the spot!

Along the path, there was a fun stop where it is tradition to drink the pilgrim beer and sign the bottle. We enjoyed coffee, chatting with a woman from Barcelona, and taking pictures with an horreo or traditional Galician granary decorated with bottles. Here are a few collages of the experience as we shared a bottle of beer in the morning:

As we marched on, you notice beautiful flowers everywhere and many female pilgrims decorate their hair with flowers. As Tresa has a green thumb, she is able to spot and identify all the various plants and flowers along the path. Here’s a beautiful photo of the Thomas sisters - so happy!:

Here’s another in front a cool forest:



Around midday, we had a delicious lunch at Marela, where we shared a tomato salad, pasta with vegetables, pork chops, and a hamburger. For drinks, we ordered a shandy, ginger lemonade, and a cider - a few photos below:

After lunch, we walked on and meandered through villages and this beautiful forest where we took some photos:

We thought we were close to O Pedrouzo as we had walked almost the planned 12 miles / 19 kms, but we hadn’t seen the running driver. I said we probably still had a bit to go and Tresa remarked he will probably round the bend and appear. And as if it was a cue, 5 minutes later he was running towards us and I yelled out “dos veces cada día” which means “2 times every day!” We could not stop laughing and then walked into town.

We were staying in a triple room at Pension Vinte e Tres, and our luggage was waiting for us. As we were earlier than usual due to the shorter distance, we ran some errands at the pharmacy and took naps after our showers. We walked though town and went to dinner at Galaico where we sipped on multiple rounds of wine, munched on a ham and cheese platter, and chatted with folks walking by.

We could not stop laughing how the running driver appears every time we talk about him and is like a North Star on our route who can help us know if we’re making good time. And just like that, we saw him drive by in his van! Mary Ann said he will live a long life as there is an Indian saying that you live long when people talk about you.

Passing by as well, we saw the family with two sons and learned they were from Seville - they were super sweet and we saw the Dutch, the Japanese, many students, and met Austrians and a German with whom Tresa chatted as they were sitting next to us.

And then just like that, our running driver buddy walked by with a horde of students and we all started laughing! The kids asked him who we were and he answered saying we see each other on the Camino two times a day. He motions with his hands and says “I’ll see you tomorrow!” Literally every time - Johnny on the spot.

We decided we needed to have more than wine, cheese, and ham, so we ordered a mountain rice dish that had chicken, shrimp, and squid and it was a hearty and satisfying meal. A collage below:



Tomorrow will be our last walk and we heard that people cry when they see Santiago de Compostela for the first time. Also on the journey, many write about how much they have reflected, cried, and of course laughed. The three of us can’t seem to stop laughing and are starting to feel sad that the walk is coming to an end - these familiar faces and our inside jokes have brought us so much joy!