#30 The penultimate one (look it up)

Camino de Santiago

Another rainy start, but thats not unusual. One guy (Ricky, lives on a boat in Sardinia) we’ve been hiking with has shoes treated with gortex to keep water out. Well during the hurricane hike, he realized that gortex also keeps the water in! So he had what felt like he had a gallon of water in each shoe! No gortex for us.

We met up with Matt and Miranda last night so we could hike in to Santiago together. We’ve known them since day 3. here we are waiting for the rain to pass (it didn’t) while at an outside cafe for coffee and Santiago cake.

The night before we had dinner with three ladies from Boston. It was at this cafe above that they caught up with us. One of them, Nancy, played without any prompting from me, “One Day More” from Les Miserables! And we all sang it with her… at one point no one knew the words but Drew (of course) and the cafe gave us some weird looks, but hell, we’ll never see them again. Super fun!

The sunken roads even in the rain was cool!

These salesmen were smart. They set up in a tunnel! And there was a double bass player there as well!

Here’s a soggy terry and Miranda at the 10K mark. Only two 5K races to go! (Like I know how far that is)

Here’s our funny kiwi friend Matt (no kidding lives in the back of a truck, and showers at the beach) with one of the largest sandwiches I have ever seen. Burger bacon, lettuce tomato, etc… all at another cafe stop

When Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific Ocean after a year and half of traveling in 1805, they exclaimed “Ocean in View! O! The Joy!” (Find a 2005 commemorative US Quarter and you’ll see what I’m referring to). Here at Monte de Gozo (Mount Joy) we finally get our first glimpse of the Cathedral in Santiago, and have a better appreciation for the exclamation “O! The Joy!”

As Monty Python would say: And there was much rejoicing. There was! We are so close!! My heart was filled with much Gozo!

Entering Santiago! Note the abandoned hiking sticks left by previous pilgrims.

On the outskirts of town, this woman set up a stand to give you wax seals as stamps for a donation. We all got one!

Soon we were entering the historic section of Santiago. As best we could, the six of us held hands as we passed a lone bagpiper under an arch as you enter Plaza Obradoir…the main square in front of the cathedral. It was special. Miranda, who is very sensitive/caring just cried and cried. The rest of us just had huge smiles on our faces. We had made it! About 500 miles from our starting place and 33 days later, we arrived at the tomb of St James.

I had to take this picture of these two who were excited to take selfies of themselves! They were so happy!

Here’s the main plaza. The cathedral is on the left out of the picture. Pilgrims enter from the bottom left if the came from Portugal, and from the bottom right if they came from France like we did. They all get to the center to say”Im here! I’ve done it!”

It was a party scene! People everywhere congratulating each other and a lot of hugging,sharing stories about their journey. Terry heard one guy mention how he never got a blister the whole time. Terry said under his breath “F$@^# you, and your perfect feet”. Agreed!

I entered the cathedral, and it was just huge inside. There was so much to describe that i will devote a separate newsletter to the cathedral and what’s inside.

So I’ll end this newsletter with this picture of the bathroom at our albergue… which sadly was on another floor, which really sucks if you have the top bunk, and you had two beers that night. Anyway, take a look at the door.

They had to cut a notch in the door so that the door could swing into the bathroom and not be blocked by the toilet. An Andy Marfurt fix if ever there was one!

Oct. 16, 2024, 5:09 p.m.

The Cuatro Amigos