Santiago

The rain forecast for our final stage into Santiago de Compostella was impatient with our schedule and instead fell while we slept. Like kids at Christmas we were up early and had already eaten breakfast when we started walking in the dark at 7:40. Our small lights kept us out of the mud puddles along the forest road. The day was overcast and gray but it never rained until we had arrived at our destination.

The guidebook calls this an uninspiring 12 mile stage until you reach the old city. I always love the old section of a European city. The narrow and winding cobbled streets laid out hundreds of years before cars speak to me. This was the shortest of our 27 stages. Shortly after lunch we stood in the middle of the Praza de Obradoiro at kilometer marker 0. There were a smattering of pilgrims scattered about the square taking pictures. Some were just sitting on the ground and others on the surrounding benches. Some were laughing and others crying. We saw none of our friends yet and that felt a little unsettling. Just then the three amigos from Mallorca arrived. We congratulated them and snapped a few pics before we were chased from the square in a light rain.

Our to do list was long and we weren't certain where to begin. First to shed the mochillas (backpacks) at the Hotel Montenegro (thanks Liz). The room wasn't ready but that was fine since we weren't ready for it. We returned to the Cathedral and went inside to check off a few items. I investigated the botafumeiro which really is amazing. It is a 52 kilogram incense holder that swings across the transepts. It is the only one in Spain. More about that later. We also visited the remains of the apostle James who is the reason for the Camino de Santiago. Then we made our way up well-worn granite steps and hugged the statue of Saint James from behind. This is the statue that looks down on the altar. It is a thin place, but more on thin places later. When we came out we found clusters of our peregrinos! First we ran into Fritz (Iowa), Ellen (Germany), and Augustine (Poland). We hugged and laughed in the sun but Ellen was pushing on to the coast, having attended the daily pilgrim's mass at noon. We were planning on the Friday 7:30 mass, as were most of our friends. This mass, along with holy days, is when the botafumeiro swings! We were not going to miss that. It seems impossible to me that we could plan on attending this mass 27 days ago when we were 800 kilometers away and actually arrive on time. That's Amy's doing. I just walked.  We returned to the main square and could see three ladies in pink! These were our friends from Malaga, Anna, Natalia and Marina. They were leaving the other side of the square and Amy sprinted to head them off. We exchanged besos and they were very happy to see us. They had a present for us. Natalia dug into the pack still on Marina's back and pulled out a folder. The folder was pink of course and inside was an 8x11 selfie that we had all taken on the Camino. Oh, and a lollipop. How they did this I have no idea but it is just awesome.

More friends were gathered at ground zero. There was Ted (Vancouver), Marek (Czech Republic), Mark (Denmark), Chris (London) and Stephanie (Germany). We hugged and laughed and took pictures. Everyone was so happy. A true happiness within that had been building up over many kilometers and was now bubbling over. Everyone was being pulled in different directions, and our direction was to the Office of the Peregrinos. There we received our Compostelas, the official certificate of competition. They are definitely suitable for framing. Our names are inscribed in Latin. 

Next we traversed the square back to a tapas street. Clare was getting hungry. Although there were more than 20 restaurants in 100 yards we found it difficult to settle on one. We finally walked into one and although we could order food there was no one else there and it didn't have what Clare was looking for. We did have the baby scallop plate and it was quite good. They were broiled and sitting on their shells. The same shells that have permeated our Way for the past month. It seemed fitting, although like an unintentional pun, we did not order those in keeping with a theme. We devoured the scallops and then moved a few doors down. This next restaurant had more people and more food. I was thrown off when the menu of the day was not yet available. Now I was feeling like I wanted our hotel room and a shower more than food. I ate a bit and then Amy sent me to my room. She and Clare would do a little shopping. I had checked in and showered when they returned bearing gifts but even better news. While shopping they ran into Max and Gracia in the square! We hadn't seen them in two days and Amy and Clare caught them just as they arrived! Amy has intuition, and she uses it. Anyway, tapas hopping was planned for after mass.

We arrived at the Cathedral just before 7 for the 7:30 mass. The botafumeiro swings across the transepts, so that is the best seating and the northern transept is reserved for pilgrims. The pews were nearly filled to around row 15 but a few seats were open in the first row and we squeezed in. Prime viewing. Before the mass started a guard made an announcement in Spanish and English. Tourists should leave while mass was in session and NO photography or mobile phones were allowed during the mass. He seemed quite firm on this point. A nun led the songs from the altar and her voice was perfecto for a large Cathedral. After communion the area in front of our pew became active with robed men who would swing the incense. A few children were allowed to sit on the floor in front of the first row and as soon as the ropes were disengaged from the resting hook and the botafumeiro began to move hundreds of cameras and mobile phones popped out. This was after communion but before dismissal so it was a bit of a gray area but I'm assuming that most felt the mass was over at this point. If it wasn't there is always confession. Watching this whole process is really something special. The bota starts out slowly with a pronounced up and down bob, but working in a coordinated unison it begins to develop its arc. At it's pinnacle it nearly touches the ceiling. Like Christmas trees across the world I'm sure it has left a few marks on the ceiling. The botafumeiro is supposed to help carry our prayers to heaven but the real reason for this unique tradition I believe is more practical. Why do you think this practice arose in the terminal Cathedral of Spain's largest pilgrimage? Pilgrim fumigation of course. That's why the peregrinos sit directly beneath!

After mass Amy and I stepped outside the northern transept to see if Max and Gracia were waiting. They were not but once outside the door there was no going back inside. Now we had to make our way around a very large Cathedral. On our way we reconnected with Georgie, the very fast Italian who we had dined with in Ventosa 2 weeks earlier. He was now with his son Alessandro who surprised Georgie at his finish in Santiago and then hiked with him on to Finistere and Muxia. They returned to Santiago for this Friday mass. We also saw Jason from Virginia who we hadn't seen in days. We heard he might have a broken foot but here he was. Limping a bit but still smiling. Gracia had supplied Jason with anti inflammatory medicine 10k from the finish. When we made it around to the southern entrance we found Clare, Max and Gracia. We were in for an evening.

They led us to the busiest tapas street in Santiago. The tapas in this region are almost all seafood. They said they only go into the busiest places. We would not know how to operate in that kind of chaos but Max and Gracia did. No matter how busy the place was, Max had a bottle of Albariño wine and five glasses, often before we even had a place to stand. Then a small space would open and we would fill it. Coats were hung on hooks under the counter. Plates of tapas were prepared and presented before us. Max would just ask for a sampling of the specialties of the house. Everything was delicious. We had pimientos stuffed with tuna with an anchovy on top, deep fried whole mini squids (chiparones) with squid ink dipping sauce, barely seared tuna, grilled octopus (pulpo a la plancha) and finally razor clams (navajas). The razor clams were outstanding and made me question why we had thrown so many back into the bay during our years of clamming. Whenever you order a drink in Spain you will receive some food. If you are drinking beer or wine you will have something savory. If it is coffee then you will get something sweet. As we moved from place to place we saw many other peregrinos that we knew. It was a blast. At midnight we were in a tapas bar finishing our wine, and the lights dimmed and the music changed. We had been hearing nondescript background music but now the volume increased and the music said party. Gracia said now is the signal for no more eating or drinking wine. Now you drink liquor, but we were done. It was past our bedtime. They walked us back to our hotel and we thanked them for a most memorable night. If you ever have the chance to go tapas hopping with a Spaniard, do it!

I plan to write more about thin places and our time on the Way and in Santiago perhaps tomorrow in the airport. Now we head to Madrid and tomorrow for my birthday we fly home! We can't wait to see Patrick and Abbey and all our friends!!