Rua - Santiago de Compostela (20kms) Day Fifteen

Day Fifteen

Date:     13 April  2013

Place:    Rua - Santiago de Compostela

Weather:   becoming sunny in the morning and intermittent sun in the afternoon with a cool wind.

Accommodation:   Hotel Algalia

There was a hint of excitement in the air and we set off the earliest we have done so far at 8.45am from Rua.

The weather became clearer and as the sun rose higher we had our first glimpses of what became a beautiful day!  The chances of entering Santiago de Compostela in sunshine improved – after 39 straight days of rain in the region.

We strolled through the bigger town of Pedrouzo only a kilometre and a half down the road and then we were on dirt tracks once again through forests, rushing water and some mud. 

Which way....thankfully the camino is well sign-posted!

 

It was a lovely part of the walk to our first stop walking through fields of canola, grass and farms with their granaries and lovely bridges over very fast flowing streams.

 

Now, that's a long granary (Pedrouzo).

 

Lovely sunshine....and still circumnavigating mud.

 



By 11am we had walked 9kms and we decided to have our first break for food and then forge on to Santiago de Compostela with breaks.  It was good to sit down and we enjoyed soup, sandwiches and salad with coffees, tea and a beer!  It is only a small village but very tidy with a small church.

Moss covered forests makes for pretty walking.

 

 

Follow the yellow arrows....this one on the side of a barn.

 



Fifteen minutes later we saw the last sign on a marker reading 11kms.  After this there were no mileage signs only wooden posts saying Camino de Compostela.

We now had a lovely walk through Lavacolla with a large church and had a few steep ascents on the way.  Vilamaior was the last stage of the countryside before we started feeling like we were heading to a big city as the traffic became more hectic and the houses closer together.   The village is lovely with cow sheds in the main street and a large old granary dated 1893. As well, the tarmac (as described in our guide book which is really asphalt) became more constant and we started to feel our feet!

After the Santiago de Compostela  monument we noticed pilgrims had entwined wooden crosses along the way.

 

 

The ritual cleansing outside Vilamoior...and it gave us some rest time.

 



 At this stage I started to feel a little nostalgic finishing the walk as we certainly had seen so many lovely areas off the beaten track

The next part of the walk was quite boring leading up a steeper ascent until Monte do Gozo.  We sat for a little across the road from the area's  television stations, pausing for another break.  I sat on a grassy patch really feeling my feet as there is never anywhere to sit on the way.

Just another ascent!

I have so many photos of people's backs walking....here's mine!

 



At the top of Monte de Gozo the pilgrims get to see the first glimpses of the cathedral and we spied them way off in the distance between some pine trees as we stood in front of a huge monument – monument of the Monte do Gozo.  It pays tribute to John Paul II who made the pilgrimage.  A little chapel sits near here as well so we paid a visit and gained another sello.

Just a hundred metres down the road we finally spotted another mileage sign which rather rudely told us we had 4.7kms to go…..it still seemed so far!

 

So near...so far when you have sore feet.

 



From now on it was plod, plod plod on the concrete and asphalt paths.  Once inside the city gates we noticed the brass shells in the footpaths and followed them to the cathedral.  There were also the familiar yellow and blue camino signs.

I told our little group of pilgrims that the first to spot the spires would have first sip of drinks tonight – and as I was trudging my head and leading the pack I lifted my head and voila – one spire was peeping above the rooftops.  We were close.

With weary feet we marched into the old town, a conglomeration of delightful cobble-stoned streets, grand prazas and huge buildings.  We were getting nearer and excited.

By 3pm we passed through the Porto do Camino following the brass shells all the way.  We passed the side of the cathedral and went through a dark tunnel with the huge praza of the cathedral ahead in gleaming light.  I stepped out of the tunnel and peeped left…..and there it was……our final destination of our camino.  I felt like crying!  What a time we have had!

Yay...we made it!

 



We let out a couple of subdued cheers (we aren’t the only people around here to have walked it) and a lovely couple took our photos having done some of the walk a couple of days before.  How fortunate were we to arrive in clear skies.

After a quick look over the outside we went in and sat for quite a few minutes in the pews facing the main altar.  I think an air of thankfulness and awe had hit us.

We continued exploring the cathedral including the crypt and passing the statue of St James behind the main altar.  Tomorrow we will pick up some audio guides to understand the complete history of this magnificent cathedral as well as attend the pilgrims’ mass at noon.

We trudged off to find our accommodation which after an enquiry in a store found it wasn’t too far from the cathedral, thankfully for our feet.  A rest, shower and some washing was in order before we headed out at 6pm for some strolling, drinks and sightseeing.

As we emerged from our hotel we were met with bright sunshine and I think every person in Santiago was also out enjoying this rare sight.  Families and tourists abounded and after a little bit of strolling we found our way to the pilgrim’s office for our compostelas.  What a proud moment for us and a lovely lady took a photo of all four of us standing outside with beaming smiles.

 

Pretty darn pleased with ourselves...outside the Pilgrims' Hostel to collect our compostelas.

 



We succumbed to the ambience of Santiago de Compostela and sat at a table outside a bar in small praza for wine and nibbles.  Life couldn’t be better!

 

 

A celebratory drink in an open air praza.

 



Dinner at the hotel was a real treat as Desley and Cameron had received a compensatory dinner package for the mix-up in the beginning of the tour.  We were certainly treated very well with a goat’s cheese entrée (delicious), pasta and chocolate and strawberry mousse.

The four pilgrims retreated to bed – tired, worn out and completely satisfied with this part of our holiday.