We were up early and headed out after a simple breakfast. Although the route description had suggested it would be a boring day, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps it was knowing it was our last day or passing more cemeteries with lots of visitors and flowers. Or maybe that the kilometre markers showing the distance to Santiago were getting closer to zero or the good conversations with other peregrinos. But the day went quickly and along with a few woodsy stretches there were lots of villages where we zigzagged through narrow streets and spied an abundance of cats.
We stopped for lunch in a square by the chapel of Magdalene in Milladoura, then got our credentials stamped in the chapel. The helpful volunteer explained that this was where you could first see the cathedral towers. Even with overcast skies we could make them out.
We walked the last part with Kelly and George from California, with the rain becoming more and more intense. But it was also clear that there was no point waiting it out when we were this close. It felt quite emotional to be arriving. They peeled off to head directly to their hotel, so we navigated the final approach on our own. The cathedral square, Praza do Obradoiro, is stunning, with no commercial activity. There were others we had seen along the way to congratulate and the swapping of phones to take photos.
Although we’d thought of changing first, we decided we might as well just get our compostelas right then, which was fairly easy—registering at a terminal, taking a number, then having your credencial reviewed and your certificate of completion prepared. We were glad for the mailing tube to stow them in as we still had another camino to walk after this one. I believe we were something like the 480th pilgrims to arrive that day.
Although our hotel was close, by this time the skies had opened up again and it was a drenching few blocks. But no one seemed perturbed by dripping pilgrims and we liked our old-timey hotel (Hotel Pazos Alba, €44). And it had a bathtub so we each had a good soak.
The storm seemed set to continue all evening - we had noted that the main park was closed due to the weather - so we opted for the one restaurant close by. It was a stellar choice and opened at 7:30. We made it a celebratory feast: prawns and octopus stir fried with zucchini, peppers and other vegetables and tempura cod with eggplant and peppers. I had some good wine, Nedjo had a local cider and the basket of delicious bread disappeared. The only downside was we were too full for dessert.
What a day. What a camino!
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