It was strange to arrive in Santiago by bus instead of on foot. Even though our walk from the bus station followed the same Camino path we had walked the previous week, it felt very different, almost like we were frauds. With our packs and boots on, we stopped on the Cathedral steps where we asked someone to take our photo as we didn't do that on our initial entrance into the city and we wanted one of us from the end of our journey.
It was our plan to pick up our suitcases from storage on our way into town but once again our ability to find what we were told would be easy to find proved to be less than required to accomplish such a task. It is a good thing we never made it on the Amazing Race as we had once hoped as we would have been eliminated on the first episode! Anyway, we decided we would try to find it later.
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| Arrival in Santiago |
Arriving just as the gift shops opened after their afternoon siesta, we thought we could get all the gifts for family and friends as well as a couple of items for us before they closed for the day. This would allow us to leave by bus for Porto at noon the next day (Friday). Given our new penchant for "cafe cortado", we bought cups to house these tasty drinks at home. Another item we had decided to purchase as a remembrance of our Camino was a customized poster. We were told it would take only a couple hours to complete but when we dropped off the information to create it, we learned it would not be ready until after 2:00 the next day. So.... with that (plus unfound suitcases and dinner arranged with Camino friends), our plans to leave the next day were changed.
Although we had walked some distance with Dawn, due to her pre-planned stops as well as plans for her friend Ann to join her in Sarria, she was some distance behind us. So it was fun to hear the rest of her Camino stories over dinner, once again at Le Bispo, and to meet Ann as well.
On the way to meet Dawn for dinner, I made a quick dodge into a store while Fred stood outside. So glad he did because he came face to face with Jean (of Bill and Jean from Portland). We last saw them in Leon and truly thought we would miss seeing them in Santiago so this was a very delightful surprise. We quickly arranged meeting them for breakfast the next day before they were scheduled to head out to Finesterre.
Friday - May 29
Our breakfast with Bill and Jean was a great time of sharing Camino experiences. We are quite certain we will remain in touch with these wonderful people as they live so close and our personalities really clicked.
After breakfast, I left Fred sitting at the hotel with ice on his ankle while I went in search of the rest of the gifts for people. My sisters had also given me some money to purchase something special so I was looking for that thing that would hopefully embrace the emotion of the Camino for me. By one o'clock, I had the list of gift items and where they were located so met Fred at the fountain so we could once again try to locate our suitcases. This time, we had directions from the concierge at our hotel so in no time found ourselves at the front desk of the albergue where our suitcases had been stored. We noticed a beautiful solid terra cotta sculpture of a male peregrino in a sitting pose and commented on how neat it was.
Our suitcases in hand, we now began the embarrassing walk pulling them through the streets of Santiago, definitely not feeling like peregrinos now. Back at our hotel, we realized how many dirty clothes we had acquired while in France and so now..... we decided we would stay until Sunday. This would give us the opportunity to get our clothes washed, spend a day finishing up our journaling, and more importantly to be there for the arrival of Ralph, our English friend who had prescheduled his arrival in Santiago causing him to arrive after all those he shared the way with to be gone.
With this decision made, we finished our shopping for all but the "special gift" with my sister's money. I thought I would get a carved wood peregrino but there were so many and they all looked alike. It was while looking in one more store, right next to the cathedral, that I spotted her. A solid terra cotta sculpture of a child peregrino. It totally captured the essence of the Camino for me - the childlike wonder I experienced as I took in all nature around me, the childlike vulnerability, and the childlike acceptance. I know that it will be a continual remembrance of how special the Camino was for me. Fortunately, Fred liked her as well. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of her before she was wrapped like a mummy in bubble wrap so it will have to wait until I get home to share. She weighs about 15 pounds and I am not risking putting her in a suitcase so I will be carrying her all the way home.
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| Peregrino |
We were ready for something different to eat for dinner tonight so found an authentic Italian place and had a really good pizza and caprese salad. A welcome change.
Saturday - May 30
Knowing that Ralph was going to be arriving in Santiago today, we made our way to a section of the walk into town that everyone essentially walks by so it would be difficult for us to miss him. Sitting there with our coffee and crosisant, only a short time later, we spotted him. He was so surprised and pleased that someone was still there for his arrival. We walked with him to the compostela office and made arrangements to get together at six for dinner.
The rest of the day until dinner, we spent journaling/blogging with a glass of wine or sangria to refresh us. We enjoyed sharing our last trip to El Bispo with Ralph. It was so great to have this time to visit with this warm-hearted Englishman.
Back in our room, we made an important FaceTime call to our beautiful grandaughter Teagan as it was her 7th birthday. A great way to end our day.
Sunday - May 31
After breakfast at our hotel, we got a taxi to take us to the bus station for our trip to Porto. It was really sad for us to leave this beautiful city that had become so special to us. I plan to be back someday soon when I hopefully have the opportunity to repeat this walk with my sisters. What an awesome experience that will be!
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| Arrival in Santiago Statue |
I plan at least two more posts before I consider by Camino blog complete. One on the mental, spiritual and emotional impact this journey had on me. The other the practical lessons learned. Both may require a look back through and some additional processing so they will likely be delayed until our return home. Suffice it to say for the moment, this walk was the most rewarding experience I have ever had. It will be difficult to become tourists for the rest of our time here and to ultimately rejoin the real world when we return home.
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