Camino day 12: Padron to Santiago de Compostela, 23 km (27 September)

Our final day if walking was certainly more pleasant than its predecessor. The path led away from the main road wherever possible, winding through the villages and through the forested hills that surround Santiago De Compostela. The downside to this eminently sensible trailmaking by the authorities was, however, an additional two kilometres to the direct path.

By doing of some rather energetic walking, we managed to leave the bluk of our fellow pilgrims behind in cafes along the path, so most of the walk felt much less busy. The Portuguese Camino is now the second most popular path, and over 50,000 arrived in Santiago from the coastal path (Camino Costa). That’s over a thousand a week for eight months a year, and double that for all the Portuguese routes.

All up, we were two of the potentially 450,000 pilgrims who made the journey and asked for a compostela or a certificate of completion at the Pilgrim office. Add to that thousands of tourists and the last day is a bit of a madhouse. Fortunately, the different paths come in from the north, east and south, although the southern route along whch we walked I to the city is the least picturesque, as all the development is to the south.

My poor hat has taken a beating, as have our feet, but we walked more strongly after five days without a break than earlier in our journey. My poor old boots are cracking up along the rubber protection along the sides, and the old repairs are not holding up. Eight years has worn the soles down, so the time has come to call it quits. I will buy new boots for next year’s walk.

Like so many others, our walk finished in front of the cathedral. In a sign of the times, there was a pro-Palestine protest in front of the council building; but most pilgrims ignored it as the celebrated completing the journey. Even in this secular age, more than seven our of every ten on the Camino claim some spiritual benefit. For us, the spiritual dimension was not just our daily prayers, but the chance to reflect on our shared history and be present to each other, while being open to sharing with others we encountered.

We have everything we need: a good hotel, a great meal, and no walking tomorrow morning.