This April, I completed part of the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, through Portugal. The route is a historic pilgrimage, and many people complete the Camino each year to arrive at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in Spain, following the footsteps of the Apostle Saint James to arrive at what is his final resting place, according to legend.
When completing the pilgrimage, there are a few requirements to make completion official and receive the certifying document, the Compostela. First of all, there is a minimum distance to be covered before arriving at Santiago. By foot, you must travel at least 100 km / 62 miles to arrive at Santiago, or 200 km / 124 miles by bike. As you travel, you must stop at restaurants, hostels, visitors centers, and the like along the way to receive sellos, or stamps, in your credencial, which is sort of like a pilgrim's passport- the stamps capture the route you take to arrive in Santiago.
The Camino is typically a multi-day or even multi-week pilgrimage with pilgrims, or peregrinos, spending the night in albergues, hostels meant specifically for pilgrims, along the way. And there are many pilgrims! Typically, around 300,000-400,000 complete the Camino annually with about 6% travelling by bike but the vast majority doing so on foot. The path is indicated by various markers, typically bearing the shape of scallop shells. The reason for this is unclear and the subject of debate for many legends- my personal favorite being that they were originally intended to be in the shape of goose footprints, that the pilgrims were following geese to St. James.
There are practically countless different pathways to arrive at Santiago, originating all over the world. I first learned about the Camino while taking a food and culture class for my Spanish minor we studied the history and, in particular, the iconic Tarta de Santiago, a delicious almond cake. Apparently, the movie 'The Way' (2010) is a good way to learn more about the experience in case you're curious although personally I haven't watched it, I think it's available on Prime video.
Since I had limited time to complete my pilgrimage, I chose to cycle a segment of the Camino Portugués from Porto to Santiago. I followed the coastal route for a day before switching to the central route the rest of the way. Altogether, I planned to complete the journey in about five days over the Easter holiday weekend with a day of wiggle room in case of inclement weather, mechanical trouble, or anything like that. The route I planned to follow was as shown, covering about 260 km from Porto to Viana do Castelo to Rubiães to Redondela to Padrón and, finally, to Santiago.
Luckily, I found a bike rental company with a setup that worked perfectly for this trip. Their model is to serve a large area across Portugal and Spain, and allow customers to have a bike delivered at the hostel where they begin their journey and picked up from where they finish so long as it's within that area. In my case, the bike and associated gear (panniers, extra inner tubes, etc.) arrived at my hostel in Porto a few hours before I did and was picked up from Santiago de Compostela a few hours before I left for the airport. It wasn't the lightest or highest-tech bike for the journey but it served me well overall.
It's difficult to convey the entirety of my experience on the Camino, but I'll do my best to capture some highlights throughout the journey. As cliché as it may sound, you really had to be there to fully appreciate all aspects of it: the physically and mentally challenging moments, the beauty of the scenery, and the buoyancy or connecting with other pilgrims along the way. That said, I hope enjoy the parts I am able to share with you!
DAY 0 - LEICESTER, UK TO PORTO, PORTUGAL
I started my trip the Tuesday before Easter, left from Birmingham airport and arrived in Porto in the afternoon with a few work calls to wrap up and then a few hours to explore before I needed to rest to prepare for the many kilometers ahead. After settling in with a complimentary glass of port at my hostel, I started off at the Sé Catedral where I spotted the first conchas of my camino and picked up a few sellos along the way.
I followed the Camino a bit from there, down to the Douro river and then back toward the centre. Porto was beautiful and the weather was gorgeous, much sunnier and warmer than what I'd left behind in the UK.
I passed a few more cathedrals in the town center before heading back toward the hostel to grab some dinner, stopping to buy some sunscreen too. Afterwards, I assembled the bike and packed most of my things in the panniers and handlebar bag so I would be ready to hit the road in the morning. I stepped out for a final nighttime walk and to snag a few more calories in preparation for my trip.
DAY 1 - PORTO TO VIANA DO CASTELO (~80 km / 50 miles)
I started off the first day of my Camino with a hearty breakfast at the hostel in the company of a few other travelers: a Dutch teenager volunteering on farms around Portugal and Spain, and a woman visiting from Lanzarote preparing to try out the local surf scene. I hit the road in the late morning after having a good meal, good company, and completing the final preparations of my bike.
Departing my hostel, I started off with an easy downhill route to connect with the river before following it to the coast. I quickly crossed paths with other pilgrims, designated by their heavy packs, trekking poles, and scallop shells (sometimes literal, sometimes patches or pins). It was thrilling to exchange the traditional "Bom Caminho!" greeting and good wishes with each of them, a reminder that even if I was alone on my bike I wasn't alone on the journey.
When planning my trip, I had considered following the Central route the entire time but was really excited for the opportunity to follow the gorgeous Portugeuse coastline for at least a little while and I'm very glad I did! The views did not disappoint, plus there was a cool breeze off the coast which kept the temperature quite comfortable even during the sunniest parts of the day.
Once I had several hours in the saddle, I stopped to enjoy lunch overlooking the ocean. I found a café beside a very eccentric-looking church in the shape of a fishing boat. During my meal, the church bells happened to ring and their song was a lovely addition to the experience.
With it being my first day of riding, I was learning a lot about striking the right balance on the Camino in a few different ways. For one, I started to pick up on where to find stamps, looking for signs indicating different places which had them or having the courage to just ask. I also had to resist the urge to stop and take photos of every beautiful sight, there were simply too many.
Through mid-afternoon, the path hugged the coast pretty closely. Sometimes it followed boardwalks across the beach, which offered an up-close view of the sea but also some interesting terrain: some had stairs, and one section had even been blown out by high tide. Later on, the pathway turned inland and passed through some lush agricultural areas. On the horizon, I could see the outline of much higher terrain- something for my legs to look forward to.
As I neared my destination, I started to reach more challenging segments, some more reminiscent of mountain bike terrain (which made me quite grateful the rental agency had strongly recommended I take their mountain bike option when I initially considered a hybrid touring bike instead...). I passed through narrow sections, my panniers sometimes brushing up against rocks and roots jutting up out of the path, and grappled with my pride as I hopped out of the saddle a few times to keep going- something I quickly learned to allow myself (and my knees) a bit more grace on. It also made me (specifically, my shins & calves) realize one feature of my bike which hadn't struck me earlier: the pedals were metal and left me with some colorful reminders of the trip which remained even a few days after I returned to the UK.
One of my key learnings the first day was also around eating on the way. I had brought a few snacks, mostly fruit, and I somewhat underestimated the calories I needed to replenish. Just under 10 km out from Viana do Castelo, I bonked- a term I learned from my British cycling colleagues meaning, in short, that I hit a wall. In addition to learning about needing more snacks, I also recognized the importance of checking the route profile when planning my day. Once I hit the steeper hills my destination, my pace was significantly slower than it had been on the flat, coastal sections.
So my energy was low, plus sunset was approaching so I made the decision to leave the trail and finish the last leg to the hostel on the road. A bit disappointing, but definitely the safe option. I took a much-needed shower and then walked over to get some dinner. Ravenous from the day of cycling, I demolished the delicious seafood and potato dish. Before calling it a night, I stretched while I checked out some alternatives for my route the next day and paid much closer attention to the profile than I had before.
I intended to cover the longest distance on my first day, and although I didn't quite stick to the Camino I was satisfied that I'd successfully made it to the town I targeted. Although pretty physically drained, I went to bed encouraged and determined to continue my progress the next day.
DAY 2 - VIANA DO CASTELO - PONTE DE LIMA - RUBIÃES (~20 + 50 km / 12 + 30 mi)
Day two I woke up a bit sore, especially in the knees, but after some breakfast and coffee I was excited to keep going. Before I left, I looked at the routes again and noticed I had a relatively shorter route planned. Looking back at the end of the day prior, I was curious about the segment of trail that I'd skipped, so I decided it would be worth the extra kilometers to see it.
I started off in the town center though to get a stamp to mark my starting point that day. If you're keeping track of days of the week, you may recognize it was Maundy Thursday. As I was passing through, I happened to have perfect time to catch a procession into the local cathedral.
Once I got rolling again, I took the roads up to where I'd left the trail and finished the last 10 km or so and I'm really glad I did. It was a somewhat rougher section of trail but it was beautiful and one of my favorite sections up to that point.
It also took me past one of the most unique stamps I encountered along the way, which someone offered just outside their house with an explanation of the symbolism of the drawing.
After a morning of backtracking, I stopped for lunch and to stock up on snacks. My next step was to turn East to make the switch from the Coastal route to the Central route. Conveniently, there was a trail (an ecovía) which followed a river inland to a town called Ponte de Lima where I picked up the Central way. It was a gorgeous path, bordered periodically by impressive fields of vibrant wildflowers. I stopped at one just to listen to the audible buzz of bees flocking to the bright purple and yellow flowers.
Ponte de Lima was a beautiful town with some gorgeous mideval architecture, particularly an iconic bridge. I rested in its shade along the river and had a snack.
Once I got moving again, I saw a group of cyclists following the way near the town centre, the first I'd seen so far. Soon after, I stopped at an eclectic little shop for a stamp. The shopkeeper was quite welcoming and entertaining, he had a full traditional pilgrims outfit complete with a staff as well as a bell to ring once he stamped my credencial.
As I carried on and neared Rubiães, the terrain got a bit more interesting again. There were more significant ups and downs, and some stretches where the trail got a bit rough.
I had just stopped for a stamp and a quick chat with some other pilgrims having a rest when my chain slipped on a steep ascent. It had happened once or twice before and I'd fixed it relatively easily, but this time it got a bit caught up between the rear cassette and the spokes so I was struggling to get it back on when the cyclists I'd seen earlier passed by and offered to help. We pulled the panniers off, flipped the bike over, and quickly got the chain back engaged. As we carried on we chatted a bit, I learned they were from Madrid, but we eventually parted ways as they were travelling a bit lighter than I was plus they preferred to stick to the roads rather than the trail.
On the final stretch in to Rubiães, again probably within the last 10 km or so, there was a particularly grueling, drawn-out ascent. I followed the road at that point since at that point it was challenging enough to continue upward at a constant rate without the ups & downs of the trail. Luckily, after reaching the crest, the approach to my hostel for the night was almost exclusively downhill so I was coasting most of the way.
My stay for that night was a private albergue which turned out to be run by a family who also ran a restaurant in town. I arrived in the evening, close to 7 pm, so I cleaned up quickly in order to get a ride over to the restaurant with them. The rest of the group staying at the albergue were all travelling together on foot, it was at least a dozen or so friends & family who had travelled from Brasil to complete the camino. It was interesting chatting a bit with them as I didn't speak Portuguese but fortunately they had some Spanish and some English so we were able to get by.
For dinner, I enjoyed what was described as a traditional Portuguese dish and I regret that I don't know the exact name of it: it was a hearty sort of stew with pork, carrots, and peas and definitely helped my recovery from another long day in the saddle. I treated myself to some flan for dessert as well, which was also delicious, before catching a ride back to the hostel with the group from Brasil.
Back in my room with a very full stomach, I completed my new nightly routine of route planning and stretching. Rubiães is in a more rural region of Portugal and the night was very clear so I also spent some time in the yard admiring a great view of the stars before calling it a night.
DAY 3 - RUBIÃES - REDONDELA (~50 km / 30 mi)
Third day in, I woke up pleasantly surprised to find I felt much less sore than I expected to. After some breakfast, I decided to start my day by tuning up my bike before carrying on. Like I mentioned, the chain slipped a few times the previous day and after resetting it several times the front derailleur had stopped working well, especially on any sort of incline. A bit of love and some tweaks to the limit screws and it began working more smoothly.
Just as I was setting out, another cyclist happened to pass by. We struck up a conversation and he slowed down to keep pace with me, I learned his name was José and he was from Padrón in Spain- coincidentally, a town I planned to stay near later in my journey if you happen to recall from my itinerary. He had a much nicer, lighter ride so it was kind of him to keep pace with me especially on sections of steep ups and downs. An hour or so out, we caught up with the group from Brasil who had set out from the hostel earlier on than me.
We continued together between Rubiães and Valença, generally heading downhill from the hilly, central region to near sea level along the Minho river which marks the border between Portugal and Spain. There were definitely some rocky descents which tested my courage, but it made for an easier journey than the evening prior. Altogether, it was another beautiful day, clear blue skies and sunshine.
We stopped for coffees and pastries in the town center of Valença before making another quick stop at the Fortaleza de Valença, a massive medieval structure now filled with many shops and restaurants among the historical sites. Along the way José told me about his family and transport company, and I shared more about my rotational program and why I was currently living in the UK. We ended up getting a bit turned around in the fort, but after that we made quick progress over the Minho river into the Spanish town of Tui.
Our timing happened to be impeccable yet again, as we passed the main Cathedral in the town center we paused to allow another procession to pass, this time in celebration of Good Friday. A bit further North, the trail forked- one path less direct than the other. José and I parted ways there, he chose the more direct path and I took the longer one. The route between there and Redondela was very scenic, passing though a few small towns along the way. The greenery of the hills was amazing, although some sections again were quite challenging.
I met a few other pilgrims walking along the way from across the world, one from Lisbon and a small group from Germany. It was good to find time throughout the day to rest and chat with some company, and learn more about each of their journeys.
I reached Redondela late in the afternoon, stopping to admire a church dedicated to Santiago before reaching my hostel. This hostel was the busiest I'd stayed at so far, I met a handful of other Americans which was the most I'd run across in one place. A German student checked in about the same time I did, so we grabbed dinner together at a restaurant. I enjoyed a very rich bacalao, or cod, which is an iconic dish in Galicia, the name for the region and community I was in through the Spain section of the Camino Portugués. Afterward I was very full and very ready to call it a night yet again.
DAY 4 - REDONDELA - PADRÓN (~60 km / 40 mi)
I started day 4 at the café across the street from my hostel with a helping of Spanish tortilla, a delicious classic dish made mostly of potato, egg, and onion. Even after some very generous dinners, I somehow never had a problem being hungry enough for breakfast to start the day.
Redondela is situated on the water, near a large bay or estuary off the Atlantic, but the Camino stayed pretty far inland. That said, I started my ride for the day with a detour down to the waterfront to take a look. Once there I was impressed by the clarity of the water, it seemed like you could practically look all the way down to the sand beneath the surface.
Only downside of going down to the waterfront was that it was much lower in elevation than the path, so I had an uphill stretch to get back to it. I didn't know it at the time, but it was probably good to have a bit of a warmup as there were lots of steep sections, some quite rocky and more similar to what you may expect from a mountain bike trail. Before I reached those, there were even some very steep ascents & descents on the narrow road through town.
To give you an idea of the dimensions of the road, there was somewhat of a traffic jam on the bridge because it was hardly wide enough for a single car to cross and somehow two ended up in the center, facing each other. The driver who should have yielded made extremely slow progress reversing because he couldn't quite get his wheels appropriately aligned, so he'd reverse a few feet but then have to stop and pull forward before reversing again and repeating the process. Beyond the outer reaches of the town, the scenery was super beautiful again. I crossed paths with some ladies from Colorado who had been on the trail for nearly a month, they'd started out on foot from Lisbon. It was fun to chat about their experience, and we ended up seeing each other a few times: I stopped to rest after passing their group at first, they passed me while I was snacking, and then I passed them again just a few minutes later since they stopped for a rest just a bit further along.
I enjoyed the ride through the late morning into early afternoon, mostly passing through the countryside. There were tons of churches dotted along the way, and I passed some lovely quaint little churches on this section in particular. I stopped at Pontevedra, the next larger town I passed through also situated on a large estuary, for a quick rest in the shade of a beautiful cathedral while looking for a local lunch spot.
Back on the trail, I was again enjoying yet another beautiful afternoon and the gorgeous scenery. It was clear spring had arrived by the verdant countryside and I very much enjoyed the ride, especially since the terrain was significantly milder than the prior days had been.
I stopped again in a town called Caldas de Reis, about 20 km from my final destination. It's named for its hot springs, there's fountains at the center of town where you can experience the warm spring water. On a colder, calmer day, it may have been interesting to soak but on this particular day the cool shade was much more appealing.
Carrying on, I made some friends a few kilometers down the path: a horse and a cow chilling near the path. The latter was tethered to one of the trail markets and was very friendly. It almost behaved more like a dog than a cow, basking in the ear scratches and at one point even (warning, bit gross) licking my sweaty legs, which Sammi tends to do back home.
Anyway, through the late afternoon I enjoyed some shadier, forested stretches of trail. Once it opened up a bit, I admired the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains the rest of the way to Padrón.
As I approached the town center, I actually needed to walk my bike due to the festival which consumed the town. There were street food vendors, flea market stalls, and carnival rides set up to celebrate the impending conclusion of Holy Week. Things cleared up a bit once I neared the Cathedral of Santiago (yes, another one) and I took a rest on a bench just outside and gave my new friend José a call. Luckily, he was just a few minutes away from Padrón on his way back from Santiago. Once he arrived we grabbed a pint of Estrella Galicia, a local beer, before parting ways just before sunset.
My hostel was a few kilometers outside of the town center, technically in a neighboring town called Cruces, and I enjoyed the vibrant sunset colors on my quick ride there. Once I checked in, I got cleaned up right away and chatted with my roommates for the night. I considered heading back into town, which José had highly recommended since the holy week parties of course continued into the night. After a shower, as you can potentially imagine, I was feeling quite tired from the day of riding and instead opted to grab dinner close by and head for the hills.
DAY 5 - PADRÓN - SANTIAGO (~14 + 20 km / 9 + 12 miles)
On the fifth day, I woke up feeling excited knowing Santiago was so close plus I was looking forward to checking out more of the festivities José told me would be going on in Padrón. I considered getting an earlier start to try to catch the Easter morning procession and mass, but I knew I'd have lots of time in Santiago once I arrived and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to experience more of this town especially due to the insight and pride my local friend shared. After a quick breakfast at the hostel, I biked along the main road back to the town center to check it out- gladly leaving behind my panniers and other gear since I'd be able to pick them up before continuing the Camino.
I locked up my bike and then headed up some stairs to a beautiful convent overlooking the town. The view was impressive, especially because the streets were full of people there to celebrate the holiday. My next stop was a horse auction set up in a park on the river running through the city. José told me it was held only once a year on Easter Sunday, and it was clearly quite the attraction- the crowds I saw filtering through the streets were moving in that direction.
At the center was a circular amphitheater which had been set up for the event. All around the outside, horses and donkeys of various shapes, colors, and sizes were tethered. The variation was incredible: some had sleek, solid coats while others were dappled, some had short coats while others had long tufts of fur. Some were agitated, stomping and neighing, and others were calm, placidly waiting. Some towered above me, while others were foals or ponies or even miniature. Some were for sale, while others were awaiting their turn to enter the center stage.
After taking a look around and giving some good snout and ear scritches, of course, I headed in to the amphitheater and found a seat on the bleachers. Listening to the announcers, I came to understand that it was a competition among the horses and their handlers in the ring. I came in just after a few horses de raza pura española, or Andalusian horses, completed their runs.
There were several competing at a time and I watched the last few. The handlers each had a lead as well as a whip or a bag on a stick to direct the horses' attention. They began by spurring the horses to run in circles around their handler, increasing and then decreasing their pace, giving them more slack for larger circlers and then bringing it in to tighter and tighter circles. Each handler had a slightly different style with varying vocal cues, different gestures and stances.
That was followed by a standing segment, which I didn't fully understand. The trainers seemed to try to hold the horses' attention while they alternatively stood still or shifting their weight between their legs. Throughout, two judges with clipboards circled while a third who was also the announcer looked on from the edge, holding a microphone.
Once all competitors completed their turns, the judges conferred briefly direct five to the center in a particular order. As they took their places, the two furthest right from where I sat were asked to perform a few more actions in turn. There was additional conferring before, at last, they were asked to switch places. The announcer returned to her microphone and announced the order, with first place being furthest right and fifth on the left. Applause echoed through the amphitheater before the five horses exited while the next group waited their turn to enter.
I left before the next round started, spent some more time checking out the horses around the outside. Beyond that first ring, there were food stalls and other vendors selling saddles, halters, and other tack. I decided to head into the centre to check out the activities there. It was also very lively, the festival I passed through the day prior still set up along with other activities dotted throughout. There was a concert in a square, and at another point a procession of characters also playing music passed through.
At that point, I was getting hungry so I headed to the Pulpería Rial, which in addition to featuring a beautiful stamp came highly recommended by José for having the best pulpo or polbo á feira in town. That's a classic Galician tapa, octopus typically cooked and served on a wooden plate with olive oil and paprika. You eat it with a toothpick, which you can call a pulpito in Spanish due to its inextricable association with the dish (in Spain, at least). It definitely lived up to the hype. I was amazed by the texture of the octopus since I expected it to be quite chewy, like when I've had it in the past, but this was very soft and at times almost buttery, practically melting in your mouth. Pulpería Rial served theirs with a hearty, brown bread which was also amazing and I used to soak up every bit of flavorful oil left on the plate. Afterward, I treated myself to a dessert recommended by the waitress: Tarta de Santiago! As I mentioned earlier, I learned about that cake when I learned about the Camino so it seemed fitting to enjoy a slice on the day I planned to complete my journey.
Very satisfied, I met with José again who was excited to show me around the heart of his town a bit more. He gave me a quick tour and then we stopped at a bar to chat some more and enjoy another Estrella. We didn't stay too long, since he had celebrations planned with his family and I was feeling eager to complete my journey.
I grabbed a quick snack at the place I'd stopped for dinner the night prior near my hostel, a café con leche as well as a sweet and savory membrillo con queso, or quince paste (a sort of citrusy/guava flavor with a texture of a very thick jam) with cheese. With that and a quick stop at the hostel to get my things, I was ready to tackle the final 20 km remaining between me and the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
The trail wound through neighborhoods at first. Interspersed between the homes were square basins full of running water with stone boards along the edges. José told me that these used to be where the community would do their laundry.
Further on, in the lawn of one of the homes was a boat which I think may have been a reference to one of the legends about how the Apostle Santiago arrived at the town which now bears his name.
I continued to pass small, quaint cathedrals as I approached my destination through rolling hills. When I researched the route before my trip, I repeatedly heard that the final stretch to the Cathedral was tough, prolonged ascent. It was made a bit easier since I didn't have much distance to cover on my last day of riding, but it was definitely one of the more urban stretches which didn't make it the most enjoyable.
As I wound through the core of the city center, the cathedral slowly came into view. I was approaching from the South, heading North so I first encountered the wing of the building, where the main entrance to sanctuary was, before continuing to the main plaza where I was greeted by the iconic view of its façade. I arrived in the evening so most of the Easter crowds had cleared although there were still many people around, some clearly also pilgrims who arrived recently both on foot or by bike. I was thrilled to have arrived at my destination and spent several minutes soaking in the view and the achievement.
Finally I decided to make my way to the hostel, unfortunately running into a few sets of stairs along the way. Just after I checked in and stored my bike in the back, the first few drops of rain I'd seen my whole trip started to fall. I am super grateful I managed to do all my cycling beneath clear skies, there were definitely stretches of trail which would have been at least dangerous or even impassible with unfavorable weather.
My next step was to clean up, unpack my bike bags, and settle in to the hostel. I chatted with a few other people around the hostel. Coincidentally, both of the girls in my pod of bunk beds were also based near London. They had both come in along the Camino Francés, the French Way, and it was really interesting to discuss the differences in our routes and experiences. I headed off for a meal and decided to celebrate with a seafood dinner. On my way, I passed the cathedral again and admired the striking architecture and a beautiful sunset before reaching the restaurant the hostel staff recommended.
I was feeling indecisive so I ordered the sampler platter, with one of most anything on the menu. Soon after I ordered, I noticed how fresh the ingredients were: from where I sat, I could clearly see into the glass-doored refrigerator to vibrant veggies, meat and cheese, and crabs which were still moving. When I received my meal, I was astounded by the spread. There were so many different things to try, some that I didn't even know how to begin to attempt to eat them: I was given tools and utensils I had never seen before. Luckily, the waitress was very helpful and gave me some tips which helped me eventually eat every morsel I could manage to squeeze out of the shells. It was quite an undertaking though, and took me over an hour to get through.
Before turning in for the night, I had the chance to connect with my family during their Easter dinner back in Winfield. It was so fun to catch up with all of them, albeit briefly, as well as to celebrate the holiday with them. After another long but much less challenging day, I headed to bed looking forward to sleeping in and exploring Santiago in the morning.
DAYS 6 & 7- SANTIAGO (0 km)
The day after arriving, I was glad to rest up and sleep in. I started off in the late morning to receive my Compostela, the official certificate that I'd completed the Camino. In the office, they reviewed where I started and finished and the stamps I'd acquired along the way before certifying that I completed the journey and awarding the official certificate, the Compostela.
Afterwards, I walked through the Plaza del Obradoiro at the foot of the cathedral and entered it through the entrance where I'd first seen on my final approach. The interior of the Cathedral was amazing, very intricate and beautiful, all centered around the Apostle Santiago, or Saint James. The altar was particularly impressive, many amazing colors and lots of brilliant gold leaf as well. Altars to other saints and apostles bordered the sanctuary, and at one side the famous botafumiero, a massive silver incense smoker, was suspended from the ceiling. It's nearly 5 feet tall and weighs over 100 lbs, it is widely recognized as a symbol of the Cathedral and is only used on about a dozen occasions throughout the year, one of which is Easter. I met someone at the hostel who had seen it and had a video of it in use, it was remarkable: there were about four monks involved pulling the cord to swing the botafumeiro over the entirety of the sanctuary, it moved at a surprising speed.
Once I explored and admired the cathedral, I continued walking around. I spent a while in Alameda park, a beautiful green space towards the edge of the city centre. It offered a gorgeous overlook of the cathedral as well.
Santiago is a historic city, in addition to the cathedral there were many other buildings with incredible architecture around. Beyond Alameda park, there were also many other green spaces to enjoy. As I walked around different areas of the town, it was very interesting to see the markings for other Caminos on different approaches to the central cathedral.
Later in the afternoon, especially as it began to drizzle a bit again, I found an adorable coffee shop where I enjoyed a café con leche and delicious tostada with jamón y tomate. I wrote and sent a few postcards that afternoon, it's always great to share some of my adventures with everyone back home. I had a few other things to take care of as well, like cleaning up the bike and packaging it up to send back to the rental agency, and after that it was evening again.
The next day was my last day in Santiago, the day I was departing. I started it off by going to the Pilgrim's mass, held a few times a day at the Cathedral there for the pilgrims arriving and completing their journeys. It was very meaningful to appreciate the mass in that wonderful setting and to hear a message tailored towards Easter as well as completing the pilgrimage.
Despite feeling energized by the mass, I decided to go for a café con leche while they were still so readily available, and coincidentally ended up in a café with lots of Chicago memorabilia so I felt right at home. I stepped into another restaurant on my way back to get another serving of tortilla, and I'm so glad I did because it was one of the best I'd tried! It was different because some of the potatoes were even bit crispy, sort of closer to being like chips.
At that point, it was near midday and I needed to start heading towards the airport. I had left my bags at the hostel and I collected them before heading to the bus. Luckily, I crossed paths with two other pilgrims who were also on their way to the same place. It was really nice chatting with them, they were a teacher and doctor from Alicantes in Spain and had come to Santiago along the Camino de Oro, the way of gold. With their professions, they're both public employees in Spain and it was interesting to hear about their experiences.
Getting back on the plane, I was also mentally preparing myself to return to work after several days off. Landing in London, I was greeted by 6-degree Celsius (42-degree Fahrenheit), windy, rainy, cloudy English weather which definitely didn't make the transition back any easier. An unremarkable end to a truly remarkable trip!
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