Day 11: Escravitude to Santiago de Compostela

According to the marker outside our Casa, we were 17.289km from our final Camino destination. As it turned out, our route was 18.2km. This was to be our last day of walking. We were ready to go!

Our goal for Day 11 was to arrive in Santiago de Compostela in time for the Peregrino Mass at the Cathedral at noon. We got an earlier start than usual.

We spent a little bit of time on the highway, but it was Sunday and not very busy. We spent more time on back roads and lanes.

10km to Santiago!

As we walked through the forest, we found another "food cart" and stopped for coffee and tea.

Before long, we were on the outskirts of Santiago.

I thought we would be walking through city streets at that point, but the Camino took us back onto rural paths.

With about 5km to go, 

we could see our destination.

Then we headed back into nature!

The Camino Portugués enters Santiago de Compostella with a long uphill section. At some point, we lost the arrows on a city street. When I asked a local woman about the Cathedral, she just pointed straight ahead. So we let Google Maps guide us to the old part of town.


As we got closer to the Cathedral, things became very busy. Approaching from the Camino Portugués direction avoids the crowds that enter from the Camino Frances side. But the area around the Cathedral was filled with shops and people. Some of them still had backpacks like we did, but many of them had become tourists or were non-peregrinos in town on a beautiful Sunday.

There it was ...

... the end of our Camino!

We checked our backpacks at a store next to the Cathedral then entered the Cathedral at about 11:30 and found a huge crowd. Every seat was full, and we attended Mass by standing in one of the wings and watching the events on a flat screen TV. We were able to take Communion and were then treated to a ceremony that doesn't happen at every Mass - the swinging of the Botafumeiro. Incense is burned in this huge thurible. It is swung back and forth through two arms of the Cathedral. It takes eight men to handle it, and it is quite spectacular. Here are some photos that I found online.

After Mass, we hurried to the Peregrino Office to get our Compostelas before the crowds arrived.

And ... here they are!

We picked up our backpacks and headed to the Hotel Moure. It was a nice one with just 15 rooms and was close enough to the Cathedral area to be easy to reach but far enough to be away from the crowds.

We would spend the rest of the day relaxing, shopping and finding food.

Just down the street from our hotel was a sister hotel that had a beautiful courtyard café.

It was time to enjoy some beer and the last official Camino ham and cheese sandwiches.

Santiago de Compostela is a beautiful place.

The Cathedral was nearly empty in the afternoon.

We had a feast at dinner. It started with the usual free tapas - including yummy empanadas.

There was olive oil and spray vinegar for the bread.

Allie had a mixed salad starter. It was big enough for at least three people.

My starter was pimientos Padrón. Matt and I had eaten these when we were in Braga. I love them. They are mild, but every so often there is a hotter one.

We had learned about meal portions by now, so we just ordered one main course - pork in a delicious sauce with "patatas" and pimientos.

And, of course, Allie had desert!

Time for bed - then back to Porto.

Today:
Distance:    18.2km / 11.4mi
Walk time:  3:33
Stop time:   0:27
Avg. pace:  11:42/km / 18:41/mi
Ascent:       1012 ft
Descent:     334 ft
Weather was perfect with a high of about 28C (82F)

Final numbers:
Distance:    250.7km / 156.7mi
Walk time:  48:38
Avg. pace:  11:38/km / 18:37/mi
Ascent:       10815 ft
Descent:     10437 ft

Final Credencial page: