I made it!

Yesterday started by dragging myself out of my warm bunk in the albergue. Most other pilgrims had left except for our group and we only had 18 km to go so we had an easy time getting up. A few of us had sat around with wine and cava (spanish champagne) until the wee hours the night before, remembering some of our favorite places along the trail. The late night made it hard to get up, as did the fact that it was still raining outside and most of my clothes were still wet from the day before.

After a coffee stop I headed out on my own, with plans to meet everyone else at a bar 5 km from Santiago. The rain was heavy at times but then would lighten and we even had a few spots of sunshine. I tried to focus on the fact that so many had walked this same path before me, and what it might mean to pilgrims hundreds of years ago. I thought about the fact that I might be actually approaching the burial place of a man who walked with Jesus.

I think most pilgrims don’t actually believe that James the Greater was buried here due to the fact that the bones weren’t rediscovered until the 800s, and the story about how they got here involves his body sailing across the mediterranean (after he was martyred in Jerusalem) in a boat with no sail and no crew. But one interesting thing I just read is that the bones were hidden before an English invasion in 1700 and lost. When they were found during renovations in the late 1800s there were three skeletons; two were assumed to be his disciples but, “The one belonging to the Apostle was identified thanks to a church in Tuscany, which possessed a piece of his skull that exactly fitted a gap in one of the discovered skulls.” (Read article here)

Regardless, it is a meaningful spiritual destination wether the actual bones are his or not. I started to think about what I would pray for when kneeling in front of his tomb. And then I noticed a huge grove of eucalyptus to my right, quiet and powerful, and all at once I felt that I was being carried by God, my own feet, and Mother nature, altogether to my destination. I got slightly emotional and held on to that feeling until my mind started wandering to who might be there to greet us, and friends that are behind.

As agreed I found a big group of friends drinking beer at a table outside in another moment of clear skies. I drank a celebratory beer, took some photos of this weird monument on top of the hill, and set off with my original group of 5. The rest were waiting for someone who has developed awful shin splints, but insists on carrying himself and all of his gear to Santiago unassisted.

We set off in a jolly mood; me, James, Mark, Danny and Kristy, plus Tim, another American who is a loner but has become the glue between many of us.

We kept up the high spirits all the way into Santiago, singing and laughing. I started to get a little emotional when we first saw the cathedral, but it wasn’t until we all put our feet on the first step together, arm in arm, that it really hit me. And the sun was smiling on is; a real gift. We all wandered around in front of the cathedral for a minute, awwing, then went in. I wanted to save the touristy activities for today but going inside the cathedral marked the completion of the pilgrimage. I was tearing a little still, and then unexpectedly when an Australian man who I had only spoken to a couple of times gave me a hug and said “well done, you’ve made it,” the waterworks really opened up.

Mark’s parents and sister came in from London to meet him at the cathedral and at one point his Dad asked me what emotion I was feeling. At the time all I could distinguish was Accomplishment, but I’m sure there are a few more layers in there that I’ll peel apart in the next couple days.

I found myself a little out of the way hotel room, took a long hot shower, hung up all of my wet clothes on every available hook-like object, took a short nap, and then went back out to congratulate everyone else and go to a special Pilgrim’s mass before dinner and celebration.

More on the cathedral and the service later. Right now I’m going to get packed up, drop off my bag at the hotel that I have booked for tonight, and then camp out near the entrance to the cathedral plaza and watch all of today’s pilgrims arriving. And then at 3 pm my cousin Ellen arrives at the airport!!! And then tomorrow we start walking towards the coast; the final stage in the journey.

It has been a pleasure receiving all of your love and support. Thanks for coming along with me!