Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain and Canary Islands
Thursday, July 16, 2015

We woke up at 4 am and had breakfast at the café that was open to service the pilgrims that had planned an early start. It was still dark when we left and we had difficulty finding our way in the woods and forests – we simply followed a couple of pilgrims ahead of us. We hurried as we had to cover a little over 20 km today and there were a few stretches that were uphill. It was a peaceful and beautiful morning as we made our way through fields and the quiet countryside. We stopped for a café briefly and then kept going. On the way, we passed the Papal Monument built to visit the Pope's visit (not sure which year). Soon, we arrived at Monte del Gozo and had the first glimpse of the city of Santiago de Compostela. We entered the city and made our way to the old quarter of town, along with several other pilgrims. We reached the Cathedral square and saw milling crowds and various street performances. We made our way to the chapel and got there just in time for the 12 o'clock mass. It was in Spanish but nevertheless we could feel the positive energy in the chapel and were very happy to be there. After the mass, we walked around the Cathedral and soaked in the magnificence of the Cathedral. Our hotel was right across the Cathedral – Monumento San Fransisco. We checked into our room. The room was fantastic and the hotel had all the amenities – a pool, a bar/café, gym, dining and excellent staff. It was a historic building that had been restored but still retained its old stone façade. Lunch was at San Clemente. We had a 'seafood platter for two’ meal – the meal was outstanding! We somehow rolled out of the restaurant and made our way to the Compostela office to get our Compostela Certificate. To get the certificate, we had to present our ‘compostela passports’. These are tiny books that look like passports that we had got stamped at every stop along the way. We lined up with other pilgrims. Several of them had been our companions the past few days. We chatted while we waited. At the counter, you have a brief interview to determine if you really walked and then your compostela is issued! It was bitter sweet. We missed the journey. The end did not matter anymore.

We returned to our hotel, showered and rested for a while. In he evening, we walked around the Cathedral Square, enjoyed a slice of pizza and some icecream and returned to our hotel. We were tired and had a long day tomorrow. There was one more day of excitement for us. Tomorrow we had a trip booked to Finisterra, via Muxia – the western most point in Spain, a place considered to be the end of the world by ancient Romans. We were however, not walking – we were being driven! But somehow, I was not happy about that!

Where I stayed
San Francisco Hotel Monumento - Rua San Francisco 3, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
I rated this place 5/5 - Awesome!!
Spacious, convenient location, excellent bar/cafe, great breakfast, helpful and friendly staff!
What I saw
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral (Catedral de Santiago de Compostela) - Comision de Cultura, Praza das Praterias s/nSantiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain and Canary Islands