Santiago - can you believe it?

To you all - my fellow sojourners,

Yes! Santiago!
In my journal I have written 22 pages! Don´t worry this will be a condensed version. My journal is in many ways, Jack at the end of the working day. He sits patiently and listens to me pouring out my day as I cook dinner. He with glass of wine, me enjoying the creativity of the cooking. Well no cooking, no Jack so 22 pages in the journal. (You can see what the poor man has to put up with when I´m home!)

Yes Santiago! I decided I wanted to get into Santiago late after the many other peregrinos. A quiet entrance like my quiet walking. This was to be for me a solitary personal thing. So after my huge day of 45 km I slept in, had a long breakfast and only took to the trail at about 2pm. After all only 20km to go. I wrapped Mum´s silk scarfe around my staff. She was entering Santiago with me. It was a hot sunny day, just my sort of perfect summer day. I was expecting a lot of industrial road walking as the entrance into Santiago and was very happily surprised to find this was not the case. In fact the way was a collective summary in many ways of most of the scenery I had experienced over the last 30 odd days.
It was Saturday and the villages through which I walked had that Saturday feeling - people working in their gardens and vegie patches or just sitting on their front steps talking with each other. There was that happy summer atmosphere.
I walked through forests of gums, and oaks. The tall stands of gums with their stately trunks rising from the bright green bracken beneath. I had my last Camino bread and cheese picnic sitting on a fallen log
gazing at just this view. As I walked, wild flowers, wild herbs and the broom. Now that the weather is hotter the broom no longer had the yellow flowers, rather the sed pods which in one spot I could hear click clicking as they shed their seeds. The sound so reminicient of the Adelaide Hills in summer. Some wheat fields appeared, blue mountains in the distance, a stream, but thankfully no mud!
And so to Montes de Gonzo where the pilgrims of old could glimpse the soaring spires of the Santiago Cathedral. It is now a monstrosity not worth description. However amidst the hype was a little caravan come kiosk complete with tables, chairs, umbrellas beside a tiny chapel that still held some Camino charm. It is at this point most peregrinos walk to the nearby massive Albergue that houses upwards of 400 in barrack style accomodation. Not for me. I has a sustaining fizzy lemon and as I took off, the lady who had served me asked in a surprised way - Santiago? I raised my magic staff in the air and with something like a battle cry said ¨Si, Santiago!¨With 4.6km I was on my way.
By now I had walked about 800km and hardly got lost. But entering Santiago was for me another thing. I had to ask 4 locals the way to the Cathedral. The day had been filled with mixed emotions. I had cried, I had laughed. I came on this journey to test my strengths and conquer my weaknesses. Instead, now I celebrate my strengths with gratitude, and accept my weaknesses with equal gratitude and happiness. As Leonard Cohen puts it:
¨Forget the perfect offering.
There´s a crack in everything
That´s how the light gets in¨
And as I finally entered the massive plaza and saw the Cathedral, someone was playing bagpipes and I realised the physical journey was done. There was no feeling of huge excitement or elation, rather a quiet sense of achievement, and, more, a wonderful sense of the roundness and beauty of life and living and being.
The plaza was quiet - it was 7pm, but there was one familiar face - Rheinhardt who gave me a hug and took the obligatory photos for me. The cathedral was bathed in the late afternoon light.
From there I walked slowly to the Pilgrim´s office to receive my Compostela - the certificate of completion and I think forgiveness of sins - it´s in Latin - so I´m not sure if I´m pure or not now. My name is written on the Compostela in Latin´- Anna - which Dad always wanted to name me. He has had his way, Mum! From there I just wandered back to the Cathedral and saw a side door open. I went in. A mass was about to begin. A Nun with an angelic voice was singing. In this massive building the notes soared and then the pipe organ began. I was enthralled. I sat and took it all in. It was all in Spanish or Latin, so I just sat and absorbed the enormity of the last 30 days. There were very few pilgrims there but the cathedral was full. And then I realised they were going to swing the botafumeiro. This is a massive silver urn suspended from high above the altar. Coals of fragrant smouldering timber are put into it and then it takes 8 priests to swing it across the transept. It was the most amazing sight as it swung almost to the towering ceiling as the organ music swelled around me. This is rarely done in a mass now - in fact the next day, Sunday with many pilgrims at the mass, it was absent. I was once again in the right place at the right time - pure Camino Karma. Traditionally the botafumeiro was swung to offset the stink of the pilgrims at the mass. Most unromantic. Now a more beautiful ceremony. Once again I was reminded that living in the moment is the best we can do.
And now, how do I feel? Wow, so many things. It´s Wednesday as I write this and I´m finding that it is taking time to sift through it all.
I spent a couole of days in Santiago. I saw nearly everyone in those 2 days, who had been a special part of my walk. Wah Jung from Korea with whom I´d shared a room 4 weeks ago, Sarah, the same and many many more. Brian and Jane I saw at Sunday´s mass - they had just walked in, and then I never saw them again. So sad about that. I was in Plaza Obradoiro to see other friends walk in. It´s all so weird.
I walked around Santiago for the 2 days in a type of bubble, or maybe cocoon is a better description as I think I´m gradually nibbling at the cocoon to emerge back slowly into the real world.
Many pilgrims were going on to Finesterra on the coast, either by bus or another 3 days walking. This is the most Western point in Europe and before Columbus´ travels, it was considered the end of the flat world. Some pilgrims burn their clothes as a symbolic gesture of out with old and on to a rebirth of new life. I don´t feel like this and thought if I do go on to Finesterra it would be as a tourist. So instead at the recommendation of many I have headed North to San Sebastian.
The train ride yesterday took 11 hours and went through much of the area I had walked. It was a strange feeling. Walking I felt at one with nature, part of its rhythm, it´s heartbeat. On the train I am an observer, not a participator.
Now in beautiful San Sebastian I have shed most of my pilgrim clothes. I look more like the me I am used to seeing in the mirror. I am a tourist. But inside I carry a wonderful experience, a quiet peace and a huge amount of gratitude for the opportunity to have been able to ¨seize the day¨and walk the Camino Santiago de Compostela.
I know in the last few blogs I have become somewhat serious - apologies. I think you must realise the enormity of what I have experienced, and I just wanted to say it like it is - no pretences.
So until I get get home and work out how to add some photos for you, this will be my last blog, unless you want a blow by blow acount of my day spa and lingerie shopping in Paris - I think not!!!!!
I know I have said it often, but I want to say it again - your comments, just knowing you are reading has been so important to me. I have had great times and low times and when I have blogged during the low times, I have walked away feeling so much better having shared it all with you. So a BIG THANK YOU for being there with me in spirit, and being my wonderful and amazing friends and family. I am one happy and blessed woman!
Adios form Spain
Annie xx

---

---