Last day in Santiago de Compostela

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As we were publishing yesterday’s blog we had a brief chat with a young German couple. They had about 3 kilometres of their pilgrimage to go. Their starting point was Pamplona on 13 April and today they were reaching the finish. What an effort. We jokingly said to each other that perhaps that’s our next adventure but the thought quickly subsided and agreed the car travel was the way to go. But to see the looks on peoples’ faces as they reach the finish of their walk is just great. They gather at the steps to the cathedral with hugs all round and find a willing tourist to take their group photo.
We started our day by wandering over the hills above this holiday park to find the spot where the pilgrims get their first glimpse of the cathedral. A tiny chapel awaits them at this point – with an icecream stand outside, in case that need is greater! Today the cathedral is dwarfed by all the modern buildings spreading out from the city, but nevertheless the spires stand out when viewed from the hilltop.
With time on our hands we took one final trip into the city. Our navigation skills are getting much better because it only took half the time to find a carpark as it did yesterday. One frustration we have (and probably millions of other tourists as well) is the lack of obvious street signs. Usually they are at both ends of the street which is good if that’s where you start but if you join the street in the middle then you have problems.
Wandering the narrow streets we met an elderly couple from Colorado who were quite lost and couldn’t find the cathedral. After a brief chat and finding out they know someone in the Rose Society from Christchurch we pointed them in the right direction. Then it was our turn to search out the Post Office as we had some mail to post back to New Zealand. We hope it gets there quicker than the mail we sent from the carpet and leather shop in Istanbul. We understand it hasn’t arrived yet. While waiting for our turn we met a couple from Adelaide. Their family had already made the “Are you alright?” call as a result of the earthquake in Southern Spain.
Tonight we prepared for our next step on this great adventure – crossing the border into Portugal where, we’re told, the secondary roads are awful and the drivers are worse. Fortunately we have full insurance on the car and all the forms are ready. Our first stop is Porto.

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