Last day of walking. I don’t really know what to expect of this day. A part of me wants to arrive at destination, another part wants to keep on walking. What will arrival in Santiago feel like? Will it be special or will it be like the most common thing in the world? Only one way to find out.

I planned a relative early start for today and so have most of the other guests at the hostel. It’s about 7.30 and everybody is getting up and preparing their bag. last evening I bought breakfast already so I don’t have to go out and have one in a local bar. This is always a bit in the way of getting started with the day of walking and today I don’t want to have this obstacle. I prepare a kiwi and a banana together with some yoghurt and while eating it I see on the Spanish news that it is supposed to be quite cold outside. The map shows a temperature of 2 degrees Celsius in the region of Galicia which is where I am now. After breakfast I quickly prepare some sandwiches for later today, brush my teeth, do my hair (want to look good upon arrival), grab my backpack and get going.

It’s 08.15 and it’s cold outside. I am glad a out on additional jacket after seeing the weather report. It’s still a bit dark which is a nice moment to embark on a walking journey, feeling the promise of a full day of adventure still ahead. My feet are a bit sore after two consecutive days of walking over 30 kilometers but they are good enough to do the remaining 26 kilometers to Santiago. While I walk through the centre of town I think about getting a quick coffee but don’t feel like my body is really asking for it so I continue walking. Some 500 meters onward I walk past a bar and see Dave who is just paying for the coffee he just had. I did not expect to see him this early as he had indicated to be starting a bit later today but being sandwiched in between two snoring guys in the municipal hostel convinced him into doing an early start as well.

So we set off together again. Dave is still suffering from his limp. He has various blisters on one of his feet which are bothering him quite a bit. You wouldn’t notice it while walking with him because he still walks quickly and doesn’t really moan about it. I do moan a bit. Despite my extra later of clothing it’s still quite cold and I mention it to Dave who laughs about it. The sun is peeking over the hills but takes it’s time in gaining enough altitude to provide us with some more heat. Sometimes we catch a little bit of sunlight only to be walking in the shade again just moments later. The first two hours of walking we intermittently walk on either side of the quite busy road which leads to Santiago. We pass through a couple of villages and continuously have other pilgrims both in front as well as behind us. On other days this would have bothered me but today I am willing to go with it as it’s inevitable seeing more pilgrims being this close to Santiago.

When we pass through the town of Escravitude I invite Dave to a quick coffee at a roadside bar. The woman behind the bar has huge hands and I ask her for a stamp. I bet she will provide me with a proper one considering the power she must have in het hands. She seems a bit annoyed if I ask for the cake to go with the coffee – in Spain you will usually get something to go with your coffee – but I wanted something sweet so I specifically asked for it. Ten minutes later we get going again. From that moment on the walk gets a bit nicer as it moves a bit further away from the busy road and sometimes also brings us into somewhat more natural scenery. Also the distances to surrounding pilgrims seem to become bigger so it feels that we are on our own again.

Dave is not a real cat person so today we don’t do any cat petting although I spot quite a bit of them along the way. We progress quite quickly and soon get to see our first single number sign post indicating that we are getting quite close to Santiago already. Part of me wanted to enjoy this day more and walk more slowly but it feels good to also let that need go and let the higher pace of the day take me to Santiago.

As we walk into the town of Milladoiro we are being guided by a man on the side of the road to a bar some 50 meters away from the route. It’s quite busy inside the bar. A group of Spanish military men have also stopped at the bar which seems to be a common pilgrim stop. The military men are taking pictures of each other while posing in traditional pilgrim clothes. We sit outside to have our early lunch and see familiar faces come and go. Not soon after the military group we resume our way again. 8,5 km to go says the poster on the bar window.

After Dave is over his restart pain symptoms we are quickly in our rhythm again. I am getting a bit sweaty now and just after we cross our last river I finally decide to take off my jacket. Dave already did so hours ago but as he is busy with his phone doesn’t notice that I have a other jacket on untill we are already walking into Santiago de Compostela. Only a bit more now. Strangely enough the route is not that well marked anymore. Unable to find any arrows pointing us to the Cathedral we confide in our phone again to show us the last bit of the way. It’s mostly walking along one of the central streets of Santiago leading up to the historical center.

With about 1 kilometer to go something is stinging into the big toe of my left foot. Up to here it has been Dave who had to stop regularly to remove small stones which has gotten into his shoes, but now, with the finish flag almost in sight already, I request a stop. Some small stones have worked their way into the small holes of the removable sole of my Meindl walking shoe and one of them indeed has a sharp edge which was the cause of the stinging. I put my shoe back on and tighten the laces of both shoes one more time so that I am really ready for my last strides.

A bit further along the road a surprise awaits. I see the Spanish siblings, with whom I shared a really nice game of cards a couple of nights ago and whom I have been eying out on ever since, walking towards us. I had already accepted in not seeing them again, but now the Camino makes us cross paths again. It’s nice to be able to express the joy of seeing them again. They look tired, probably because of the partying they did the previous night, and are walking to their car to start the drive back home. This time I do ask for a phone number and after a short conversation we say goodbye properly this time.

Shortly after this magical moment we arrive at the Cathedral square which is also magical. The Cathedral looks very pretty and the shared joy of having made it all the way creates a special kind of energy. Of course we shoot some pictures and afterwards we go inside the Cathedral to pass by the crypt of Santiago below the altar where I stand for a moment to thanks for the good journey I made.

After that I make my way to the Pilgrim Office to collect my Compostela; a certificate validating the journey I made. I have it dedicated to Angie, something which I planned on doing ever since on my first day of walking Pedro, a Spanish guy, told me it was possible to do this. I would not say that I walked all the way to Santiago for her, but I definitely walked it with her which is exactly what I would have liked to have done. It’s her that I thank for many walks and other things we shared and also for being with me on this walk.