Rua to the Compostela de Santiago

The last day of hiking is always bittersweet.  There is a part of me that already starts to head home and make lists and return to the real world.  There is a part of me that savors every last step along "the way."

The fruit tress in Spain are loaded with blooms this year.  Must have been just the right amount of rain.  Those days that I slogged through the mud will pay off for the people who live here.

Camino marker.

The tiny church at Sello was open for the peregrinos.  I think there must have been quite a few people who only walked the last day because the trail was frothing with people.  And they looked too crisp to have been walking very far.  I could tell the pilgrims who walked the whole distance.  We were pretty bedraggled and I could smell a few of them.  Hopefully, that did not apply to me!

The altar with St James in the center.

One of my favorite sounds on the Camino is the "toot-toot" of the Pananderia or the "beep-beep" of the Pescadero. In the small villages, you can hear the truck come through blowing it's horn. The women run outside to buy fresh baked bread or just caught fish.  With the bread trucks, if the person is not home they tie the bread to the front door in a baggie.  Can you imagine how nice it would be to have those services!  Especially some little town like Tiptonville, Tennessee and these villages make the towns in Lake County look like the big time.

Beautiful!

The Pilgrims Memorial is located at the first glimpse of the Compostela de Santiago.  The Monte do Gozo is also known as the Hill of Joy because it is where pilgrims get their first views of the three spires of the Cathedral. I would also call it the hallelujah hill because is the last hill.  

There it is in the distance.  A distance that so many have traveled so far and with such difficulty.  There are so many stories along the Camino of struggle and heartbreak and tributes to loved ones.

This little chapel is located next to the hill of joy. It is called The Capella San Marcos and is believed to contain the head of Saint Marcos.  It is the last place of worship to say those Camino prayers before you are in Santiago.

Woohoo!  The city limits of the Santiago de Compostela!

This is the chapel inside the building where you get your certification of completion.  All of those stamps I collected were examined for authenticity and dates before my certificate was awarded.  I was so blessed.  I went directly to the building.  I did not pass go, collect $200, etc and my wait was only 35 minutes.  I had heard that it was taking three hours due to the number of pilgrims. There was a pilgrim mass at noon so many people were attending the mass and I thought it might be a good time to go the the pilgrim office.  It was!  I said prayers for all of you, gave thanks for my journey and my quick wait in line.  I will do the same in the Cathedral!