Hasta Mañana

CAMINO FRANCÉS – Day 32+2: Monday 12 May 2025 – REST DAY in SANTIAGO de COMPOSTELA (and travel HOME)

Fittingly I have spent the final day of my pilgrimage in and around the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the ultimate destination of the various Camino paths across Iberia and Western Europe, including that of the Camino Francés. The latter trail is also known as The Way of St James, in honour of the patron saint of Spain, whose remains are believed to lie here in Santiago Cathedral and have been the focal point of the Camino pilgrimages since at least the 9th Century. It is nearly five weeks ago now that I stood in the small church in St Jean Pied de Port contemplating my own journey to Santiago, the adventures to come, the places I would see, and the people I would meet along the way. How that time has flown, and how varied have been my experiences in the interim; the memories will remain with me for ever. It has been a privilege to have had the time, the health, the energy and the good fortune to be able to complete my pilgrimage to the full, and now to be able to return to home life enriched by the Camino experience.

I have a few photos of the interior of the Cathedral to share, and hope that they do the magnificent building some measure of justice.

I thought this morning that my initial arrival in the Praza do Obradioro outside the Cathedral on Saturday afternoon, and our celebrations over a fine dinner last night with Rod, Werner and Michael, had sufficiently marked the completion of my walk and of reaching my destination. But it turns out that there was a missing piece all along – one that I had not envisaged as being crucial to my venture until it unfolded: the daily Pilgrims’ Mass at noon in the Cathedral. I missed the service on Saturday (when I arrived too late) and then again yesterday (when I was on my Finisterre tour), but I attended today, along with some hundreds of others, fellow pilgrims for the most part. My morning earlier had consisted of packing up, checking out, some souvenir shopping, and posting some items home (walking poles and pen-knife), ahead of a 10.00 am Cathedral tour. Having completed my anticipated visit of the building I decided to take a seat, just four rows from the front, and await the midday Mass. I was surprised that by 11.30 not just the seats, but the side aisles and transept also, were full, standing room only. Although the Mass was in Spanish and Latin, the complete silence of the congregation was remarkable, as the singing of the lone tenor and his organ accompaniment resounded around the ornate building. The air of timelessness had several folk near me in tears; I think that we were all in awe of the building and the rituals that linked us, in this place and in this moment, with the many past generations who had trodden the same Camino paths as us into Santiago across the centuries. As the finale of the Mass approached there were audible gasps from around me, as a team of eight men began hauling on the ropes that set the huge metal incense burner, the thurible, swinging above our heads, a fog of incense in its wake. The handshakes offered in The Peace that followed, were soon abandoned in favour of hugs and tears by those around me. An awesome experience it was indeed, drawn no doubt from emotion and elation, plus a little fatigue, in a moment that will remain with me, as my Camino finally drew to its conclusion.

I am returning from the Camino with a new group of friends, from around the world. A few I will remain in contact with, from five continents as it happens, but the vast majority of you I am unlikely to see again. What remains is latent friendship, happy memories, and a reassurance in the goodness of humanity. It is true that on the Camino, with no exception that I can recall, not an angry word was uttered, and camaraderie prevailed at every turn. So I want to thank the following, collectively and individually, for making my Camino so special – here goes, in the approximate order that I met you, and with due apologies for any mis-spelt names and, especially, to those who I might have overlooked: Daniella, the Griffiths family, Andy, Steve and Brian, Niall, Bill, Mai, Kathy and John, Shelley, Robert and Maj, Andreja, Akemi, Kim and David, Gilbert and his dog Roofy, Paco and Ernie, David and Maria, Antonio, Joe, Ingrid, Qui-Lin and Karen, Fokel and Bridget, Danny and Sue, Evie and Laurent, Barb, Chang, Michael and Dermot, Chico, Sue, Ignacio, Dino, Frederika, Wim, Louise, Buzz and Lily, Alice, Jim and Lisa, Lisa, Mike and Lincoln, Annemieka, Claude and Lori, Alan, Nadine, Eileen, Dan and Laura, Lena, Raul and Petra, Alain, Cindy, Rudi, Susie, Lina, Ian and Nicole, Pete, Joe, Nuala, Kevin, Michael, Tom, Norbert and Olna, Joseph, Kevin, Lynn, Amanda and Caroline, Jason, Cecelia, Christopher, Ann, Ryan, Halvard, Aldis Glo, Noreen, Mark, Willem, Marco, Graham, Davide, Alex (and his 18 colleagues from Viseu), Josh and Max, Helen, Isolde and Marilina, Miles, Mazna, Patricia, Lucy and Ellie, Nico and Deryk, Theresa, Marianne, Sylvia, Sylvia, Kate, Owen, Alex, Federico, Martina, Peggy, John, Josy and Camille, Knut, Martina, Chuck, Jenny and Callum, Katie, Debbie, Sophie and Jackie, Ben, Rod, Gottfried, Fiona and Jeanette, Cathy, Ronna and Teresa, Janine, May and Hilda, Davide, Hanna, Ann, Werner and Michael. Together we represent 31 countries of the world; and I suggest that all of us have made the planet a slightly better place in the last few weeks, by extending friendship to strangers who we can now call friends. Go well, look after others – and forever ‘BUEN CAMINO’!

And finally, a massive thank you to my wife Rachel, who has supported me from home unerringly over these last five weeks, and beforehand through my preparations. Without your love and support I could not have contemplated nor completed this journey, so thank you, now and always.

Today’s Blog heading ‘Hasta Mañana, follows the title of a 1974 ABBA number, a sentimental farewell ode written by the band’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, to lyrics by Stig Anderson. With its reference to Spain, the song works well as a thankful au revoir to all those that I have met on my Camino journey – and with just a hint towards future adventures.