#36-Walking the Camino-May 27, 2016

U34th day of walking

Lavacolla to Santiago 

Mileage and time all messed up

Elevation 305 meters

I am thankful that we made it to Santiago in good health. I didn't use any of the meds I brought-like cough suppressant, antibiotics, sudafed, and sore throat lozenges. Now, Dad is in a different category. I'm just thankful his blisters didn't become infected and that he/we were still able to walk the Camino in an abbreviated fashion. 

This is the river out of Lavacolla that I had my suspicions about skinny dipping. None this morning. Everyone was gung-ho to get to Santiago 

 

Lots of pilgrims on the path

They were going so fast that they didn't even notice a Dinotruck completely assembled and ready to move silage. 

First thing was to get to our hotel. Really nice. It isn't a peregrino albergue for sure. 

We decided to walk the last bit into Santiago Centro. Then decided to take a taxi-there was too much traffic to make it fun.  We saw a donut factory with a restaurant.   

We bought two chocolate covered donuts and were disappointed!  They were like store bought Hostess doughnuts.  They weren't good but also not as bad as they could have been. 

Our first order of business once in Santiago was to go to the Pilgrim Office and get our Compostela which was the certification that we had done the whole Camino from St Jean to Santiago. 

We are official!!

I've seen pictures of people who have just received theirs. They have big smiles and are giving high fives. 

With us it was a brutal experience. We had to stand for 2 1/2 hours in line waiting our turn.  We were starving and we needed to use the WC. 

Everyone patiently waiting

The redeeming factor was that the volunteer who helped us (she is from Atlanta) was extremely nice and made us feel very deserving. 

Off to find dinner. There are a bizillion bars and restaurants in the old city - mainly because there are a gazillion hungry tourists. We chose a small place with only four tables and no one was drunk (we were the only ones inside). 

The speciality was seafood. I got these clams in a shell. Tasted like Washington razor clams but sure looked different. 

Dad, the culinary aficionado, got the octopus boiled and slightly fried with spices. 

Gotta love the suction cups and the little tentacle. If you don't think about it too much, they were quite tasty bites-somewhat fishy flavor with a soft chewy texture

Then off to the cathedral which is decked out in flashy blue scaffolding for refurbishing a portico. 

To a side door where everyone was taking pictures so I did too

Inside we bumped in to our French pilgrims. We keep seeing them. They wanted our picture because they call us their "Cowboys". Go figure. We call them our crazy French friends who every year walk the Camino again. 

Here are the organ pipes for Dolores. And the Retablo. 

We went up some stairs behind the statue of St James so we could touch his shoulder as that is what pilgrims are supposed to do. There was a security guy there with a brown cape on so we were very respectful. No photos allowed!

Then we went down stairs to the crypt to see the relics. I was expecting bones (in Italy you see bones) but there was only this.......behind bars and far away 

Our guide book says the crypt holds the bones of St James and his two followers. Surprisingly the bones of St James were misplaced for almost 300 years before being returned to the crypt. In 1539 they were hidden elsewhere in the cathedral to protect from invaders. The bones were rediscovered and returned to the crypt in 1879. With this information , you'll have to go on faith regarding the relics

Day two tomorrow of "Exploring Santiago."