We started today with some misgivings - it was to be our last walking day and our adventure was soon to come to an end. It was also to be our longest walking day - 25kms - with the highest climb and the hottest temperatures.
We set off in relatively good spirits despite having to walk and extra 1.2kms from our accommodation to the route! Heading out, we crossed the old bridge but were then diverted to a detour that meant we would miss seeing the old city of Padròn and the avenue of plane trees. The diversion took us along the main road, passed a conveniently placed fruit stall, across a new roundabout and on to an old church - a Marian shrine and the site of a miracle that took place in 1792.
We set off in relatively good spirits despite having to walk and extra 1.2kms from our accommodation to the route! Heading out, we crossed the old bridge but were then diverted to a detour that meant we would miss seeing the old city of Padròn and the avenue of plane trees. The diversion took us along the main road, passed a conveniently placed fruit stall, across a new roundabout and on to an old church - a Marian shrine and the site of a miracle that took place in 1792.
We caught up with the couple from Sydney who had spent the previous night in a small, old monastery. We walked with them for some distance chatting about a range of things and catching up with news from Australia - the bad weather in South Australia and the AFL Grand Final! We left them when we stopped for our first coffee of the day. We spent the day passing many of the people we had met along the way at coffee stops and rest breaks along the route!
After crossing the rio Tinto, we entered some shaded pine forests and woodland areas, which made for more pleasant walking than the main road.
At one stage we were passed by a young man, singing to himself and bidding everyone a cheery good morning. We met up with him again at one of the oldest wayside crosses, where he knelt and prayed. A large number of the walkers were much more devout than us and could tell us about particular historical happenings along the route. Today we met a New Zealand lady who had walked from Lisbon. She had been at a number of events in NZ commemorating St. James and was thrilled to have been able to do the walk - she had been on the road for 30 days!
We passed a number of the things that had become iconic for us during the previous week, particularly the horreros and the shell milestones. The latter now had other bits and pieces added, with most having the small pile of stones on top. For the last 10 kms, the mileage markers had been taken off - as the route has changed in more recent times, the distances are not very reliable!
At the top of a particularly steep climb, an enterprising young man had erected a couple of small marquees and was selling cold drinks, coffee, chocolate and fruit. We took advantage of the shade to stop for a lunch break.
On the road again, we walked through Milladoiro, taking advantage of the toilets at the sports complex, where we stopped for a cool drink and were provided with small bowls of Galician soup (usually made with chick pas, chorizo and tripe) and headed off for the final 8 kms.
We chose to take the alternate, quieter but longer, route into Santiago de Compostela through Conxo and started the steady climb up to the cathedral.
Eventually we neared the old city, however lost sight of some of our way marks and had to ask directions. The old city was full of people, pilgrims and tourists alike. We headed down Rua Franco, the traditional entryway for the Portuguese pilgrims, noting the tiny Cappella de Santiago. It is here that the cart carrying St James' headless body from Finisterre came to a halt, waiting his final resting place. From the outside, it appeared to be just an iron-bar door, however closer inspection found the small (locked) chapel.
The cathedral is being cleaned and so the front was covered with scaffolding, however it did not detract from the magnificence of the building. Like so many of the churches in Spain, it has an interesting history. In 814, the hermit Pelagius witnessed lights in the sky and discovered the lost tomb of St. James, a miracle it seems, so King Alfonso II ordered the construction of the first church. It was reduced to ashes in 997 after a raid by the muslim army commander of the caliph of Córdoba. He left the tomb and relics intact but had the christian slaves carry the gates and bells and back to Córdoba where they were added to the Aljama Mosque. In 1236, when King Ferdinand III took Córdoba, he had the muslim captives transport the gates and bells to be added to the Cathedral of St. Mary of Toledo! Construction of the current cathedral began in 1075 but was halted several times, with the last stone being laid in 1122. The cathedral was far from finished though and was not consecrated until 1211.
We wandered around, however were to tired to take it all in! We headed off for a drink and to find our hotel - fortunately only a couple of blocks from the old city, where we settled in.
Back in the old city for dinner, we enjoyed a lovely seafood Tapas meal, ordered with the help of the waitress. It was an early night!
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