Last night we ate in a lovely tapas bar down a narrow alley in the old city close to our hotel. I’ve eaten there on previous visits and we weren’t disappointed.
I fell into bed just after nine and woke to the hefty, mournful dong of the cathedral bell tolling midnight. The other, quieter church bell marks the quarter hour; one strike at 15 past, two strikes at 30, three at 45 and four on the hour. I battled to get back to sleep and at about three this morning had come to accept that the bells were there to remind me that I was not asleep…….
After a full breakfast we walked down to the Pilgrim office to show our “Peregrino” passports and received our Compostela affirming that we have completed the Camino Primitivo.
We spent the rest of the morning in the cathedral: prayer at the tomb of St James, the apostle; received the Sacrament of Reconciliation; reflect on the journey and attend the Pilgrims Mass at noon.
Construction of the cathedral began in 1075 and was completed about 120 years later. Further embellishments and additions were made in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. We were hoping to see the “Botafumeiro” fly and were not disappointed. This is the largest thurible in the world weighing 80kgs before it is filled with an additional 40kgs of charcoal and incense; it needs four men to swing it ….. and man does it swing !!! Apparently it flies at over 80kms/hour (in centuries past it masked the smell of pilgrims arriving after many weeks on the road).
After lunch we went our own ways, exploring the astonishing beauty of the old city.
And so ends our Camino.
While this walk has taken months of thinking and planning, I suppose for Derrick and me, this has been a journey that has been coming for over 50 years and one we’ll not forget. Thanks Buddy.
Thank you for following us through this blog over the past weeks. Your thoughts, prayers and words have been an enormous source of encouragement.
Adios!
Recent Comments