Camino de Santiago: Cathedral Rooftop Tour

Yes, I am home now but I wanted to continue to share some of the highlights of my days in Santiago de Compostela after I completed the Camino. For example, I highly recommend the rooftop and museum tour of the cathedral to anyone who might have the chance to visit Santiago de Compostela. The view is amazing! 

While you're on the roof, the tour guide teaches you about the cathedral, its construction, and its history. It's only about 100 steps up to the roof and you get to stop in the choir loft where pilgrims slept in the medieval ages.

I imagined what it must have been like to sleep with all those people. (Much worse than today's albergues) The tour guide explained how the artwork on the walls and ceiling was whitewashed with lime to kill germs during the plagues. Currently, the cathedral is undergoing restoration of the art and the stonework. There was so much to see and we were able to get up close to much of it.

Officially a Pilgrim: Camino de Santiago 2016

Yes, after walking 350 miles I received the official Compostela. This medieval document is proof that I finished a religious pilgrimage and have gotten my indulgences for my suffering. (Oh, the suffering! Wink!) 

As a pilgrim I was also permitted to walk through the door for the Year of Mercy (Holy Year). (Notice the other pilgrim wearing the usual post walk sandals. Our feet just can't stand wearing boots after walking all day.) The whole time in the Cathedral was amazing and it may require a few more posts to share all that we did in our last days!

Camino de Santiago: Free Pilgrim Meal

There is a tradition of serving the first ten pilgrims who show up at each meal for
free at the five-star Parador hotel in Santiago de Compostela. And yes, tonight Theresa and I were two of these people. At 7:00pm we were escorted to the kitchen and served a free dinner. The staff put the serving bowls on a counter so we could help ourselves. How generous of them to take care of us.

We ate with some old friends and made a few new ones. While not a five-star meal, it was great fun! The hotel is a former hospital for pilgrims from the 1400s. It was beautiful. What a great way to end my pilgrimage. Tomorrow it is back to the USA.

Camino de Santiago: Pilgrim Mass

At noon there was a Pilgrims' Mass to celebrate the end of my pilgrimage. Behind me is the main altar with the statue of Santiago (St. James). Before we sat down we gave this statue a pilgrim's hug of thanksgiving and then went beneath it into the crypt to pray at his tomb. The large silver incensor is used on Fridays and is famous with pilgrims as it was shown in use at the end of the movie "The Way". Today they used it because a school group from Spain paid for the men to swing it through the church. It was awesome! I will post the video on Facebook. 

Camino de Santiago: You Were With Me

Ironically there were signs along the way today that inspired me to keep going until the end. While I know that you all didn't actually sneak over to Spain to write these it felt like you did and I was very appreciative of all your prayers and support! Here are two examples of the signs I saw: Run, Spencer, Run and the Turtle Team. 

What a rush I felt when I first saw the towers in Santiago. I arrived around 1:00pm after walking since 6:00am. My feet were pounding and my legs felt like stone but I didn't care. I had just finished walking about 350 miles out of the 500 miles of the Camino. I am officially a pilgrim!

Camino de Santiago: Final Phases 6-7 Elevations

I will be walking into Santiago de Compostela today around 1:00pm (7:00am EST). The final days have been enjoyable (considering my ever-growing blisters and shin splints and Theresa's bad knees). As we have been walking mostly on dirt paths through the woods, it has been really nice. Below is the final elevation map. I will have walked all of phase 7 and the second half of phase 6 from Sarria in about a week.