Wednesday 20th June- Arca to Santiago de Compestella

I woke up at 230ish to some family noise down the hall. I didn't get back to sleep. I wrote in my journal and deleted photos in the bathroom until 530 then dressed and went out and waited outside the cafe along with an italian pilgrim for it to open at 6. 11 pilgrims passed us by before the cafe opened. Those eager early birds wanting to do the last 20 kilometers to Santiago de Compestella.

We were the first ones in the cafe then 5 more came in. I had a cup of tea and wrote in my journal and watched the early morning pilgrims going up the street. at first there were only a few about 13 or so. I ordered eggs and fries and watched the news... kindof. At 6:10 there was even one gentleman pilgrim walking barefoot. That is dedication. I sure hope all his sins are forgiven. My Italian left at 620 and said 'ciao'.  Sigh... At around 7 the family went by. I finished my tea.

 Around 710 I went back to the hotel to see if Maureen was up . She was so I packed and was ready to go by 730. We were eating our continental breakfast of toast jam and tea at the cafe when I mentioned that maybe we should go early as the bus might come early. We walked down the road and just as we got to the bus stop, fifteen minutes early, the bus came. It only cost 1.40 Euros to go to Santiago de Compestella. Maureen had thought about getting off and walking in from about 5 kilometers but I thought 'what for?' and she couldn't get the bus driver to understand  where she wanted off and the ride was only a twenty minute drive to SdC so  before we knew it, we were walking in Santiago de Compestella.

We strolled down a lovely road next to a large park, along John Paul the Second Way, around the corner and past the church of San Francisco (St Francis), turned left and went straight down some wonderful narrow cobblestoned streets and then onto the large square where we found the Cathedral. The very large square in front of the cathedral with very large old buildings on each and every side was almost empty of people but I could imagine that it could hold alot of people.
We tried to find our hotel even though we were early and wouldn't be able to check in anyway.  I had gone on line before coming to spain and looked at a google map and was sure of where I was going but I turned us the wrong way, (my kids would laugh at that as I am prone to doing that) and we wandered around for awhile before finally finding our hotel with the help of the front desk staff at the St francis church hotel.

 The Entrecercas is a very nice little hotel very close to the cathedral.  Just across the square around the post office, turn left and halfway up the street Entrecercas which is not on most maps as the street is so small. We entered and they were very happy to see us but we were only booked for one night by some error, probably on my part, with the computer booking and filling in the notes section of the reservation form. They were upset that the computer system had failed somehow.  The hotel was booked up solid but they promised to see what they could do. They said we could leave our backpacks there and we could come back at check in time as we did not have the room till one. We did that.

We found our way to the credential office and stood in line for over 30 minutes with many other pilgrims. I was not even going to try for the completed certificate since I had not walked the last 100 kms of the walk (although while in spain I had in fact walked at least 300 kms if you combined my walking in all the parts of spain that I had been to). The man behind the counter seemed surprized that I only wanted a stamp in my credential to show that I had reached the end.
That will be my souvenir  and someday I will come back and walk the whole camino for the at least 100 kms to get the certificate.
   We went back to the big square in front of the cathedral where there were a few more people and we encountered a gentleman pretending to be a statue dressed as St James, the original Pilgrim. I gave him 2 euros as I think being a statue is very difficult. Our eyes met and he knew that I knew. He inclined his head ever so slightly.  It had already rained once that day and the sun was coming out and making it very hot! Poor guy. The Cathedral itself is a huge building. very ornate.

 We went into the cathedral passing an older woman who was on her knees at the door, praying and crying and with a small basket in front of her.  I think I gave her some small coin and entered the vaulted entry. We wandered around admiring statues of Santiago and many other saints and bishops and popes and Mary's. I saw the silver box where he (St James) is kept. I lit many candles and said many Hail Marys and our fathers.

We stayed at the cathedral for the 12 noon mass for the pilgrims. The place was packed with standing room only. there were nuns singing and doing readings and there was the list called out by country of how many pilgrims had completed the camino. France 3, Germany 4, USA 2, Canada 1 etc, etc. Very close to the end of the mass they, three or four priests, swung a very large censor full of incense over the pilgrims and the congregation with blessings and clapping from the congregation, like a great show it was very much appreciated by everyone in the church. there was lots of people greeting each other like long lost friends and stories being swapped about what had happened to each of them since they parted earlier in the journey. Quite moving really.

After mass we found our way back outside and the square had filled up considerably. I noticed that there were people on an upper balcony and really wanted to get up there before we left the city. we went back to our hotel and they said that they would try to find us  a room with two beds for two nights.  what great people!   If they couldn't find us a room for the next night, we did have a room booked for the next night at the seminary at the top of the hill across the river. In the mean time we put our things into our small room with only one bed and lots of character and off we went shopping and exploring.

The hotel gave us a little map of SdC that helped us alot to find our way around. lots of tiny streets. Most of them lane-ways really, for walking only no cars. there were lots of people out now and moving along was getting slower and more difficult. but that is the fun of it really. some of them I recognized from our walking, some i knew had done the walk by the way they limped or favoured one leg or foot. some were still coming into town with their backpacks on.

So many shops not enough time! Jewelry, clothing and souvenir shops galore! Witches are big here. lots of little souvenir witches. I asked one of the shop ladies about it and she said that witches were good luck and there was a witch for everything. one for love , one for kitchens, one for relatives one for everything. Maureen found a cute one for my friend Diane who is Wiccan.

 Lots of fun little streets only for walking with lots of little shops and restaurants. Great restaurants. We went back to the church of st francis and went through their museum on the Holy Land that is attached to the church. It is still run by the Franciscan monks. We talked with one monk who told us that the convent that had been attached to the church at one time was now a hotel and the proceeds from the hotel helped the order maintain the church and its ministry. It was the oldest convent in spain and was started by St francis himself or his immediate followers. A convent at that time and place did not mean a nunnery so much, but more of a hostel for religious pilgrims and kind of seminary.

Had lunch at the las Vegas restaurant around 2:30  just beside our hotel  for 48.70 euros. It was pretty tasty if a little slow. Cheese, tomato ensalada, bread and mushrooms and garlic, (they always use canned mushrooms?) and an Estrella Beer.  the restaurant is very close to the police station. there are a lot of police stations in spain. On the way back from St Francis we stopped into 3 shops.  One for almond Cake (2 euros) a wine and chocolate shop, how great is that (12 Euros) and a cookie shop .... yuummmm, so good.
When we wandered back to our room we found out that we could switch rooms with a lady dentist who had come in for an orthodontists convention in town that week. She had a triple room and was happy to switch to a single. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Maria from western Italy. We had to wait for a little bit while they prepared the rooms. the girl took one of the beds out of the big room that was going to be ours and set it up for us. then she went and reset up the little room upstairs that we had put our things in but nothing else I guess she had to change the sheets even though we had not slept  there. poor thing was working like crazy.

We waited in the small morning breakfast room in the hotel. They provide breakfast but no other meals. Odd as there was a very well stocked bar on the premises. early morning drinkers? There was this great print of a painting on the wall and when I asked who painted it the owner said he did. I knew he was joking. Then we were in and comfy in our big double room on the main floor facing the street and with not as much character as the quieter smaller room upstairs with only one bed.  But who really cares about character when you want your own bed. Wrote postcards, watched tv and fell asleep a little after 9.