Day 46: Eiravedra to Santiago de Compostela

Here at last was the day when I would arrive in Santiago de Compostela after over 1000km of pilgrimage. The sound, during the night of heavy rain and thunder storms did not augur well for the day ahead. Indeed, we started the day with quite gentle rain until we got to our first rest stop. The Camino passed just behind the pension in which we were staying so we climbed the hill to the point where we joined the official Way and walked the first few kilometres entirely on peaceful woodland paths. Passing through the village of Outeiro and then bypassing Lestedo, we soon arrived on rural roadways in Deseiro. It was midday and we stopped at the Queen Lupa albergue.

The dominant feature on the landscape during this first section was the Pico Sacro (Sacred Peak). The legend has it that evil Queen Lupa lived on the mountain, but when the relics of St James arrived there, she was converted and have the "field of stars" (Compostela) as a place for the relics. The albergue which was named in her honour was a good resting place. The smell of lunch cooking made us hungry, and after a little priestly persuasion, the lady of the house presented us with an ad hoc portion of raxo (spiced pork loin) with potatoes, enough for all five of us. 

Continuing on the way, we made a slight adjustment to the official Camino which seemed to crisscross the main road and took the bridleway which was more direct. More rural roads took us through the village of Aldrei and onwards to our last rest stop of the whole Camino in Piñeiro. This is a village right by a little Ermita chapel dedicated to St Lucy, the lowest point above sea level on today's section. After drinks and a tapa of the lady's lentil soup, we began the gentle ascent of 4km length to the final target: the Cathedral.

It was slow going as everyone was tired and some were suffering with blisters (thankfully not I). We passed a poignant memorial to the people who were killed in the train crash some years ago, the enquiry into which is ongoing at the moment. I said a prayer as I passed the photos and flowers. As soon as we passed this point, we were walking through the outskirts of the city.

Suddenly the Cathedral came into view and we could see our trajectory ahead of us: dropping down to a little bridge we then had a steep ascent to the city centre. Finally, reaching the old city walls and the historic centre, it was an easy downhill walk till we arrived at the great Obradoiro square in front of the Cathedral. We were greeted by those who had come simply to be with us at the end of the pilgrimage. There were tears of joy and of sadness and some emotion, but we had made it. I had made it. Just over 1000km, the best part of the length of Spain, walked over the period of three years, or rather, one year with a two year break for COVID in the middle.