Santiago de Compostela

It wasn't quite the way we envisioned it. Instead of walking into the city we took a train from Pontevedra. But it was still a moving day.

The old part of the town is small with many narrow and twisty streets. We decided to just wander and soak up the atmosphere rather than head straight for the cathedral. Many of the streets have covered galleries that make the city feel quite ancient.

After losing ourselves, we could tell we were getting close. Suddenly we turned a corner and were in the square with the side entrance to the cathedral. We had arrived!

Because of renovations the front entry is currently closed. But it was still exciting to cross the small square and finally enter the church. Inside we marveled at the architecture.

We also visited the Tomb of St. James. It is thought that the silver reliquary contains the bones of the disciple James who was called by Jesus at the lake shore (Mk. 1:19-20). James later traveled to Spain after Jesus' death.

Then we made our way around to the front of the cathedral. The front facade is quite dramatic even with the renovation work. The square was filled with small groups of people. Many were pilgrims basking in the sunshine and their accomplishments.

Although we were not celebrating our own Camino we felt content with our walk. We walked 111.25 miles in 10 days (2 of which were rest days). Maybe in another year or two we will come back and finish the last 60+ miles. Many people take years to finish a Camino, especially the 500 miles walk from France.