Arca to Santiago

It's almost 10 p.m. as I write and we are pooped!  It's been a busy day since we arrived, waiting in line for our compostela (certificate of completion - took almost 2 hours), then attending the pilgrim's mass at 7:30 (got our seats at 6 so we'd have front row seats for the botofumiero (more on that tomorrow), then dinner Spanish time (while watching Spain play Holland in soccer).

I'll write briefly about today, then fill in some more detail about the pilgrim mass tomorrow.

We began the day as the sun was rising, and took this picture of our 4 shadows on the road...

We soon found ourselves on shady trails amid lush forests.  We couldn't help but ask the guy in this picture below about the weight of his pack - it had to be over 50 pounds but he just shrugged it off...

As I said, we began early, and you can see the mist that still remained from the early morning as we walked along this wooded path...

The sun soon made all that disappear...

We came across this elderly couple walking along the road, and they are all unfailingly polite to us pilgrims...

As we get nearer the city of our destination, we find ourselves more often on quiet paved roads, and you can see the large numbers of pilgrims...

A number of years ago, Pope John Paul II came to visit and this monument was built in honour/memory of his visit...

Although it was a ways off the beaten path, Diane and I made sure to visit this sculpture of pilgrims looking ahead to the city of their destination (these pics are especially for you, Fred!)...

And this is the view these pilgrims see ahead of them...

Along the way we met old friends again for the first time in weeks...Janice is from Comox...

Wile the city where we enter is fairly modern in terms of its construction, it soon gives way to the old as we near the cathedral plaza...

And then, finally, 40 days and almost 800 kms later, we arrive at the cathedral plaza of Santiago de Compostela, thankful to be here but also thankful for the journey we shared together and with so many others...

We have a wonderful room for the next 2 nights in an old monastery now luxury hotel right next to the cathedral.  Here's the door to our room!

And here's the view from our room window...

And now it's time to say good night, and until tomorrow...zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Distance today: 20.1 kms

Time on the road: 5:40

Total distance (not including all the kms walked to find our hotels, places to eat, etc): 796.4

Walking days remaining: many, many more as the pilgrimage of our lives continues!!