Arrived: Santiago de Compostela 12:30pm
Total hours: 4.25
Total kms: 18
Accumulated kms: 1529.8
Weather: Sunny then overcast
Well, I´ve finished the official pilgrimage. It's hard to believe that I've made it here and, as Felipe and I have been celebrating his finishing, it's also hard to believe I'm walking on tomorrow.
Today was a very hard walk. Felipe and I decided to walk in together, and barely spoke the whole way. We were both very tired and very sore. I'm not sure whether that's more a mental thing with coming in to the last day, or just an accumulation of the long days we've had this week. At any rate, I spent most of the walk focussing on slow, deep breaths while Felipe did whatever he does to help the miles pass easier.
Along the way we met a Spaniard called Howie who told us about a monument a little off the path that looked out over Santiago. We went there with him and took photos, then walked into Santiago together. When he heard I was Australian he grinned and said, "Crocodile Dundee!" He's the third person in Spain to say that to me. He then said what each of the others have also said next: "Mel Gibson!" I told him what I tell everyone, "No, he's actually American. He has nothing to do with Australia at all."
Despite Felipe and I not following the rules of getting two stamps in our credentials each day, the pilgrim office gave us our compostellas. The guy believed me right away, but nearly didn't give Felipe his, even though we both had all the same stamps since Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Columbians must have a worse reputation here than convicts. They like to write the Latin version of your name on the compostella, but apparently there is no Latin for Craig so I had to make do with my normal name.
We then went out tonight for a very decadent dinner of paella, hot chocolate and dessert and I am now feeling so full I might burst. I'm going to take it very easy tomorrow - get up late, do some yoga, have breakfast with Felipe then walk a lazy 22km for my fourth last day. I'm looking forward to getting to the ocean, that's for sure.
Baby lambs! Cute!
Me and Felipe with the pilgrim statues.
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