DAY 69 - PONTE ULLA to SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA - Sunday 30 June 2024

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Our host kindly prepared us a 7am breakfast, as we were keen to get to Santiago de Compostela early. All the different routes of the Camino de Santiago converge at the Cathedral there. 

We had drizzle for the first few hours of walking, which apparently is typical for Galicia - we've just been lucky. Our rain gear kept us fairly dry and made a good colour contrast for the photos. 

Despite our relatively early start, we saw no other pilgrims while walking today - not even the cyclists. We had plenty of Galician scenery to keep us occupied as well as some curiosities, such as concrete mushrooms and hay bales with faces. These hay bales reminded us of one time in Lismore where somebody had painted smiley faces on a whole field full of hay bales - it made us smile every time we drove by.

We stopped at a bar for a drink and rest and when we came out the sun was shining. We packed away the rain gear and moved on. At one stage we came across some washing hung above an old lavadero - good to see it still being used for washing, even if only to dry it.

Entry into Santiago was through a forested track then streets and we got our first sighting of the Cathedral about 2 km out. This was very exciting! As we got closer, there were more and more people, but we didn't really see any pilgrims with backpacks or scallop shells until we came to the Cathedral square. And then we saw lots! There were schools groups, lone walkers, day packs and big back packs. We didn't see anyone we'd met previously but it was still wonderful seeing pilgrims coming into the square from all different directions. We heard the bagpipes and found the player under an arch, as our friend Victoria had advised. 

We headed straight for the Pilgrim Office to organise our Compostelas. To our surprise, we were in and out within five minutes. We checked into our hotel and after the usual jobs had a celebratory dinner. After that we spent a long time in the Cathedral square, soaking up the atmosphere. 

The traditional photo for walkers arriving in Santiago, in front of the cathedral
A bit of rain as we set off this morning
A wet Ponte Ulla this morning
Getting wet on the Camino Sanabrés 
There was a bit of rain around this morning
The rain gear got a bit of a workout this morning
More walking in the rain
The rain cleared while we were having a refreshing drink in a bar,  and it remained dry for the rest of our walk into Santiago 
Approaching Santiago on the Camino Sanabrés 
Only a few kilometres more . . .
Our first views of the famous Cathedral, from a couple of kilometres out
Walking into Santiago.  There was a bit of climbing involved. 
Into the old town
The Praza do Obradoiro, in front of the cathedral 
Praza do Obradoiro
A bit of a wander through Santiago
Animals
Horreos
Birds
Day 69 - Map

Day:                               69
Distance:                      24.42 km
Walking time:              5 hrs 17 mins
Elevation gain:            690 metres
Cumulative distance: 1,395.87 km

Comments

  1. Manny1 July 2024 at 02:21

    Well done you two! A magnificent achievement. Look forward to hearing the whole story in person when you get back. Enhorabuena!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aussie Slow Travellers1 July 2024 at 05:47

      Thanks Manny! Great to experience the entry into Santiago and finish this section. Just the walk to the north now...

      Delete
  2. Eric Hocking1 July 2024 at 05:27

    Hi Russell and Kath,
    Thank you for my postcard from Salamanca. It reminds me of travels to that beautiful city. Look forward to catching up with you on your return.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aussie Slow Travellers1 July 2024 at 05:49

      You are very welcome. See you when we get back!

      Delete
    2. Murray and Sandra16 July 2024 at 12:20

      Eurasian Magpie, White Wagtail, Stonechat, silhouette, Chaffinch, silhouette

      Delete

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