Meandering

It rained all night after I finished. I lay in the bunk in the albergue savouring the sound of it and the thought that I WOULDN’T have to walk in it next morning. When morning came, no one got up at 5am with loud banging and rustling, it was all very mellow. I rose at 7am(!) and wandered through for light breakfast in the albergue. I walked down to the bus station to purchase a ticket for Santiago. The bus stop was packed with pilgrims waiting for the next bus.

As you can see, it was still raining, so I wandered into nearby café and ordered a coffee. I bumped into a lady I had seen weeks back on the via de la Plata and we chatted for an hour or so - she in broken English, me in very broken French (she is from Switzerland). While we were talking, Carolyn, who runs a cattle farm in Queensland, came in and joined us. I met her way back too. She has been sick for weeks so bussing ahead a few stages every few days. We’ve bumped into each other two or three times. 

When the rain eased, I took my leave and went for a stroll down to the harbour. I wanted some time in quiet before I jumped on the bus for Santiago.

It was a little disorienting travelling by bus after so many days at animal pace - it went so fast!! It took an hour and a half to get back to Santiago, a distance that took me days to cover on foot.

Through the day the Praza de Obradoiro is a continual flow of pilgrims arriving and tourists observing.

The stone paved laneways around the cathedral are a constant flow of people (quite a few of them limping!)

and the cafés buzz with animated conversation.

Everywhere in this vicinity there are symbols and trinkets related to pilgrimage. In Santiago, pilgrimage is big business!

I could resist a final visit to our favourite tapas bar.

One of the few gardens I know if in the old city.

And a modern addition.

Storms returned in the afternoon. I sat quietly in the cathedral and then spent time racing from awning to awning in the streets trying to stay dry. And feeling so grateful not to be walking in this!!

I leave Santiago very early in the morning. If all goes according to plan, I will make it to Montparnasse station in Paris by noon where I will meet Sarah. Yay, I’m looking forward to that. We catch a train to St Malo, and on Saturday, a ferry to Jersey.

Buen Camino

Neil💚⛵️