Camino days 3&4

As you recall, there was no real plan to this trip at all. So it was exciting to think we’d actually make the one loose plan that was formulated of “I think we can walk 20 miles a day and get there in 4.”

Unfortunately, we learned on day one that this would be hard on account of the hills we didn’t know there were. Also, turns out it was 88 miles. Nonetheless, as we got closer yesterday, it occurred to me we may pull that off.

This resulted in us finding our $10 per person cot WITH A CURTAIN, dropping our heavy bags and just following the herd.

My world was shook before we even saw “it.”

Always a sucker for bagpipes in striking acoustic settings, the hair on my arms stood at full attention as we entered the tunnel to Santiago de Compostela square. When we rounded the corner, uninvited tears leaked out.

The amount of detail and effort that went into making such ornate aesthetics is staggering. And to think, they did it all out of their passion to honor the glory of God. Not because they saw ideas about open concepts on Property Brothers, or because the HOA requires it, but because they felt moved to praise via stone carvings that have outlasted generations. Seeing it all feels like time travel and is emotionally overwhelming to say the least.

Yesterday was a quick bounce around the square for a couple of hours just to say we made it in the 4 days. Today we spent more hours in the same spot and still I don’t think I can say we’ve seen 1/100th of its splendor.

Also today, my proclivity for data hoarding because I’m cheap led to a happy accident. I haven’t been using google translate. Which is why I thought we were in the right place for an 11 am Pilgrim’s Mass.

We weren’t.

But, we were in very excellent seats for the main mass at noon.

Everything was surreal. The sound of operatic singing in what I’m 72% sure was Latin echoing off stone walls, the pageantry of the alter service that included no less than 6 priests, the flying of the bonafumerio burning incense the same as it has for centuries to bless (and cover the smell of) pilgrims (for real), the art, the throngs of people on a random Tuesday morning all there for the same reason, and so much more.

They’re prepared to give mass to the masses. Maybe because this has been a pilgrimage destination since the 9th century. Mass was not in English, but orientation to it was presented by retiree looking voluntario women. The way the Irish woman said “Cat-tead-ral” was magical.

This trip has been totally do-able, and highly recommended. And though I could absolutely stay here the rest of the two weeks and subsist on chocolate croissants and bomb ass coffee, the WiFi is free at the hostel and train tickets are easy to come by. I look forward to seeing what Portugal has to share.

Thanks for reading! (And go to Spain)