Day 19 O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Comastela Monday, June 23

 El Camino es la vida

The. Basillica

The shrine to St James just outside the Basilica.

St James is the larger carving. The smaller carving is an anonymous pilgrim. 

Entering Santiago

O Pedrouzo to Santiago

Everything temporal comes to an end, but eternity lasts forever. Today, our journey across the hills, plains, coastlines and mountains of Spain came to an end, but in many ways our journey across eternity has just begun. So we say goodbye to the farms and fields of the Basque Country, the rugged coastline of Asturias and the verdant mountains and forests of Galicia.  We entered Santiago with hundreds of other pilgrims of all ages from all over the world, speaking a multitude of languages . They entered the hallowed city, some hobbling, some with a bit of spring left in their step, some singing, some crying, all humbled. The Camino will do that to you. But deep down, isn’t that why we came?  In the words of one of our country’s greatest presidents, “We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard”.  The Camino is hard. The lessons to be learned along her rock strewn path are hard.  They exact great effort and  thought.  Applying these lessons in one’s life could require a lifetime of practice. For she leads us in the way of the spirit, terra firma.  At any moment upon her conveyance one might have the opportunity to practice patience, experience love, find joy, show kindness, demonstrate self control, be gentle and fall on faith.  So together, the peregrinos arrived, having shared a common ground, but each of us finding our own way, each of us having our own Camino, each of us learning our own lessons.  After Cathy and I arrived at the cathedral we celebrated with other pilgrims to the sound of bagpipes echoing off the walls of the citadel.  Emotions ran high and we both wept. The tears were cleansing and cathartic, coming from a place deep inside. An outpouring born from exhaustion, joy, gratitude and accomplishment. We got in line and received our certificates and then went to our hotel for some rest and a shower. We walked back to the cathedral and after a beer and pinxtos, we roamed leisurely around the stone walls and streets of the old city.  We attended the pilgrims mass inside the great cathedral and were surprised that it was packed with people. It was even more of a surprise that at the end of mass, they sailed the botafumeiro. Quite the spectacle! 

Botafumeiro 

 At dinner, we shared a table with Alejandra, a young Colombian woman who had walked the French Way by herself. I asked her about the homily at mass (not being fluent enough to understand it myself) and she said that, in short, there were three points. First, that the Camino is the life we live on earth.  Here, they have a saying, “El Camino es la vida”, the Camino is the life. Second, that just as St. John the Baptist (his feast day today) prepared the way for the ministry of Christ, so too does the Camino prepare the way for His ministry in us. And third, the end of the Camino is the beginning of a greater walk. The one that leads to eternity.

Ps 

Today (Tuesday now), while sitting at a cafe having a beer, along came Alejandra, otra vez. We said goodbye again, and somehow, though we will most probably never run in to her again, I feel like this will not be the last time we see her.