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Day 10 - Thursday 31st March

Today we walked the 20ish km to Santiago. I never seem to be able to get around to writing my diary for the day that I arrive in Santiago; it’s always a day filled with excitement at arriving and sadness at the journey being over.






This day was drier but there was still a light mist of rain. We had been warned that the way was not well marked but we didn’t find this until we were actually in Santiago, in fact the way markers actually had distances on for the first time.



We did stop on the outskirts of Santiago for a quick breakfast before continuing.
This way into Santiago was prettier than the Frances, staying in the woods for longer but it was harder to find our way once in Santiago as there were no arrows – we had seen the Cathedral and so knew to keep heading up and recognised that we were near the Seminary albergue so went and met up with the Frances route (we have no idea if this was the way we were meant to enter Santiago but it worked). When we were almost at the Cathedral a Pilgrim in a near-by bar smiled to us and waved us on in encouragement.

Our first view of the Cathedral!
We arrived at about two and rang home to let them know that we had made it in!
It took us a few minutes to find the new Pilgrim Office and we were surprised that the security man on the door asked to see our credentials before we were allowed in.
The queue was very short so we did not have to wait for long. We talked to the man behind us - a Frenchman who had walked from St Jean over four years. Then we talked to the two men ahead of us (possibly Father and son) who had walked from Sarria and were from Britain, in fact we found out that they were from only a few miles down the road from us!
We were both proud to receive our Compostelas and spent the extra three euros to get the certificate of distance as well as we aren’t sure if we will walk this route again.
We were booked to stay in the hotel Hospederia San Martin Pinario in Santiago who do a special rate for Pilgrims and special rooms – forty euros for the two of us (the albergue we have stayed at before near the Cathedral is eighteen euros each) and includes breakfast.
We went for a celebratory museum and then wandered around the city’s old part and later went through the Holy Door.
The next day we attended the Pilgrim’s Mass to hear about our arrival.


 

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