We were all excited to be so close to Santiago, but were also aware that our time together was coming to an end. For the final day we all walked together, more or less. I would stop to interview and photograph another pilgrim and then fall behind. After meeting Hongsik, I decided to save shooting any more pilgrim portraits for the cathedral grounds in Santiago.
Hongsik
Hongsik was from South Korea. This was his first Camino and he was quick to point out that it was his wife’s idea.
Luis completed his university education in Santiago and he was pretty excited to be returning on foot. We even walked past one of his Mathematics professors on the street as we got closer to our destination. For the first time, we purposely detoured from the yellow arrow markers to follow Luis’ suggestion we see the cathedral from a beautiful park just past the university.
We found cover from a surprise rain shower under the big trees in the park. From there we worked our way back to the yellow arrows and made our way to the Cathedral. There are several buildings associated with the cathedral that together form a square where all pilgrims eventually come together, quietly take in the moment, and then celebrate with hugs and photos. Some drop their packs and settle in for a while, some explore the cathedral and attend mass, and others head for the office the receive their completion documents.
Jamie, Carolen, Nearess, and Luis
It’s really interesting to me how four individuals on separate journeys can end up becoming friends so quickly. We finished our celebrations, I interviewed and photographed some other pilgrims, and then we went for lunch one last time. Luis was on his way to visit his parents for a few days before returning to his home in Madrid. Nearess and Carolen would spend the night in the same albergue, The Last Stamp, as me. They were then going back to Porto for a few days of sight-seeing before flying home.
Mamen, Carla, and Patricia
Mamen, Carla, and Patricia were from Valencia, Spain. They had just completed the French Camino from Sarria, approximately 120 km. Carla and Patricia are sisters and Mamen is a friend.
Karla
Karla was from Brazil. She had just completed the Portuguese Camino from Porto. She had walked the Camino Frances a previous year.
Jette and Max (Bear), Caia, Andrea, Lucas, and Laura
This happy tramily (three Germans, one Italian, one Belgian, and one bear) just completed the challenging North Camino from France in 31 days.
I wasn’t sure what my next move would be. I had 13 days before my flight and so many options. My original plan was to walk the Camino to Finisterre, the end of the world, but I didn’t feel like starting out with a large crowd of pilgrims. I decided on the English Camino, a 120 km mostly rural route that would give a second chance to walk to Santiago. I booked a bus ticket to Ferrol for early the next morning.
We walked 31.9 km this day.