We were up at
5am. As we hurried to make an early
departure, Mike's alarm sounded on his telephone. It was more like a high security alert and based on the decibel level, I'm sure all the other
occupants of the building got the wake up call! By 5:30am we were out the door, walking the final
stretch of our Camino.
The last kilometers of the Camino were more challenging than I expected, especially with two hours of walking in the dark, much of it uphill. It was a chilly morning, possibly the coldest so far. When we passed along the perimeter of Santiago's airport I knew we were approaching the suburbs of the city and the end was coming.
Mid morning, we stopped at an outdoor stand for a cup of coffee. As I looked up the hill, a large monument stood out, clear and bold with the morning sky as it's backdrop. I later learned the hill is Monte Do Gozo or hill of joy in Spanish. It is the place where pilgrims get their first views of the three spires of the Cathedral of Santiago Compostela. I didn't see any of them. Traditionally, Monte Do Gozo is also where pilgrims cry out in rapture at finally seeing the end of their path. I heard no cries of rapture. What I did see was an impressive sculpture that commemorated the visit by John Paul II and his celebration of mass here on World Youth Day in 1989.
My entry into
Santiago was not monumentus. Partly because I felt hurried, my mind preoccupied by not wanting to miss the pilgrim's mass at noon. Also, as I walked through Santiago, I had no gauge as to exactly where I was and how much farther there was to go. The approach to the Cathedral is from the rear and I didn't realize that I was coming upon it. From a
distance all I saw was a single spire, until I walked though a
passageway, turned the corner and there it was - the facade of Santiago's Cathedral - in it's full glory. When I stepped back
and got a full view of this magnificent structure, I just stood staring, wide eyed, in awe.
Although standing in front of the Cathedral was quite extraordinary, I didn't get
the emotional rush experienced by many as they complete their Camino. Somewhat,
because I was not amongst a large pilgrim group, but, more so, I think, because my Camino was just a
short six days, rather than the journey of thirty days or more travelled by those who begin in St. Jean. I didn't experience periods of loneliness or suffer fatigue like many pilgrims do over the course of a month. However, it was definitely a moving experience for me to watch
the emotions of others as their Camino came to a conclusion. Witnessing the hugs, kisses and cries of joy as pilgrims
entered the Plaza del Obradoiro was my
reward.
We found the Pilgrim's Office and stood in line to tender our credencial del peregrino to prove
our Camino. Each of us received our compostela. It's written in latin and mine translates as follows:
The Chapter of this Holy Apostolic Metropolitan Cathedral of St. James, custodian of the seal of
St. James' Altar, to all faithful and pilgrims who come from everywhere over the world as an act
of devotion, under vow or promise to the Apostle's Tomb, our Parton and Protector of Spain,
witnesses in the sight of all who read this document that: Davidem W. Whikamp has visited
devoutly this Sacred Church in a religious sense. Witness whereof I hand this document over to
him, authenticated by the seal of this Sacred Church. Given in St. James de Compostela on the
26 day of September 2013. Signed: D. Segumdo L. Perez Lopez, Chapter Secretary, Cathedral
de Santiago.
The Chapter of this Holy Apostolic Metropolitan Cathedral of St. James, custodian of the seal of
St. James' Altar, to all faithful and pilgrims who come from everywhere over the world as an act
of devotion, under vow or promise to the Apostle's Tomb, our Parton and Protector of Spain,
witnesses in the sight of all who read this document that: Davidem W. Whikamp has visited
devoutly this Sacred Church in a religious sense. Witness whereof I hand this document over to
him, authenticated by the seal of this Sacred Church. Given in St. James de Compostela on the
26 day of September 2013. Signed: D. Segumdo L. Perez Lopez, Chapter Secretary, Cathedral
de Santiago.
Fortunately, we
arrived back to the cathedral at noon, just in time for the Pilgrim's mass. The church
was packed and it was a fitting conclusion
to our Camino. It was a joy to be
amongst the pilgrims. According to the pilgrim's office, we were three of the 1207 pilgrims arriving in Santiago on Thursday, September 26, 2013. Buen Camino!
