The final stage and, as always, that sense of achievement in having made it coupled with the sense of sadness that the journey is over. This has been a strange camino, interrupted by the covid insanity and marred by what we now know to have been pointless, authoritarian government interventions. Still, none of that matters as one gets out of bed in Padron.
Breakfast was at the irrepressibly cheerful Don Pepe 2, where the owner was up early shouting encouragement to every passing pilgrim. Just had to go there for a coffee and croissant. One also got a farewell hug from the staff... as did the pretty blonde girl with whom I had shared a table...
So ultreia! This was my third walk on this way but there is always something to note.
This time for example, it was to stop at the massive church of Santa Maria Iria Flavia just outside Padron. Although the church is relatively new, it sits on a site that has been a church since Christianity first arrived in Spain and indeed was the episcopal centre before Santiago.
An early start meant that the Galician countryside looked particularly lovely.
An additional bonus this time was getting in to see the Igrexa da Escravitude which has always been closed in the past. Perhaps with the huge numbers of pilgrims traipsing past, someone thought it might be an idea to open.
The numbers of pilgrims on the road was immense. Quite a few eating places were closed - I guess they didn't survive the lockdowns. The nice albergue at Teo where I stayed back in 2015 had also closed.
This is the road leading up to the suburb of O Milladoiro. Pilgrims on both sides of the road.
Fortunately there is a nice cafe at the entrance to Milladoiro where one had the chance, alongside many many other pilgrims, to get a late lunch. There was the usual camaraderie there as one approaches the Cathedral.
And then the final few kilometres - not difficult at all really - and one is in Praza de Obradoiro, outside the cathedral and time for that short moment of reflection and to take the obligatory photo of one's shoes.
This 493km camino has been different but good. I've met lots of great people from around Europe (mostly Germans of course) and have now the pack and footwear pretty well sorted. I reckon I've got a good few more camino left in me.
Love,
Nick, a pilgrim.
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