Tag Archives: Santiago de Compostela

25 July – Santiago de Compostela – the last morning

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We are still in Santiago for a few hours before we take the bus back to Porto. The weather is nice and we walk again to the main square. I always thought that July 24th is the big holiday, but Sunday the 25th is the official party. It is visible. Part of the large square is closed to the public, with armed police guarding it. The great portal of the church will open for official visits today: once a year. And last night when a lady was vacuuming we got a glimpse of the illuminated interior. The restoration is complete. When we were here two years ago, there was still a lot of building activity in the church. High scaffolding stood around the altar, Now everything looks gleaming.

the doors of the main portal are open a crack

We walk to the entrance of the church on the side. You might be able to get in. We soon see that this is not the case. The queue is endlessly long and there is not much movement. We find a place on the stone bench near the entrance and watch the people who are there.

We walk further and then see a line that enters the church at a brisk pace. Then right? We join. We walk in line past the relics of St. Jacob, in a corridor under the large altar. Standing still is not allowed, but this gives us a fleeting picture of the interior of the church. On the other side of the altar we walk outside again.
We go for coffee in a nice cafe nearby. Last night we had a beer there and despite the crowds we are immediately recognized. We are happily wished a good journey as we leave.
We walk past the pilgrim’s office where the last stamp for the  ‘Credencial de Peregrino’  can be obtained. We had no intention of doing that and we already have a Compostela.

queuing for the pilgrim’s office

We walk back to our hotel; ask for a stamp there, so that we still have one from Santiago, and then walk to the bus that takes us back to Porto.

Santiago de Compostela

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July 24. We are here; in Santiago de Compostela.

Today is a weird day. We can leave early, after a delicious breakfast. It is heavily clouded and after a few kilometers we have to retrieve a rain jacket from the backpack.

The route meanders through small towns, gardens and hilly forests. There are dogs that bark hoarsely at every passer-by, but this dog looks calm.

Today there are always people in front of and behind us. The last part of the route, when you walk along highways and suburbs, is tough. We also have to climb a bit. And then suddenly there is the old town. It is busy. We walk to the large square in front of the cathedral. We are here.

We hang around for a while until it starts to rain.

After bringing the backpack to the hotel, we walk back. The weather has gotten better. There are small performances. That a lot of official things will still happen is shown in the amount of armed police and the circling helicopter.

But everything remains calm: the atmosphere is festive. When we are in the hotel room at midnight, we hear the fireworks.

Os Lambrans – Santiago de Compostela 25 km. 21°C. Cloudy, with showers

Padron

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We have a nice room in a renovated old house just before the town of Padron. Looking out the window we see geraniums and a large spruce. When we walk outside after an hour, we see that the tree obscures our view of the factory on the river. There are children in and on the water having kayak lessons. Cheerful and unconcerned about the factory’s emissions. We also become aware of the constant humming noise of the factory.

We walk to Padron through a desolate environment. The distance is disappointing. Fortunately, we decided to continue walking. The old town of Padron is nice. And in the end we can eat delicious: Pimientos de Padrón as an appetizer and a delicious Paella as a main course.

Today (Friday) we have a quiet day. Santiago is in sight. Many walkers are walking there today so that they can be at the cathedral early in the morning. We’re going there tomorrow.

Saturday 24 July is the big holiday. It is the birthday of San Tiago, of Saint James. And all the Spaniards who now walk the Camino are walking to attend that great day. It was a surprise for us when we noticed that our arrival day in Santiago coincides with this big holiday. We already discovered it at home, when we tried to book a hotel room. Everything seemed full. Fortunately, we were eventually able to find a place to stay.

We stroll through Padron and have lunch there. Also in Padron people are preparing for the feast. We get a stamp at the church. Then we walk a few kilometers out of the city to a beautiful oasis in an ugly environment.

to, through and from Padron. 10km, 19°C. cloudy and showers

Caminho Português

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We are going to walk the Caminho Português from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. More than two years ago we were in Santiago after a bike ride along the Ruta de la Plata, from the south of Spain.

17-06-2019
We entered the city by bike via the Ruta de la Plata.
In our eyes, the real pilgrims are the walkers.

My idea about the Camino has already changed quite a bit last year.
Now I’m all over. The caminos are a beautiful and special phenomenon.
Last year I wrote; Maybe I should go to Santiago again.
Now I write: Maybe I should walk there again.

Below you will find two posts I wrote earlier.
When you click on the blue link it will appear.

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G E K A N T E L D

Lang heb ik het niets gevonden; al die mensen die naar Santiago trekken. ‘Kunnen ze niet iets originelers bedenken?’ Maar ik ben om. M’n mening heb ik moeten herzien. Door de ontmoetingen tijdens het fietsen over delen van de Camino’s begon … 
Meer lezen over GEKANTELD…en de kunst van het kijken

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D E C A M I N O (s)

Buen Camino!. Buen Camino! Hoe vaak zal ik dat afgelopen maand gezegd hebben. Dikwijls. Lang geleden was ik eens in Santiago de Compastelo. Tijdens de eerste fietsreis met Jan. We waren niet op pelgrimstocht. We fietsten door Noord Spanje en … 
Meer lezen over DE CAMINO(s)…en de kunst van het kijken

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There are many routes to Santiago. We opted for the one from Porto.
We still have the Credencial, the pilgrim’s passport, which you can have stamped on the way. There is still room for new stamps.
The idea was to run the route in 2020. But, as is well known, things turned out differently then. Corona limited the freedom of movement of everyone.
Now, summer 2021, we are on our way. It remains exciting, because the pandemic is far from over. But we are fully vaccinated and believe that we are sufficiently protected ourselves and will not infect others.
We plan to report on our trip from time to time.