Day 5: Marantes to Santiago

Rain is forecast for this morning and it duly arrives before 8am

Breakfast doesn't start until 8 either, and is a very lacklustre affair. There seem to be about 6 guests in this big hotel. The economics of this place just don't seem to stack up. The hotel is on a busy road not very near to anywhere, it is not clear who their market is. Which is a shame because the two staff, who we assume are the owners are quite delightful and very hard working. As we check out, picking up the first Sellos of the day, we get yesterday afternoon's bar bill. Two beers have been omitted, but it is impossible to get them to accept any money for this

So we step out into the damp and overcast morning, but the rain is very half-hearted.

Rejoin the route, which is broadly following the main Road from Sigueiro to Santiago. This is fast, busy and noisy and it looks as if the final stretch will be a disappointing trudge. But I guess the pilgrimage route existed long before the N550 road. The rain also ups its game, and I'm forced into wearing my mac for the first time on this holiday. At least the temperature is mild

But then our route swings away from the main road and everything is quite peaceful and delightful. Possibly one of the best stretches of our Camino

No let up in the rain though, which becomes heavier

Coming to the outskirts of the city, the cloud starts to break up and the rain stops

Even in the city the old laundry areas have been preserved

Welcome to Santiago de Compostela, as millions have been before you over many hundreds of years

We glimpse the spires of the cathedral towers, the end is nigh

Kilometer zero, the end of the walk

We cross the road to the International Pilgrims Office. Lisa is the 326th arrival for the day, I am number 327

Our Credencials receive their final stamp

and we are issued with our Compostelas. Given the numbers of people arriving, it's a very slick process

There is so much positive energy flowing through the place, it's a joy to experience. The route to our hotel is along the Portuguese Camino route, and we are walking against a tide of peregrinos flowing towards the cathedral, some full of energy and a spring in their step, others looking determined and weary.

After checking in, I treat myself to a soak in the bath. Then it's back into town to celebrate

As well as looking ancient and timeless there is ano air of excitement about the city. This group of singers are progressing from piazza to piazza with what sounds like traditional songs

After beer with a view of the cathedral we go in for evening mass. This is very out of character for me, but a fitting end to the journey. The singers we had encountered earlier were now the choir in the cathedral

There were many people that we had encountered briefly on the road, passed on with little expectation of seeing them again. And here many of them were, it made the event very special. I can imagine that undertaking one of the longer Camino routes and staying in traditional hostels would have magnified this feeling all the more

So farewell Santiago de Compostela, tomorrow I will be travelling into new adventures

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