Into Santiago de Compostella

Gordon:  At Arzua the Camino del Norte joins the Camino Frances, the main pilgrimage route.  It was a pleasant shock to suddenly be surrounded by a throng of pilgrims, and to see so many businesses catering to their needs.  For the final 40 kms into Santiago we joined the walking pilgrims and rode along the trail.  It was beautiful watching the fog rise off the land in the early morning light.  It was also fun to recall specific sections of the trail from our previous Camino.

After 35 days of cycling and 1920 kms we arrived in Santiago.  It was a pleasant sunny day, and the city looked so beautiful.  

We are staying in the San Martin Pinario monastery, a stone’s throw from the cathedral.  This is the second largest religious building in Spain, with roots that go back to the 9th century.  Our room is in a portion of the monastery constructed in the 16th century.  It has been updated to a very modern and even luxurious standard, and we cannot quite believe that we are allowed stay here.  A distinguishing feature when compared to other good hotels, however, is that most of the guests are sunburned, clad in spandex, and smiling from ear to ear.  We went on a tour of the monastery this morning, accompanied by a theology student who resides here (the monastery is still an active seminary).  He spent 2 hours showing us around, and we came away with a wealth of new knowledge.

We have access to good wifi and I have started doing research regarding possible trips for next year.