Stage 14: O Faramello - Santiago de Compostela

How does one put a day like this into words... 

We launched into the final stage while it was still dark. We walked the 14 km that were still on the agenda with light feet today.

The temperature felt like 12°C this morning, the coolest day so far. However, after a few serious elevation gains, we quickly warmed up. 

Just before A Agrela, the first milestone under 10 km appeared - hard to believe! The goal was now really just a stone's throw away...

The first breakfast break took a while to come, as no café was open at O Milladoiro, about 7 km away, at this time (where there was food). 

So we made a detour to a supermarket along the way and stocked up on some treats. 

Then it was already halftime, and we started on the last few kilometers of the route. The sun was peeking out more and more, warming us from above 🙂. 

With the goal always in sight, we walked today at a fairly fast average speed. Even though we could already see Santiago and the church towers well in the distance at the start, we had to first go down into the valley and then back up before finally reaching the city's outskirts. 

Accompanied by a few other pilgrims, we purposefully headed toward the Cathedral of Santiago, where hundreds of other pilgrims had already gathered in the square.

What a feeling!

I believe it will take a few days for me to truly grasp what we have achieved. 

I am incredibly proud that I managed to put my setbacks behind me immediately and met each day without prejudice. What seemed almost hopeless at first turned out to be manageable in the end. 

I think this is a lesson I will definitely take home with me.

Once we arrived in the square, there was a round of hugs before we had a little photo session 📸😁. Then we focused on arriving and resting. With a small picnic in the warming sun, calls were made, and we processed our experiences a bit. 

After that, it was time to put on our shoes again, throw our backpacks back on our shoulders, and head to the pilgrim office to collect the last stamp and pilgrim certificate. It all went very quickly - 280 km are now officially ✔️ (though we actually did a bit more with the spiritual variant 😅)

Next, we made our way to our accommodation in about 15 minutes, where we first dropped off our backpacks after checking in, did some laundry, showered, and had a 'little something' to eat nearby 🍔.

Around 6 p.m., we walked back into the city to do a little shopping and check out the cathedral before finally going out to eat.

At 'Restaurante Marie Miner', we had a dinner that made the Camino worthwhile on its own. We all rarely eat so well, and we’ll probably be dreaming of the desserts for days 😍. To finish, there was a 'digestif ceremony' with a flaming show. Absolutely recommended! Anyone who finds themselves in Santiago - 10/10.

After that, we dragged ourselves up the numerous stairs to our accommodation, where we will surely fall asleep tonight filled with joy. 

Tomorrow we’ll start the day very relaxed - our time together is not quite over; a trip still awaits :)