Day 28; From Arca do Pino to Santiago 20 km's.
One very amazing day, we have so surprised our selfs.
Up early wanting to get into Santiago for 11am so we would be in time for the 12 am pilgrim mass at the cathedral. Had some trouble getting out of town because it was dark and light wasn't so good, but a German couple were also there and we did it together. Met up with Marta in the next village, Gael not well, a tummy bug but insisted on walking. Had plenty of stops along the way. Saw the Pope John Paul 11 monument, ugly.
Continued down the hill trying to catch a glimpse of the Cathedral, passed under the arch of the Pazo do Xelmirex into the Praza Obradoiro and there the cathedral is. We made it........very grateful for a safe journey and arrival in such an incrediable place and to be amongst the crowds.
Amazing to met up with friends and follow pilgrims and share all the emotions which can be very overwhelming. Entered the cathedral with Jean Pierre and looked around, will need to return to be able to take it all in. The pilgrim mass was amazing all in Spanish but it felt like it was just for us. We had a front row pew, the nun singing was incredible and the Botafumeiro which is the incense burner used to fumigate the sweaty and often disease ridden pilgrims was swung. We had the perfect position, very hard to describe all the emotions, and great to be able to celebrate with pilgrims we had started this journey with and those we had met along the way in the evening at bars along the famous Paris to Dakar Street.

We of course checked in at the Pilgrim Office, where we collected our Compostela, this is the certificate that all pilgrims who walk at least the last 100km's are intilited too.

So now one Camino ends and another one begins, what a grand journey we have had. Time now to reflect and soak up all the surreal feelings one has at a end of a journey.