As planned, short, leisurely and mission accomplished early on: Compostela, mass (well, I confess – inside joke – about 20 minutes of it, but I then felt the effects of my anti-emetic wearing off so caution dictated that I leave), check-in, shower, lunch. I mis-spoke yesterday: a Compostela is not a prerequisite for attending mass. Sorry.
What can I say?
Like most of the larger towns I’ve encountered along the Camino, modernisation and urbanisation means that the main drag into Santiago is long, ugly and boring.
The old city is another matter.
The God Squad has this placed locked-up, tight. Very clean. Lots of albergues, pensions and hotels. Lots of back streets, crisis-crossing with no apparent logic to the street plan. Many old, beautiful buildings. Saints and supplicants carved here. Crucifixes imprinted there. Gargoyles and serpents bulging. Virgins all over the place. This is a beautiful town but commercial change spurred by growing tourist volumes means it has lost some of its natural charm.
A couple of factoids to put volume and ugly commercialisation into perspective:
2016 – 277,915 pilgrims arrived
2006 – 100,377 pilgrims arrived
1996 – 23,218 pilgrims arrived
The Holy Compostelan Years of 2010, 2004 and 1999, when 25 July falls on a Sunday, had even-greater outsized attendance on account of the occasion. Yesterday, 506 pilgrims arrived in town. Today 767 (so far), according to official sources in Santiago. See https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/. It’s a growing business.
I’ve only seen Lina and Thibault so far today. Lina’s another Lithuanian who’s been wending her way to Santiago from St Jean Pied de Port, mostly solo. I think she’s gong onto Finisterre. Thibaud’s not sure about his plans; he has some other friends to coordinate with, but think he may move onto Finisterre. I hope so. I saw Brea’ from Ireland late yesterday. I suspect she’s here too, but moving a bit more slowly under the intense sun. Yasser, Rasputin and Esther were a day ahead and are exploring Finisterre by bus. I may see them later for dinner. I recognise some other faces but only in terms of passing nods or smiles. Big town/lots of streets/long way.
Here are a couple of photos of Ultreia, an eight-week old Pitbull puppy that I met at lunch. I asked to take the photos but I felt like a ‘manther’ approaching her owner, who is no older than my niece, and certainly violates the [age/2]+7 dating rule of thumb. She then gave me the beast to hold….
Ultreia chewed my chin fuzz, gently but with purpose. Right now, her teeth are like blunted needles, but imagine her capacity with an exposed windpipe when she’s full-grown, 65lbs and pissed off…?
Nothing so cute as a puppy, particularly if it has a squashed face…
I need to excuse myself now and figure out how I exit Santiago and move on towards Finisterre. I hadn’t planned it in any detail (only got the book an hour earlier) beyond the intention of doing it – and tomorrow I do it.
I understand the exit route for the most part, but it’s not well-signposted at all – I’ve just walked it out a couple of kilometres in daylight. There are fewer albergues, there are many fewer pilgrims and it is less-well-signposted than the Camino Frances. More of an adventure?
It should be an early start but a shortish day of 22km+/-. The following two will be long days of 33km+… unless I change tomorrow’s routing. I’ve been told that lower (human) traffic volumes on Camino Finisterre mean you don’t need to arrive as early (1300) to be assured of a crib, but I’m not wholly-convinced. I’ll start early(ish) tomorrow to test the thesis and ask the proprietors when I get there. Boots on the ground and roots in the ground. Let’s see.
Doris just shot me a BBC headline about a van being driven into crowds in the Ramblas tourist area in Barcelona. No further detail.
I’ll be in Barcelona on Friday/Saturday, but nowhere near people.
I am a proponent of the death penalty for treason and terrorism. I’m a bit undecided on sedition, so call me ‘soft’. I can take the heat. If this is indeed terrorism, find ‘em and hang ‘em high, Generalissimo-style…
For those with a more numerical interest in the topic, see this: Official Table of Drops
Manaña.