Dear Family and Friends,
My next day in Santiago began once again bright and early, and the sun was shining. I found that rising early is a pattern I am used to and I miss the simplicity of the regular schedule of walking from one place to another. However, there were several things I wanted to accomplish before the crowds grew. After breakfast I went to the Porto de Perdun, ( a door open only in a holy year. On December 31, it will close and not open again until 2021- the next time July 25 falls on a Sunday) to stand in line to visit St. James, one of the rituals of arrival. Because of arriving on a Sunday in a busy holy year, with massive crowds, many of us did not accomplish this on the day of our arrival.
As I stood on the steps waiting my turn, I was surprised at how emotional I was feeling. Once again the reality of the tradition, of all who had come before me for centuries, of all that the journey entailed to get to this point came together in my realization of what was about to occur. I took my turn at the bejeweled back of St. James and gave him a big hug of thanksgiving for all that brought me to this point. With many waiting behind me, there was no lingering, and I proceeded to the crypt where his tomb is held. There was a priest saying mass with many people standing in the small entrance. I stayed for a bit, paid my respects and moved on. I then went up into the church and kneeled in a pew close to the altar and spent some time in prayer for all those for whom I was bringing along with me, as well as my own prayers garnered over the past month. I would return a bit later for the noon mass, so left the church and headed for the Post Office where I would retrieve my sleeping bag which I had sent from Belorado to lighten my load. It is not uncommon to have to wait in line for some time, but arriving early, I was able to complete my business quickly. I returned to the hotel to lighten my load since there were restrictions on what could be brought into the Cathedral.
I returned at 11:00 for the noon Mass, and the pews were full! I did find a good place to stand close to the altar. It gave me a good amount of time to observe the cathedral, which is massive. There is much scaffolding inside in preparation for the Pope's visit on November 6. The Botafumeiro was stationary (a very large vessel containing incense which is suspended from the ceiling on a rope and swung to release the scent in the church ) (My apologies for those who of are the Roman Catholic tradition - being raised a Presbyterian then an Anglican, I might not have an adequate explanation here) , again because of the preparations for the Pope's visit. The altar where St. James sits is massive and very Baroque. You could see the people moving through giving St. James his hug as we waited for the Mass to begin.
I was also amused to see some politics in the pews. The pews were filled, 5 abreast; however, there was the occasional spot vacant. Many people would come up asking about the space, then would go away. For one couple, this was too much, and they proceeded to sit in one of the pews, separated by the one person holding the seat. My imagination took flight on what might have been said or thought by those involved..... By the time noon arrived, the church was packed, and this was a monday. A nun had come out earlier, coaching the congregation on many musical responses that would be used during the mass, so there was that sense of community that occurs with voices coming together. I found myself joining in even though I did not know the words, but the responses are very similar in an Anglican Communion.
The procession involved many priests and there were at least two Bishops; one I believe might have been the Archbishop. The countries of the pilgrims who had arrived the day before were read out, and once again, I felt that wave of being part of a very big and very old tradition. Even though I have many thoughts and opinions about many of our Patriarchal structures including the church, in that moment, I felt very much a part of what was happening, and felt very moved to be represented in that way. So too, when the Archbishop spoke to the pilgrims,( for each of these masses is a pilgrim's mass,) he was very animated and warm in his spoken word and body language. Even though I did not know what he was saying, it felt very inclusive and I was very moved by taking part.
Throughout the day as I moved around the city, I met many of my traveling partners I had met along the way. I was very cognizant though of my time coming to a close,and I spent the rest of the day on my own preparing to leave.
The next morning I headed for Finisterre by bus with many others doing the same thing. This is a place known by the Celts and the Romans as "the end of the world," as they would see the sun dropping into the sea each night - the Atlantic Ocean.
If anyone out there is considering walking the Camino, I would strongly suggest you consider leaving enough time to walk to Finisterre and spend a few days there. At this time, we have been graced with magnificent weather, quite unusual for Galicia, I understand, for they get a good deal of rain, much like Ireland and Vancouver. I would have loved to experience when you begin to get a scent of the sea while you walk through the wooded terrain.
It took 2 1/2 hours to drive there, much of it through coastal towns. Once again, there were several returning to Santiago whom I had met enroute. At one stop, a French Canadian couple I had met several times got on the bus. We stopped to talk once in Finisterre and I learned that Marie Claude had done the entire Camino several years ago all the way to Finisterre, and for her, arriving in Finisterre was the real sense of completion. Her husband Dominique wanted to experience the Camino with her, so for the past 3 years, they have been coming and doing a section, beginning in La Puy. Because this was a Holy Year, they decided to begin at Burgos and go to Santiago, and next year they will return to St. Jean Pied de Port to walk to Burgos.
From the town of Finnisterre, it is another 2-3 km. to the lighthouse. I was feeling very tired when I arrived, but spending time down by the beach, I felt a "call to go to experience the fulness of this last stage. I am so happy I did. Standing on the cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, I found it brought a different kind of completion that extended beyond Santiago. I would have loved to have had time to spend there, like a woman we met from Brisbane Australia, who was spending a couple of days there relaxing, reading a book and basking in the sun. But for me, I had spend my time otherwise before the Camino, so was very ready to return home to my family.
Marie Claude, and Dominique finally got to meet Suzie and Pierre as we descended from the O.O km marker. All along the route they had been asked if they had met Suzie and Pierre from Quebec. It was lovely to see them again and give and get one last hug. Each couple are heading to other parts of Europe for a final holiday before returning to Quebec. Marie Claude, Dominique and I had a beautiful seafood dinner with delicious white wine looking out at the Atlantic Ocean before we had to return to Santiago. It was a wonderful way for me to bring a close to my Camino journey because I was flying that night to Madrid from where I would depart for Vancouver the next day. Heather
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