Day 13: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela, 25.61 km, 15.88 miles

First Breakfast in O Pedrouzo, coffee is the main objective. The pic in the middle is representative of the long, lonesome walk to Second Breakfast in Amenal. There’s a three-fold objective at the Hotel Restaurante Amenal, 1 – More coffee (and another croissant), 2 – watch the sun rising over the eastern horizon, 3 – watch the hordes of pilgrims on my left racing towards Santiago.

Ain’t no mountain high, ain’t no valley low, ain’t no river wide enough, baby... ain’t no crowd too big, ain’t no student group too loud, ain’t no souvenir too gaudy, baby, to keep me from gettin’ to you!

There are a lot of ideas about thin places, liminal spaces, and energy vortices. This walk to Santiago de Compostela is one of these places for me. There’s just something about it – even with all those final hills, the crowds coming in from Sarria, the large student groups, the trinket sellers on the suburban outskirts, it’s never too hot or too cold, my feet don’t hurt, and my pack is lighter! There’s nothing but joy-excitement-pleasure as I stroll into the sacred city of the good vibe!

The city itself is also a thin-liminal-energy place for me. The pilgrim atmosphere at the Praza do Obradoiro. Reunions with the pilgrim friends that arrived before and those coming after. The Pilgrim’s Mass at the cathedral. The Pilgrim Office. The Pilgrim House. Meals at all the familiar places. Good beer at O Bandullo do Lambón or Sindueña. And of course, ending the day under the arches of the Pazo de Raxoi with the Tuna de Derecho de Santiago de Compostela!

Feels like home…

and for the next 3 days!!!