El Camino de Santiago (Part 3)

Day four of walking came bright and early Wednesday morning and we were all a bit slow and draggy despite the fact that it was our last day of walking. We had to walk a good 2 or 3 kilometers to breakfast, the same place we went for dinner the night before, but it was part of the walk so if we had gone in the car it would have been cheating and I was NOT all about that after coming so far.

Breakfast was quick, stamps were gotten and we were on our way! We stayed more of a group this day than the others, I am not sure why, there just seemed to be a pull to do so. We walked for hours and again we given false hope about how long we had until the restaurant. We finally reached the place and I may never have felt so happy to sit down in my entire life.

We ate the same food we had been eating for a good few days in a row which was grilled chicken, beef, and french fries and had some really good cake that I really think was french toast. Again we stamped, loaded up on sunscreen and off for the final stretch.

We got on the path and could barely contain our excitement reading the pillars that read single digits! We took so many pictures just taking in the last bit of it all. Honestly it went by so quickly we couldn't wrap our minds around it! But of course we were not done yet.

Ummmm I have no explanation for what I am doing, but I was shaking like a lunatic my muscles couldn't take it.

We reached the very edge of the city and could see the very top of the church that was the finish line to the entire "race". At this point it got a bit difficult weaving in and out of crowds of people flooding the city. We got a few strange looks, but I don't think it was because of how we were dressed or the backpacks we wore since the people of Santiago are use to the type. I think it was because of how many we were (I pretty sure that is SUCH Spanish grammar, but I honestly can't think of how else to phrase it right now).

As we were walking someone shouted out "GUYS THAT'S THE TOP OF IT!" Clearly we were much closer this time so instantly we all took off running. Racing down the streets we went until the plaza opened up and the greatest wave of relief, exhaustion, excitement, and love crashed over my body. The largest I have ever felt in my entire life! We could not stops smiling and screaming! A mix between relief, happiness and sunscreen in my eye caused me to cry tears streaming down my face, but only out of one eye. Soooo many pictures were taken and we were honestly nothing, but happy and proud of the teamwork we had just accomplished.

However we still we not done. At 7:30 we entered the massive church to look around and witness a mass. They greeted our group of "pilgrims" as they call the walkers to the entire church, which I am sure is routine to do when a huge group such as ours comes along, but I still believed it was something special. Four from our group even did a reading in front of the entire church as well! The sermon was nice, but what was super interesting came at the end.

I believe this is something only the church of Santiago does, but I could be wrong. In the center of the church attached to an extremely long and extremely sturdy rope was a huge closed vase of holy water. The attendants (I am sure they have a much more prestigious name than attendant but that's what I am going with for now) start to pull the rope while the priest throws the vase. Gradually they pull harder and harder and the thing keeps swinging higher and higher spreading steam all over the church. I mean the church itself is probably a good 100 feet from floor to ceiling and it is just just missing the ceiling. The whole church gasping each time. It may sound lame, but trust me it was really really cool!

At this time we realized we had better get going if we didn't want to have any more plane fiascoes like the trip there. However the church had something else in mind. They decided to do a reenactment of the bringing of Christ to the alter (with a plastic replica not a literal human OBVIOUSLY). This little reenactment blocked the exit we needed. Not only that, but was taking place right where ALL of our backpacks were located making it difficult for ourselves as well as those poor men and women who I am sure were already having a hard time seeing due to the Ku Klux Klan type hates they were wearing (that's like a thing here).

Anyway we finally get our crap together just to have to listen to a volunteer instruct us about four thousand times on how to find a taxi. I swear to god it took him a half hour until he felt assured we knew how to catch a damn taxi. Did he not know all of the trains, planes and buses we had to catch to get there in the first place!?! I think not.

Anyway we got to the airport and everything went relatively smoothly from there. Our plane was on time, the gate was easy to find, it was a different company so no passports were needed even though I had the damn thing anyway. However once we got in the air it was the most painful flight of my entire life. My already swollen feet swelled up even more, and my ears WOULD NOT POP.

We landed had a bit of trouble finding my host dad to say the least but finally made it home by 1:30 am that night. It was A LOT! Today (being the day after getting back) I simply walked Quinn to the airport, made some brownies and soaked my feet for a long, looooooong time and as of tomorrow I am back on the road with the host family to go to Valencia to do even more walking and just make the most of my Spring Break in Spain. The week has already gone so fast and with every day I realize more and more how limited my time really is, but this trip alone has showed me how precious and simply beautiful a life can be.

So I hope you are all making the most of your Spring Break at home! I can't wait to tell you all about Valencia! I will see you before you know it and if you take anything at all away from these "stories" just remember you can only regret the things you didn't do. I may regret the state my feet are in right now, but I would not and could not regret this trip for a single second! Enjoy the week!!!