Day 12 - Pontevea to Santiago

Last day! Only some 20km to go.

Normal service was resumed today with a steady climb up to the halfway point at San Simon de Ons. Teo, the local council, was clearly very keen on modern art.

A little further on the way was a fine example of much older, much more profound art designed to evoke feelings other than "oh, that's clever".

The cross at Raris

Lunch was at a little bar off the trail - Cafe Bar Eme - where a pirate served beer. Of course there was no lunch provision. However he was happy to provide tapas which were warm, freshly made, calamari in a roll. I'm not sure of a business model whereby you can't buy food but the bar is happy to supply the food you would have cheerfully bought, for free. Whatever, after a quick game of table football, I was back on the trail for the final stage.

The approach into Santiago has been carefully designed to keep one away from roads and in countryside as much as possible. To achieve this, one goes over a wooded hill that seems somewhat appropriate on this, a most hilly camino.

And then one is into the suburbs of Santiago. A house, just before the first glimpse of the cathedral, had produced a rather nice little marker dedicated to the camino.

And there it was - the towers of the cathedral and the tomb of the saint.

So it was then into the city. Dropped off the rucksack and then straight to the pilgrim office for my compostela. I had thought that two days before the 25th the place would be packed - in fact there was no queue and I collected my compostela and distance certificate in double quick time.

Then it was time for the traditional photo in the square.

I'm often asked whether I get bored with Santiago. The answer is no. It's because after each camino one arrives in Santiago slightly different. The Way changes us - I can't articulate how or why but when I get to Santiago, in some ways, I'm arriving as a new pilgrim. I love the buzz about the place - the Gato Negro bar, the singers beneath the arches, the people you meet - but above all I love the sense of walking in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims over the last twelve centuries.

There is a box to tick on the compostela form - why did you walk? I think the true answer to that will vary for everyone. Some walk to search for meaning in their lives; others walk to celebrate the meaning in their life.

We all search; but there is so much joy in being found.

I will walk again.

Love, Nick, a pilgrim.