Camino de Santiago - Day 6

Arca de Pinto to Santiago

We made it!!!!

I have to say, looking over these past entries that 1 picture and a short summary does not do justice to this hike. Really, there was so much more to it to tell but it would be impossible.

On to today though! WE are here - in Santiago de Compostela! This last day of hiking was BRUTAL. Maybe the hardest of all. The last 6 km involve hiking up a mountain, down that same mountain and then about 3km through city streets. My feet were numb by the end as was my mom's toe. Honore was cranky because she didn't want to lead, but she also didn't want to slow down and let me lead. It was not our finest day. But we made it! I am so proud of us. We were so tired that we snapped a few pictures in front of the cathedral and promptly headed across the square to our hotel. And then everything got better.

Let me put it this way:

Last night: huge hostel, super rickey bunk beds, a shower that you pushed once to get a warmish squirt of water and then had to keep pushing to get more warmish squirts of water, dirty.

Tonight: fancy hotel, shower with 2 shower heads, super comfortable beds with starched linens, turn down service (ok that one doesn't really matter but is still fun).

We walked into the hotel and as we were checking in the bellhop took our packs. As we were heading to our room, my dad showed up! So we got to briefly hug and kiss him and then head to the showers. After my shower I wandered around the hotel. It was built in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabel as a hospital for sick pilgrims. It is huge and there are 4 inner courtyards that the building is built around. We have to walk through 2 to get to our room. Since it was originally built for the benefit of pilgrims they still offer a free meal to the first 10 pilgrims who arrive there everyday.

Post wandering I went to the bar to meet with my parents, my "aunt and uncle" (not by blood but by friendship) and to have a drink and snack. It was so nice to meet up with my Dad, see Aunt Judy and Uncle Mark and be done walking. For dinner we had 9pm reservations and ended at 11:30 and I didn't fall asleep. It's the little things you know. Tomorrow we have a day just to rest and explore Santiago.