19 August - Day 24 - Santiago de Compostela

- August 25, 2022

No need to get up early. Kim was aiming for a run, but a sleep-in was too compelling.

Small breakfast of coffee and homemade yogurt. Goes well with raspberries and blueberries we bought last night.

Check out at 10am and as we leave we bump into hosts Samuel and Maria. It’s always lovely to meet our Airbnb hosts. They used to rent the apartment to students but they didn’t look after it. Kicked them out, renovated and converted to the Airbnb with 3 double rooms, shared bathroom and kitchen all within a short walk to the old town and cathedral. They think they will make more money over the tourist season than they would for the year from students.

Head to our next Airbnb to drop off our bags. We couldn't get 2 nights in the same place. The walk back to the old town is a little further but we go through one of the city parks and enjoy the sculptures and the view of the cathedral.

Our light breakfast has not satiated us. Kim spots the pastel del nata bakery she found online. Straight in for one with a coffee. We sit down next to 2 pilgrims who are talking softly and we think they are Irish. Turns out they are from Derry. Spend the next hour chatting away like old friends and sharing our camino experiences. We don’t really want to leave but we have lunch plans in a restaurant next to the local Mercado.

We arrive early for lunch so we roam the Mercado checking out the local produce.

All looks amazing. Decide to sample more jamon and cheese as a pre lunch treat as we sip wine from the Vinoteca and people watch.

Time for lunch. It’s a Michelin star Kim found while researching our trip. It’s only 1:30pm so we get the pick of the seats. Sit at the window outside but looks inside so we get to enjoy the cool tunes coming from the kitchen, watch the chefs make gastronomic magic and people watch. The head waiter has great English and talks us through the 7 course degustation. All produce fresh from the Mercado and all are local dishes but with a twist. It’s the perfect ending to our journey.

Sardine filled puff ball

Raw tuna with tomatoes and creme freshe

Tandoori carrot

Steamed skate wing

Slow cooked beef

Raspberry foam with hibiscus cream

Spicy chocolate mouse

Well satisfied we stroll back to the cathedral plaza to people watch. It seems less crowded than yesterday but still with a steady flow of pilgrims entering the plaza and ending their journey. Lots of hugs, high fives and different photo poses which are a delight to watch. I am hoping to see some of the people we have met on the way arrive to celebrate with them.

I decide to check out the cathederal museum but Kim doesn’t so we agree to meet down the steps from the plaza. Kim wanders the old towns streets enjoying the atmosphere.

Leaving the museum I see Richard and Gesa. They had arrived 10 mins earlier, and were sat on the plaza cobbles contemplating their achievement. They met on the third day of their journey and have walked together since. We met them in our first week and continued to bump into them every few days as they walk long days and our bus journeys catch us up. Richard looks up at the cathederal and asks rhetorically "So this is what it's all about, is it?"

Showing off their pilgrim passports.

I find Kim and we head to a local bar with our friends for celebratory beers and tapas. We share our Camino experiences, our histories and future plans. Talk and drink the evening away. It’s a lot of fun. We hope they come to visit us in Australia and maybe next year we will see when on our next European adventure.