The End has been Reached!!
Total Miles Walked 522 miles
Days of Walking 37
Rest Days 4
Average Miles/Day 14.1
Total Elevation Gain Approx 55,000’
Total Downhill Walking Approx 54,100’
First I will talk a little about our last hiking day and the famous Pilgrim’s Mass at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and will complete this blog with a bit of reflection on our adventure and a few final photos.
We made it to Santiago on Monday May 16th. Heavy rains were forecast but we lucked out once again and we walked without rain until we reached the Cathedral in Santiago…then the rains started.
We started hiking at 6:30 am, no breakfast in our bellies. The pace was fast and we arrived long before the noon mass. The seating fills up by 11:15 and then it is standing room only. We were told that the cutoff is 700 people. After mass we took finish celebration photos in the large plaza in front of the cathedral, and reconnected with several friends we had met along the Caminos.
Then to a local cafe for celebratory expresso coffees.
Bill and his famous one-leg-stand!
Scot and Terry at the official spot marking the end of the various Caminos in front of the Cathedral.
One of the highlights of the Pilgrim’s Mass is the Botafumeiro, an immense incense burner that is swung from a large rope, going in a large arc from side to side in the cathedral.
Here is some information that I located online about the Botafumeiro:
The Botafumeiro is suspended from a pulley mechanism in the dome on the roof of the church. The current pulley mechanism was installed in 1604.
The present Botafumeiro is made of an alloy of brass and bronze and is plated by a very thin 20-micrometre layer of silver. The current Botafumeiro was created by the gold and silversmith José Losada in 1851. It has a golden sheen.
The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is one of the largest censers in the world,[2] weighing 175 pounds and measuring over 5 feet in height. It is normally on display in the library of the cathedral,[4][5] but for certain important religious occasions, it is brought to the floor of the cathedral and attached to a rope hung from the pulley mechanism.
There is another large thurible used in the other masses carried out in the cathedral, called La Alcachofa (literally, 'the Artichoke')[6] or La Repollo (literally, 'the Cabbage').[7] La Alcachofa is a silver-colored metal censer. It was created in 1971 by the sacred art artisans working under the craftsman Luis Molina Acedo.
The ropes typically last about 20 years before they have to be replaced.
The censer is pushed initially to start its motion. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros pull the ropes, producing increasingly large oscillations of the censer. The thurible's swings almost reach the ceiling of the transept. The incensory can reach speeds of 68 km/h as it dispenses thick clouds of incense.
At the top of the swing, the Botafumeiro reaches heights of 70 feet. It swings in a 215-meter arc between the Azabachería and Praterias doorways at the ends of the transept. The maximum angle achieved is about 82°. The maximum can be reached after about 17 cycles, and requires about 80 seconds of swinging.
One tradition has it that the use of a swinging censer in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral began in the 11th century.[18] Arriving pilgrims were tired and unwashed. It was also believed that incense smoke had a prophylactic effect at the time of plagues and epidemics. Incense burning is also an important part of the liturgy, being an "oration to God", or form of prayer.
Here is a video I took during the mass of the Botafumeiro. I hope you are able to view it! In case the video fails, I have attached a few still photos as well.
The Botafumeiro in full swing
The start of the swinging
The Botafumeiro being hoisted by the 8 guys on the left just after it was ignited
Winding down
The people we met along the path were one of the highlights of hiking a Camino, just as they were for us three years ago. On the Camino del Norte and the Camino Primitivo, Scot and I met folks from a total of 29 different countries. A few we met only for a brief conversation and never saw then again. But many others, we saw on and out for many days or even a few we saw from almost beginning to end.
The pilgrims you encounter and interact with along the paths create a type of spiritual experience; so many stories, so much life history, so many hopes and dreams. We met people of all ages, the youngest being 19 and the oldest was Patrick from Scotland at 76. We just learned last evening that Patrick is Catholic Priest. He was hesitant to share that bit of information as he wanted people to enjoy him as they saw him and not as somehow connected to the history of abuse in the Catholic Church.
Here are a few photos of just a few of the pilgrims we met:
A couple from South Korea. Language was a barrier so we never learned their names, but they were so excited to see us each time we met.
Patrick in the middle from Scotland, and Daniel and his father Willy, oyster farmers from Ireland.
Bill with Maurice (pronounced Morris), who is from Ireland
Pete and Andrew from Michigan.
Elaine and Chris from North Carolina
Wendy, the opera singer form the Netherlands
And many, many more with whom we shared the trail, shared drinks, shared meals, and shared laughs. Nynke, Paige, Eric, Amanda, Big Al, Ryan, George. The list goes on and on.
A big “Thank You” to all of you!!
Another reflection of our trip is the ocean and the coast along the northern part of Spain. The awesome, raw beauty was unexpected.
A few experiences that stand out are the mud which seemed endless at times, the smells of farms and barnyards and forests and ocean, the vary of paths that our feet managed to navigate, the late night dinners, the endless bread and French fries, the tap-tap of trekking poles, and great coffee and cold beers!
On a final note, any adventure like this ends with conflicting emotions. I know that the phenomena of “Retrospective Glorification” will soon kick in. That is the process by which you slowly forget the difficult moments and the tough times, and eventually you remember and talk about only the great times and wonderful memories.
Yet on some level I know that things are changing for me. In the last 36 months I have completed what for me are three “Mega Adventures”. In 2019 I did the Camino Frances, starting in France and hiking and biking to Santiago, Spain…a total of almost 600 miles. In the summer of 2021 I did a backpacking thru-hike of the Colorado Trail…480 miles. Now this hiking trip of 520 miles.
Such trips are demanding and require extended time away from family and friends and home. The planning piece is complex and time consuming as well. Travel is not easy these days with canceled flights, a maze of Covid rules, and world wide staff and employee shortages. Plus I should mention that I will turn 72 in a few months.
How many more trips will there be? How long can my body hike the long miles and sleep in a different bed every night for weeks on end? Will this be my last long hike? My last long trip?
Of course none of us can know the answers to these questions or other like these.
Others have reflected on these emotions more wisely than I. Here are the thoughts of Victor Hugo:
Nothing can be sadder or more profound than to see a thousand things for the first and last time.
…….but……….I just heard about a new, recently opened hike across the country of Bhutan that follows a centuries old path from east to west…………..
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