Day 39 – Santiago de Compostela

My final day here in Santiago was very relaxing and enjoyable.

In the morning I visited the traditional market in the old town. It is an amazing complex of 8 stone buildings that house stalls for the vendors of bread, fruit, vegetables, flowers and seafood. For those of you who are familiar with Findlay Market in Cincinnati, or the market in Indianapolis, the Santiago market is several times larger.

I meandered around the old town a bit, and stumbled on a Buddy Holly type rock-a-billy band. I’ve included a brief video clip below. These guys looked and sounded like they were right out of Nashville. When they took a break, I introduced myself and learned that all members of the threesome are from Barcelona, but they have played in the US recently. Really nice to hear some music that is distinctly American in this old city.

The rest of the day was spent eating lunch at a great tapas restaurant, doing a little shopping, and having dinner with a group of pilgrims that I became close to over the past 6 weeks…Rosemarie, Felix and Hans.

After months of planning and execution, I can hardly believe I’ve come to the end of my Camino. I have to admit that I’m filled with mixed emotions…great joy and satisfaction, but also a touch of sadness that the journey is over. My “Camino Sensei”, Tom V. has reminded me along the way, that done properly, the Camino continues beyond the actual trail in Spain. I understand that better now, and hope to keep the spirit of the Camino alive as I return to the real world.