July 7, 2013. Walking Day 31. The Final Day.
The forecast was for another hot day. There was also rumors of 800-1000 pilgrims verging in on Santiago to attend the special Sunday Mass. So we arose at 4:30am in order to arrive there and beat heat and the crowds.
The walk was fairly easy and the only frustration was there were no cafes open to get breakfast! We ended up covering 10kms before we had our morning coffee!
Having walked and biked into Santiago before, I knew the entrance would be anticlimactic. It was actually kind of sad, knowing the time with "the Fellowship of the Camino" was coming to an end.
In an effort to have a positive closure to the relationships we had made with many people over the last 4 weeks, our group organized a gathering in front of the Cathedral at 6:30pm. About 100 people showed up for last photos, hi5's and goodbyes. It was a good ending. Then we all broke off into smaller groups for drinks and dinner.
That night we opted out of the Albergue and rented a small apartment. It was REALLY nice and just a short distance from the Cathedral. For the first time in a month I slept with sheets and had a real cotton towel! All in all, a good way to end the Camino.