A Quiet Moment in Santiago

Near the end of your Camino, there are two special moments. The first came for us, 7.5 km. from the end, as we were on the outskirts of Santiago and we got our first glimpse of the cathedral. As we had been walking for twelve days, seeing our destination in sight was a truly emotional moment. The second special moment, and the most important one, is when you finally enter the Praza de Obradoiro and get to look up upon the cathedral in all its glory now immediately in front of you. The cathedral itself seems to welcome the pilgrim and reward him for the journey. Mid-day is very busy around the cathedral square. However, as you can see from this photo of the Pazo de Raxoi on the west side of the plaza directly across from the cathedral’s main entrance, if you stroll around early in the morning, as we did, there is a much greater sense of serenity that only lasts a short while before the city awakens and becomes animated once again for another day of arrivals.