August 28, 2018
Last week I saw a postcard of a 2-Pilgrim Statue. When I came back to Santiago de Compostela from Finisterre, I inquired about its location. It turns out it is near a monument we walked by when we walked into Santiago. Unfortunately, it was set far enough from the road that we didn't see it. That area is called the Memorial to the Pilgrim.
The hotel staff recommended taking a taxi but I resolved to walk there. It was over six kilometers from the hotel so I got up like I normally did while I was walking the Camino de Santiago. The only difference was that I did not have to wear a backpack and I had to wear my Chaco sandals. And by the way, I have been wearing my sandals ever since I first arrived in Finisterre and left my shoes.
I also put on my poncho for the second time in Spain. There was a light drizzle and the forecast was that it would continue for a couple of hours. So I walked there hoping the clouds would break so I could get some decent photos. I wanted to get back to have a delicious breakfast at my hotel.
Unfortunately, the clouds did not break, but I took various photos. If I stood behind these two statues, I would be able to see the Cathedral. Therefore, the sculptor tried to capture the euphoria of the pilgrims when they got their first view of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. At least that is what I can sense.
And if you haven’t guessed, the photo I am sharing in this post is of those two statues.
I made it back to my hotel for breakfast with 30 minutes to spare. But I will confess that it felt good to be walking on the Camino again. And there is a little sadness knowing tonight is my last night in Santiago. I can’t stop saying that this was an incredible experience. I am grateful to the Bernhardt Wealth Management team because without them attending to the clients and office, I would not have been able to do this. I still can’t believe that I left the office on July 17th and my first day back in the office will be September 4th which means I will be out for seven weeks. WOW!
I also finally made my way to the Cathedral to hug the statue of St. James and to see his tomb. And as you can guess, I did more walking around the city. I also bought a Santiago Cake to take back to the office.
Thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement!
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See additional photos from August 28th below:
Brief descriptions of the photos:
This photo is the Monument to the Pilgrim next to Monte de Gozo. Unfortunately, the sky is overcast but you can still see the Cathedral in the distance and slightly to the left of the front pilgrim.
This photo is the Monument to the Pilgrim next to Monte de Gozo. Unfortunately, the sky is overcast.
This photo is the Monument to the Pilgrim next to Monte de Gozo. Unfortunately, the sky is overcast.
This photo is the Monument to the Pilgrim next to Monte de Gozo. Unfortunately, the sky is overcast.
This photo is the Monument to the Pilgrim next to Monte de Gozo. Unfortunately, the sky is overcast.
This is the pilgrim monument at Monte de Gozo.
This is the pilgrim monument at Monte de Gozo.
This is a view of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela from near Monte de Gozo.
This is a photo of the golden statue of Santiago (St. James). There is a small staircase behind it and to the side that pilgrims will climb. Most pilgrims give the statue a hug from behind and place their head on its shoulder. That is exactly what I did.
This is a photo sculptures that are above the golden statue of Santiago in the Cathedral.
This is another photo of the botafumeiro inside the Cathedral.