Santiago.

Coming down off the eucalyptus plantations I saw two peregrinos returning home the old way! One solo, to Italy, on the Camino del Norte and another with his dog (he wasn't conversational), but it was lovely to see their dedication...

Then on the final few kilometres the old war wound was making its presence felt - shooting left foot pain - so I slowed down... Then I saw a Jay playing amongst the wood shavings so my mind went elsewhere for a moment: charming to see.

***

After I'd checked into the Last Stamp hostel (top floor private €38 - very low ceiling, but a comfortable double bed) I went and ate caldo and chipirones accompanied by a couple of glasses of local vino(Rias Baixas and Rebeiro Sacra) in La Tita (a very popular, but small, eatery) then sought beer. A couple of Imperial Stouts later I was weeping at the futility of O Camiño.

***

On only two occasions was I approached by people to beg money from me. Once, outside the cathedral, and just now in the bus station. It's the other world coming out of the woodwork: back in a large city...

In 2013 there was an old guy in the plaza outside the cathedral trying to flog CDs of a performance of his and then there was the old guy, dressed like a medieval peregrino, who I saw all over the place: I guess they are both long gone now

What got me last time was the multitude of people queuing up outside the pilgrims office and in the plaza outside the cathedral: it was bonkers. They've moved the pilgrims office now (I didn't visit) and in the morning there wasn't a soul in the plaza.

Ten years later the bus station is huge, next to the adif train station. As I am waiting an ALSA bus pulls in on its route to A Coruña arriving from the port city to the west of Malaga: Algeciras(which is just about as far away from Santiago as you can be in Spain, nearly)

Saturday morning and all the youths who were out revelling are waiting for the bus home. Most of them look truly wasted and I was usually like that in my 20s, but look at me know heading to Muxía to walk to Fisterra on Sunday morning...

I've definitely got to cook all the groceries I've been carrying since Villafranca del Bierzo so wherever I stay must have a fully equipped kitchen.

At the signpost for Santiago de Compostela I dropped this mobile phone and it cracked the screen. That's the first time a Spigen case hasn't protected it! It was definitely a subtle warning about leaving Spain behind and entering another world entirely - I listened. I didn't let Santiago carry me away...