Firstly, Happy birthday Andrea!
It was a misty start in Portomarin with quite a strong headwind. Leading out of the town was quite a steep hill, I passed a pilgrim pushing her bike up the hill.
The terrain now has many hills and the countryside is like that of England in summer (just better roads). It’s very beautiful but I do really not like the hills. Steep hills are followed by steep descents but immediately another steep ascent. Accompanied by the strong headwind this was one of the hardest days rides, and of all days! Maybe I was struggling because I was pushing hard to get to Santiago, I don’t know, I just found it incredibly difficult.
This didn’t really let up, and continued throughout the rest of the day. Apart from getting slightly lost around Santiago airport (thank you GPS for sorting that out) I managed to get to Santiago fine and got my bearings from when I was here before.
I handed in my credencial at the pilgrims office and got my certificate. It’s all in Latin, including my name. So I’ve now officially completed the Camino De Santiago. Now to buy a t-shirt!
I love Santiago, I think it’s a beautiful city. Well worth a visit if ever you get the opportunity!
My girlfriend is coming to spend a week with me on the 16
th so I’ve got a week to wash clothes, maintain the bike, and chill out. Was going to celebrate my arrival tonight but I’m just so tired. I’ll leave it until tomorrow night. There will probably be more going on on a Friday night.
I’ve been spoilt over the last few days with some very nice hotels. I’m back in the campsite now, I’m happy here, and it’s a lot cheaper.