21km today – again 15 miles – everything happened today – lots of lots of rain, up and down – again and other 25 hills or so and non stop talking. I know because I count constantly!

Today, we meet some Danes, a mother and son traveling together after what sounded like a tough year so this was a good way to start fresh.

This is the entrance and from here it is about another 2-3 hours before your actually arrive into the cathedral plaza.

Excited on this last day

The story is you must go in to the square and touch the shell and complete the pilgrimage. –

you must submit your card which has queues of about 2 hours to get your certificate of  completion stamped and then you get you pilgrims certificate .

The certificate is written in Latin and if they can your name will be in Latin.  In 1980, about 200 pilgrims received certificates, in 1986 about 2500 , in 2009, about 100,000 and now and also because of the movie  The Way just under 300,000 will receive their pilgrims certificates.

The English translation of the text is as follows:

The Chapter of this Holy Apostolic and Metropolitan Cathedral of Compostela, custodian of the seal of the Altar of St. James, to all the Faithful and pilgrims who arrive from anywhere on the Orb of the Earth with an attitude of devotion or because of a vow or promise make a pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Apostle, Our Patron Saint and Protector of Spain, recognises before all who observe this document that: …………… has devotedly visited this most sacred temple with Christian sentiment (pietatis causa).

In witness whereof I present this document endorsed with the seal of this same Holy Church.

Issued in Santiago de Compostela on ……… of …………… year of our Lord ……….Deputy Canon for Pilgrims.

Our celebration:

After you receive you certificates, pilgrims will go to mass and see the special ceremony where they incense the altar with a mass silver urn and about 10 men flinging it back and forth through the nave – I have a shorty clip only.  It is quite riveting and very emotional for many who come down.  Just an extraordinary part if the pilgrims tradition.