Santiago de Compostela

By the time we reached Santiago, we were hungry enough for a menú del día.

Josh: Croquetas de baccalao (white fish with béchamel sauce, lightly breaded and fried), pollo asado con ajillo y tomate (roasted chicken with garlic and tomato), flan Me: cocido de calamares (squid stew), tiburón a la plancha (grilled hake), flan For an idea of how much food that was, the portions were about double what you’d get in an American restaurant.

Overstuffed, we visited the Cathedral and met a trio of peregrinos outside. They had started the Camindo de Santiago at different points (one 6 weeks prior from Alicante) but met on the trail. One of the guys showed us his walking stick, which he has carried with him on each walk he’s taken since 2000. He said he only needs three things for his annual trip: walking boots, walking stick and credit card. More than 100,000 pilgrims finish their walks in Santiago each year. We entered the cathedral — less crowded than when I had visited — and were able to walk all the way around, go up into the Altar Mayor to touch the 13th century statue of St. James and view his tomb (“He was tiny!” –Josh).