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In: Spain

That was it—the final stretch. The ride, as I’d hoped, wasn’t too tough. There were constant ups and downs, but nothing “criminal,” as one of my colleagues used to say. The only place of interest along the way—at least for me—was Melide. It’s well inland but known for its pulpo a la gallega (Galician octopus). I wanted to try it, but I was passing through town too early in the morning. Surprisingly, one of the well-rated restaurants specializing in it was open, and I got exactly what I wanted—at 9:05 a.m. Breakfast of champions? Maybe not, but it kept me going the rest of the way.


I arrived in Santiago relatively early. Since my hostel was conveniently right on the route, I dropped my bags off before continuing to the main attraction: the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Although it was still early afternoon, Praza do Obradoiro was already packed with pilgrims. All of a sudden there was a bunch of cyclists as well—I guess we’d been riding in parallel universes until we merged at the finish line. I snapped the requisite photo, got my credentials stamped, and received my certificate of completion. My first name was spelled “Inguarum,” supposedly the Latin version. Sure, let’s go with that.

Once that was done, I returned to the hostel to pack away Greengo. Since we’re flying tomorrow, I picked up some cardboard for protection and packed everything into into the trusty Dimpa bagbuy. Fingers crossed it’ll be enough to keep Greengo safe.
Later that evening, I returned to the city center to visit the cathedral again. Yes, I’d already been there twice, but it had been more than ten years, so it was time for a refresher. I have to admit—the cathedral is impressively ornate, both inside and out. I arrived just in time for the pilgrim’s mass, but since I’m neither Catholic nor particularly religious, I didn’t stay. I had a beer instead. Divine in its own way.

Today in numbers:

80 km – distance cycled
~31 000 — tonnes of octopus imported to Galicia yearly
43 AD — The Apostle Saint James the Elder became a martyr by being beheaded by Herod Agrippa
1075 AD — start of the construction of the Romanesque Cathedral