Day 31 (6/11) Segovia day trip / last night in Madrid

On our last full day, we boarded a bus and took a 1 hr 20 minute drive to Segovia. This day trip took the place of the Toledo day trip in 2024, and of the two, I think I prefer Segovia, but both are interesting and worth visiting for different reasons.

The most notable thing about Segovia is the Roman aqueduct. From UNESCO:

Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct:

The Roman aqueduct of Segovia, probably built c. A.D. 50, is remarkably well preserved. This impressive construction, with its two tiers of arches, forms part of the setting of the magnificent historic city of Segovia. Other important monuments include the Alcázar, begun around the 11th century, and the 16th-century Gothic cathedral.

We met Letitia, our tour guide, who gave us a 2-hour tour of the city and provided valuable history and context for the aqueduct, the cathedral, the historical Jewish quarter, and the castle.

Also from UNESCO:
Segovia is symbolic of a complex, historical reality. Its neighborhoods, streets, and houses are laid out in accordance with a social structure in which hierarchy was organized and dominated by belonging to one of the different cultural communities. Moors, Christians, and Jews coexisted for a long period of time in the medieval city and worked together during the 16th century manufacturing boom. The evidence of this cultural process can be seen in the large number of outstanding monuments in the city, among which, the Roman Aqueduct stands out. Other important monuments can be found in the property: the Alcázar, begun around the 11th century; several Romanesque churches; noble palaces from 15th and 16th centuries; the 16th-century Gothic cathedral, the last to be built in Spain in this style; and the Segovia Mint, the oldest industrial building still existing in Spain.

After the tour, we had an impromptu group lunch at Restaurante El Fogón Sefardí--it ended up being one of the most delicious and memorable group meals of the trip! Strongly recommend for future visits.

I should add that Cory didn't join us on this day trip because he had been invited to give a talk at la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Centro de Tecnología Biomédica) about his research related to capturing and enhancing memories made in the real world using deep brain implants and wearable sensors. At some point, I'll turn the blog over to Cory to give a more detailed explanation of his research and his day in Madrid.

We returned from Segovia just before 5PM. Cory and I raced over to la Reina Sofia to tour the museum (unfortunately, another speed tour but totally worth it). Interestingly enough, in 2024, I preferred the Prado, but this year, I definitely preferred La Reina Sofia. The temporary exhibitions were especially interesting. In particular:

Felix Gonzalez-Torres
Sweet Revenge

AURÈLIA MUÑOZ

Beings

Plus the Dali works are always fascinating, as are the process-oriented artifacts that chronicle Picasso's creative process related to La Guernica. 

We met with the group at 6:30 to officially close out the program and thank everyone. Thank you all, for a wonderful experience together. I am proud of this group and what we accomplished and learned as a team.

After saying goodbyes, Cory and I went back to La Reina Sofia to see the last floor of contemporary art, and then we joined folks at the Mercado de San Miguel for more tapas before heading over to a local watering hole to watch the first game of the World Cup. Viva el Tri! 

We closed out the evening with gratitude and appreciation for good community, good food, and an overall amazingly profound and unique experience that we will all cherish for a very long time.

A special thank you to Cory for being a wonderful partner and companion. I love doing life with you. Thank you for being so supportive of me and these experiences.

Day 30 (6/10) Santiago de Compostela to Madrid

After two very full days in/near SdD, it was time to return to Madrid. We hopped the last of our high-speed trains for a 3.5 hour ride back to Madrid, where we had a minor amount of faffing navigating the transfer process on the Cercanias lines. I should really write a blog post about navigating the Cercanias rail system for future programs, as it is also the system that folks used/will use to get to and from the airport if they opt for public transportation in lieu of a cab. A blog post for another day.

Anyway, we got into Madrid and checked into the hotel around...4ish? Some folks immediately set out to shop while others—myself and Cory included—opted for the Prado museum. Worth noting is that students under 25 get into the Prado and La Reina Sofia for free! Despite being an active undergraduate student, I **do not** look 25 and had to fork out the 15 euro entrance fee, but it was worth it. Cory and I had limited time so we had to do a speed-run of sorts through the Prado—which is not the ideal way to tour the Prado—but we got to see most of what we wanted to see.

I did a blog post on the Prado in 2024 that is probably worth a revisit if you want to know more about the works hosted in the museum.

Still a fan of Goya’s dark paintings. More of a fan of Valasquez. Bummed I didn’t get to see the Bosch.

From the Prado, we hightailed it to Tablao Flamenco 1911 for dinner and a flamenco show. Apparently, we did the flamenco show at the beginning of the 2024 trip.

But it felt right to close out our 2026 program with a really solid performance. The Tablao Flamenco 1911 institution is allegedly the world’s oldest flamenco show (so it claims) but I’m wondering if they mean oldest contiguously running flamenco show (or something like that) as it originated in Andalusia during the 18th century...

I mean, whatever. It was a good show. The musical accompaniment was 10/10. My favorite was the percussion box (and the person playing it), but all of the musicians were super talented and genuinely seemed to have a great time playing with each other and with the dancers.

There were 3 featured dancers:

• “El Yiyo”
• Cynthia Cano
• and...a mystery. I couldn’t identify the other dancer from the website, but she was also exceptionally talented.

You can learn more about Tablao Flamenco 1911 from their website.

And here’s a little more about the history of flamenco—I changed “gypsy” to Romani but all other language is directly from the website: https://www.elduendebarcelona.com/blog-about-flamenco/flamenco

The origins of flamenco: multicultural roots

Flamenco emerged in Andalusia, a region that for centuries was a melting pot of cultures. Its origins date back to the confluence of Arab, Jewish, Romani, and Christian influences that coexisted in the southern Iberian Peninsula. This cultural diversity became fertile ground for the birth of an artistic expression as complex as it is emotional.

Romani Influence: The Romani people, who arrived in Spain in the 15th century, brought with them intense music full of passion and emotion. Their oral culture and itinerant lifestyle played a fundamental role in the formation of flamenco.

Arab Influence: The Muslim occupation of the Iberian Peninsula left an indelible legacy in Andalusian music. Melodic scales, hypnotic rhythms, and the use of instruments like the guitar have roots in this tradition.

Jewish and Moorish Influence: Sephardic melodies and chants from the Moors contributed to flamenco's distinctive melancholic and spiritual tone.

Flamenco is, therefore, the result of a rich blend of cultures and a historical context marked by coexistence and struggle. This "art of minorities" found in the voice, body, and guitar a way to express joys, sorrows, struggles, and hopes.

After the show, folks were free to do whatever. Cory and I had to return to the hotel to hit some work deadlines, but we eventually rallied and met Jeff and Aaron at el Mercado de San Miguel, where we met Arturo and his wife (whose name I can’t remember—I’m so sorry!), who are from Yucatán in Mexico. We spent over an hour talking to them and learning about good adventure and cultural destinations in Mexico. As a result of their kindness and friendship, I have adopted Mexico as my secondary team for the Copa Mundial 2026 (behind the USA) and am currently wearing the Mexico futbol jersey I bought in the Plaza Mayor on the night that Mexico won its first game in pool play. I’m going all in on Mexico. I’ve spent at least an hour on this flight reading up on the team (El Tri), its World Cup history, and its current roster.

Day 29 (6/9) Pontevedra Beach Day

Man, this beach day felt **very earned** after 26 days on the Camino and more than 360 miles. I’ll do a separate post of “Camino by the Numbers” as well as some advice for future programs, but more on that later.

After a fun day and night in Santiago de Compostela, we took a train to Pontevedra and then boarded a bus to visit a small, secluded beach called Playa de Agueta (locally: Praia de Aguete). We essentially had the beach to ourselves for the first two hours; it was a little chilly in the morning (we left Santiago de Compostela when it was about 60 degrees), but it warmed up to the mid-seventies by the time we’d settled on the beach. The Atlantic is pretty cold most of the time, so while a few folks were brave enough to spend sustained time in the water, most folks sort of did the “get-in-to-hip-level” ocean dips and spent more time walking the beach, playing hackey sack and kicking a ball around, competing in beach foot-races, and enjoying snacks from the beachside restaurant. We ordered delivery pizza and desserts and reveled in what was truly a day of rest and relaxation after physically working very, very hard for nearly a month.

For the record, Cory beat me in the footrace, but I will beat him before I leave this mortal coil.

Huge shoutout to Angela (Spanish TA) for her efforts in coordinating the beach day and meals. It’s behind-the-scenes work that can be incredibly stressful, and Angela did it beautifully and without complaint. Thank you, thank you!

A bit of a bummer that we didn’t get to explore more of Pontevedra proper before we departed, but it was a near-perfect beach day nonetheless.

We returned to Santiago de Compostela just in time for a mad dash to our last official group dinner. It was incredibly difficult to find a place in SdC that could reserve a space for a large group, but El Rincon Asturiano told us they’d open early(ish) at 7, and we could take our chances since most Spaniards don’t eat dinner that early. We rolled in, and in a true Camino miracle, we were able to all get sat; Angela and I put together a fixed menu of a bunch of raciones for the group to have family style, which included:

• -tortilla española
• -sardines
• -olives
• -ensaladilla (it’s like a potato salad)
• -morcilla (it’s a blood sausage dish that I love, but it’s an acquired taste)
• -shishito peppers (or maybe they’re not shishito but very similar)
• -croquettas

After dinner, folks went their separate ways to shop, find more food/drink, or listen to music. We enjoyed the musical stylings of a solo violinist and returned for another night of Tuna entertainment.

Boarding the train

Creepy babies of the Camino

Interesting ice cream in Spain

Taking a break from the beach for pizza delivery

Excellent beach day

Ben is making a couch

Beautiful beach

Having a great day at the beach

View of the restaurant

Perfect beach day

Day 28 (6/8) O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

The final walk!

While the group left O Pedrouzo in various stages, it is a program tradition to enter the plaza together as a group. The first part of the walk is beautiful forest, but after that it's pretty industrial.

We met up with the group about half a mile from the Cathedral plaza in Santiago while waiting on the rest of the group to arrive; once we were complete, we walked together as a large group into the Cathedral plaza, serenaded by bagpipes, and celebrated the completion of a very long and difficult (and rewarding) journey. It was overcast in the plaza, and it even rained briefly; I will note that the vibe was a little more subdued than in 2024; nevertheless, it was still an incredibly meaningful moment.

There were hugs, photos, smiles, and sighs of exhaustion. What a great feeling of community and accomplishment.

After spending some time in the plaza, we went to get our Compostela from the Pilgrim's office and then had a few hours to relax and have dinner before meeting up as a large group to tour the tomb of Saint James (in the cathedral) and attend the Pilgrim's mass. There was a new translation service this year, so it was great to be able to attend the mass and understand what was being shared.

After mass, folks could gallivant however they pleased, but we encouraged folks to return to the plaza around 9:30 to be serenaded by the Tunas!

https://tunaderechosantiago.com/

Según la historiografía local, los orígenes de la Tuna de Derecho de Santiago de Compostela se sitúan, sin duda alguna, entre el Mesozoico y la segunda mitad del siglo XX, producto de la inhalación excesiva de "gas ribeiro" por una docena y media de jóvenes estudiantes cuya principal pasión era causar infartos entre el personal docente y tañer extrañas y originales cítaras importadas del lejano Cipango.

Poorly translated by Google:

According to local historiography, the origins of the Law School Tuna of Santiago de Compostela are undoubtedly situated between the Mesozoic era and the second half of the 20th century, a product of the excessive inhalation of "ribeiro gas" by a dozen and a half young students whose main passion was to cause heart attacks among the teaching staff and to play strange and original zithers imported from distant Cipango.

Ha! Clearly a group that appreciates a good tongue-in-cheek historical account. They are very talented musicians and entertainers. From what I understand, it's a group of folks from the Faculty of Law (and maybe now some older students, as well?).

They always put on a good show. Good music, singing, some dancing, and some laughs. A wonderful close to a fulfilling day.

Forest walking

More forest walking

We are going to show up to Santiago de Compostela in style!

Cool silhouette. 

These markers help identify turns on the trail as well as the remaining kilometers 

One of our favorite cafe stops

Entering SdC

The city shows up for Pride

Shells marking the path

The group waiting for everyone to arrive

I think I just got clipped

Walking into the plaza

We made it!

The group in front of the cathedral

Way to go, everyone!

The faculty

The passport stamps document the journey

The official end

Waiting for our Compostelas (pilgrim credential)

Getting our credentials

Deya should be a model for Aquarius

Out in SdC

The cathedral

Lighting candles for those who are going through a tough time

The cathedral

Attending the pilgrim's mass

Inside the cathedral (Saint James in the center)

Beautiful stained glass

From Wikipedia: The famous giant incense burner at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is called the Botafumeiro, which literally means "smoke expeller" in Galician. Weighing around 53 kg (117 lbs) and measuring 1.5 meters high, it swings through the transept at speeds of up to 68 km/h to dispense thick clouds of fragrant frankincense

St. James

Cathedral at sunset

Cathedral at sunset

one of the Tunas

Faith getting courted by the Tunas

In front of the cathedral at night

Day 27 (6/7) Arzua to O Pedrouzo

Written on 6/10/Finished on 6/12

This feels like another somewhat nondescript day; leaving Arzua is not the prettiest of walks--it's like...a lot of car exhaust, crossing intersections, and feeling nostalgic for fields of wildflowers and covered forest paths.

Today was a rare sleep-in day, so we had a late start after breakfast (on trail around 9:30) and were among the last to leave the hotel. Cory and I mostly walked by ourselves today. Upon arriving in the outskirts of O Pedrouzo, we checked in with the hospitalera, Carmen, and ventured into town because they were hosting some sort of festival--I'm still not clear what was being celebrated (Corpus Cristi?) and it was relatively low-key, but it was worth the side-quest. O Pedrouzo marks the penultimate walk/stop before arriving in Santiago de Compostella.

I got to dress like Big Jim!

Deya (dressed like Big Jim) and Faith

A scene from the festival

Jeff, Kellie, and Cory at the festival

Lots of tall chickens in this region of Spain

Distance signage

Having a nice walk

Note the double knee braces and ankle brace. . .