One Pilgrim's Progress: Lessons from the Camino  
              by Jo Paluzzi
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The Templar Castle (12th century). (Castillo de los Templarios)
Iglesia de San Andrés, Ponferrada.
The Wall of Ham in Ponferrada
"Porto do Camino" sign on the side of the building but it is lost in the mess of ads and signage.
Medieval Fair in full swing the day I arrived to Santiago.
Pilgrims gather for the post-Camino mass and the tradition of touching Santiago's statue.
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Bagpiper serenaded pilgrims into the plaza. A reminder of the ancient Gaelic presence here.
Iglesia de San Fructuoso (just off the main plaza, Santiago. San Fructuoso
The Botafumeiro (incense burner) is one of the largest in the world. It is only used on special occasions.
This pilgrim mass turned out to also be a mass in honor of the local police force...very lucky for me!
Three men preparing to swing the Botafumeiro.
Now starting to swing, the gold Botafumeiro is in the center/left.
Pazo de Roxai, the Municipal building in Santiago. Photo taken from the entrance of the Cathedral.
Me in front of the Cathedral of Santiago.
The first really clear thought I had [after arriving at the Cathedral of Santiago] was that there had to be SOMETHING to mark the end of this journey or else we would have all continued westward and, like lemmings, marched into the sea, so this was as good as any. And then- true enlightenment- it had never been about traveling hundreds of miles to see another church (as impressive as it is) it was (and will always be) for me about the journey.  It is about the opportunity it has given me to leave all of  the negative events and emotions that I have experienced over the last few years on one side as I crossed over the personal river that this journey will always represent for me. 

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