Where in the world is David today? The outskirts of Santiago de Compostela

As promised, today’s entry is to be shorter and with fewer pictures – and I have sadly had to go out and find a cafe with WiFi to post it while drinking a glass of their Rioja! Meanwhile Argentina are shredding Korea in the World Cup on TV.

There was still plenty of up and down in today’s ride – the first 17km were definitely hilly, and the last 12km still held their surprises – but it was basically straightforward, uneventful and enjoyable after all that gone before. Certainly one of those days when I was the fastest cyclist on the road rather than wishing I had mountain bike gears. I was in no rush to leave Melide because I didn’t want to arrive outside Santiago de Compostela ridiculously early, and because it had not been easy to get to sleep last night. The downside of the temporary albergue arrangement in Melide was that the remainder of the exhibition hall that housed it was basically empty except for some tables and chairs, and therefore very reverberant. A very sizeable and very excitable group of mainly Spanish youngsters gathered there and made a lot of noise until very late – obviously they weren’t celebrating Spain’s defeat by Switzerland earlier in the day, but they don’t seem to need much excuse for making a din, and they don't need vuvuzelas to achieve it. The acoustic of the hall meant that it bounced loudly around. There was then quite a lot of noise in the dormitory when they finally decided to go to bed. At least it wasn’t an albergue where they chased you out early.

I had decided to fast till I arrived at my destination (unless riding conditions dictated otherwise), but decided that didn’t preclude me having a thick and sticky hot chocolate in a bar and sitting and reading for a couple of hours before setting off. So, I didn’t actually leave till well after 10.00am in the end, by which time the skies were clearing to a beautiful (but cloudy) blue, and it was warming up. This was the first reading I had done for entertainment on the trip, and the first time I had read a novel using Amazon’s Kindle software on my netbook. It was surprisingly easy and I found I had read almost 80% of the book by the time I left (admittedly I had started the night before). If you’re interested, it was Donna Leon’s ‘A Question of Belief’, one of her Commissario Brunetti Venetian crime novels, which I love.

Before leaving Melide I called in at the museum next to the church to get my credencial stamped, which I had failed to do yesterday, and then I was on my way. Up and down the road went, as I say, and the vegetation gradually began to change, with more pines, and then – as promised by ‘the book’ – eucalyptus (the birdsong was different too). The temperature never got too silly, and in fact I arrived here having hardly broken a sweat, in spite of the climbing. I rode right past the airport where Kate will arrive tomorrow, and stopped to photograph the statue of St James on the airport roundabout – he seems to greet even airborne pilgrims. Twenty minutes later I was at Monte de Gozo, and deciding not to stop there after all. It really didn’t look the kind of place to spend the last night of my pilgrimage. It was more like a holiday village. I had consulted the list of albergues given to me at St Jean Pied de Port, and there was another lone listed 3.5km on at the edge of Santiago, so I made for that.

It was difficult to find, to say the least. It was named after San Lazaro, so I knew it would be linked with one of the old hospices that used to look after pilgrims with leprosy, and I was looking out carefully for signs. I saw the pilgrim church/sanctuary of San Lazaro, but spotted no albergue, so I pressed on. That took me to MacDonald’s where I broke my fast, replaced a spoke which had just gone (I have that down to a fine art now), checked email, and tried to work out where to look next. My email there contained what I hoped it would – an update on our friend and former vicar when we were in Bovingdon, Tim Marshall, who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I had feared that he wouldn’t even survive till my return, but there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that he is in remarkable spirits and has even managed to preach in the last week or two. The bad news is that the cancer is inoperable, it is in his liver as well, and the prognosis is that he has a maximum of a year. What he wrote is both devastating and inspiring, and I hope it will be possible to see him or talk to him when I am back. In the meantime we can continue to pray and keep faith.

The albergue proved difficult to find. I found a private one first, but that was full, and three sets of instructions later I found the one I was looking for – a few hundred metres further back even than the little pilgrim chapel of San Lazaro, tucked behind a museum, with no sign near the roadside or visible from it! Unsurprisingly, although it had a lot of advance bookings, that one wasn’t full. Probably other people have just as much trouble finding it, or they prefer to march on and stay in town. Today’s parade of pilgrims contained an even greater proportion of the ‘tourist’ variety, marching along cheerily with either a day sack, or even just a water bottle. I managed to suppress my irritation, but of course none of them are staying here. The good news is that it is spacious, modern and clean. It even provides you with a secure locker for your stuff, and there’s no pressure to be out quickly in the morning. It is also less than two miles from my rendezvous with Kate at the hotel. Unless the weather dictates otherwise, I think I will even cycle over there in day clothes, the distance is so short. Perfect.

I was aware today that I was missing an Area Deans’ meeting – the last with Bishop Tom before he moves on to pastures new at St Andrew’s University, so I made today a day to pray for the Diocese of Durham, Bishops Tom and Mark, my fellow area deans and Stockton Deanery. For a change, there was nothing about the weather or the ride to make that impossible as I rode. I have spent much of the afternoon simply resting and reading. My first book is finished and another well under way, and I am letting my feelings about arriving simmer in the background. There is a slight sense of anti-climax, but maybe that is because the climax is still to come tomorrow and I am playing for time. There is still a sense of anticipation. There is a sense of disappointment that the burgeoning building development meant that I couldn’t glimpse the cathedral as I came downhill from Monte de Gozo. Perhaps there is also a sense that there ought to be a thrilling finish to the ride, when actually I just have to keep pressing on upwards slowly into the city.

For the moment I’ll let those thoughts and feelings simmer. Tomorrow will unfold, and we will see what it holds. The good news is that Kate got the car she’s using to come down to Stansted started, the chicken and cat care is all sorted, and she seems to have defeated the Ryanair online check-in system at last. Roll on Friday 18th June 2010! As that arrives, other things come into view – seeing friends and family at home, being able to talk to Dan's fiancee, Kitty, and congratulate her on becoming Dr Evans, the ordinations next weekend and more besides. Tomorrow may be an important day, but it isn’t the end of the bigger Camino.