The symbol of the Camino is the scallop shell. It started back in the day as a way for pilgrims to prove they made it to Santiago (which isn’t on the ocean, but whatever). It’s also a nice symbol to show that all Caminos (there are lots in Spain, and many throughout Europe) lead to Santiago.

Most peregrinos, including me, put a shell on our bags to show we’re pilgrims, which is pretty funny, because we so clearly are, and you especially feel this way when you walk into a big city. Anyway, you can see mine dangling in this vid:

I somehow lost mine whilst walking, though, so I took part in the old tradition and claimed the first shell I found on the beach in Finisterre:

I stayed in Finisterre for a few days after I was finished & found a great restaurant there, Meridiano Cero, owned & helmed by an amazing human named, coincidentally, Santiago. Here’s us doing a shot of American bourbon:

Long story short, I ended up with three more shells:

We’ll see how many I can successfully get back to the States.