Santiago de Compostela
Amy and Ken are leaving this morning. Andre and Tina driving them to Vigo for their flight to Madrid.
Joana and I headed out right after breakfast to the farmers market. Who knew that contrary to other markets, this is a lazy start one. Even at 9:30 some vendors were just starting to set up.
I passed on the meat and fish. Some of the fruit was from California! I opted for smoked paprika, saffron and the Galician cheese that is famously shaped like a breast called Tetilla (or Queso Tetilla / Queixo Tetilla). I’ll take a photo but we’ll eat it.. Not carrying it home.
Next stop, a real cup of coffee and pistachio cheese cake at La Garita a random cafe brewery we found.
Wandering around town until my tour time of the Portico of Glory and the cathedral museum. So many souvenir shops selling Chinese Camino paraphernalia but the fun is to find Galician or Spanish products among it all. Of course some of the ‘junk’ is fun too.
There is a Camino Shell carved on the wall of the cathedral in front of the Portico of Glory. Hard to spot unless you know to look.
Tour time. Only 10 on the tour so felt almost private. On the cloister level there is a large round bath/fountain with sides shaped like a shell. The story goes that on arrival 12 men/pilgrims took a bath in the fountain and burned the clothing that they wore on their journey. Maybe that’s a hint as what I should do to mine. I won’t miss them. I think the original pilgrims invented the term “multi-purpose”: The scallop shell that they carried, which was found along the coast, was used to scoop food to eat, drink, and scoop water to bathe. The shell ridges represent all paths leading to Santiago de Compostela. Compostela from Latin can mean ‘Field of stars’, burial ground (the site of St. James’ tomb, and the certificate pilgrims receive.
The Botafumeiro (incense burner) is about 1.5 to 1.8 meters in height, 50kg to 80 kg and swings at 68 km/ hr. It can weigh about 100 kg when loaded with charcoal and incense. Different sources give different numbers. Choose the ones you like. Also, There are 2 of them: One in the cathedral library and a backup one. Take your best guess as to which is being used. That also varies on the source.
All I know is that it is impressive to watch in action. It is operated by eight men in reddish robes known as tiraboleiros pulling the ropes.
The original saying to pilgrims is “Good life and beyond” (not buen camino).
The Door of Mercy at the opposite end of the cathedral from the Portico of Glory is only open in Jacobean holy years. Next one is 2027. It occurs only when St. James’s Day (July 25) lands on a Sunday. By walking thru the door you receive automatic communion and it is open the entire year.
The Portico of Glory is a beautifully restored Roman designed entrance. They don’t let you see it unless you pay for a tour of it. Master Mateo is responsible for it’s construction finished in 1188 or 1211 but old none-the-less.
Next stop, a slice of pizza, once we found the place which we missed due to a movie being filmed in the area. Definitely not an action flick.
With NOT a lot of help from Google Maps. Evany, Joana and I made it to Santa Maria A Real de Sar. We were walking all over the city trying to get the GPS to update correctly. Finally we asked someone in a chocolate shop and got good directions. It was all downhill, as in very very very long long long downhill.. We made an immediate decision to taxi back when done.
The church was started in the 12th century as Romanesque and then ‘updated’ in the 13th century to Gothic. The pillars are skewed at an angle from settling I guess. It almost got torn down but someone funded the restoration so the walls were braced and the columns seem normal at an angle because they all seem to match.
We had to walk part way up the hill to get out of a construction zone so we could call a taxi. Lucky us, a taxi happened by and in we hopped.
This was my museum day so back to the rooftop of the cathedral museum just to look over the square and the big wheel that I have to find out what it is ..Known as the “Noria” (Spanish for Ferris wheel), this 62-meter (roughly 200-foot) tall structure is one of Spain’s tallest traveling ferris wheels. I guess it will be more obvious when the cars are attached. Next I found the tapestry rooms, mostly from Belgium of course .
More wandering around, I got caught back at the movie filming. They didn’t offer me a walk-on part but did ask me to wait.
Best dinner ever really really really good at Mama Peixe. They actually flavored the food. Definitely need a reservation as it’s pretty small. It was Michelin rated a few years ago.