April 30, 2024 A Coruna, Spain 5 days left of 138

Today we are taking a hour bus ride Southeast toward Santiago de Compostela. This is the culmination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, and the alleged burial site of the Biblical apostle St. James. The full Camino is 790 Kilometers or 490 miles. People have been making this pilgrimage for years and the numbers have exploded over the last 20 years, and to get it certified you have to have completed a minimum of 100 kilometers.

St Francis heard about all the pilgrims coming to Santiago, so when he came and saw the numbers, he said he wanted a church built here also. This is St. Francis of Assisi Church.

When the King saw the number of pilgrims coming to the city, and many were in poor health, he said the city need to provide care for these people. This hospital was built by him to provide that care. It now has been renovated to a hotel Hostal de Los Reyes Catolicos. This was where we were going to have our lunch. It is in the courtyard of the cathedral.

The Cathedral Santiago de Compostela surrounded by the old town pictures above and below. The original style of the cathedral was Romanesque, but over the centuries it has been embellished with Gothic and Baroque features, including finely carved statues of apostles and saints in the portico and on the columns. 

We were allowed to explore the Cathedral Museum, but no photos were allowed. The museum is preserving the treasures, paintings, Tapestries and sculptures which are on display. The history and heritage of Galicia were showcased.

The main alter of the church.

Surrounding the church were crypts, above and below walking level.

This is the St. James cross. It is used on some of the signs along the camino.

This is only 1/2 of the pipe organ. There were match sets on both sides of the cathedral. Our guide informed us that is is getting harder to find someone who can play the organ. The last time it was played the organist was brought from Venice. They are able to use a computer to play the organ if needed.

Below is a side alter.

There was not much stained glass in the building. This was the only colored glass I saw.

When I took this fresco picture on the ceiling, I could not make out the faces or people. When I edited the picture I was amazed.

You can tell it has been raining, but for the most part it rained on the way here and home, and while we were touring inside. Once we were outside it stayed pretty dry.

Everywhere you look there are fountains, statues, and artwork to be admired.

The history we are walking through, and preserving is incredible. I love seeing and enjoying it.

Below, thanks to Susan, Mike got a shot of one of the scalloped clam shells. This is a symbol of the Camino, and the pilgrims use these to find there way to the church which is the end of their journey. They are required to get stamps from churches along the way to prove they have done what they say they have done to get the final stamp at Santiago de Compostela. They work hard for this, and we saw many people celebrating their journey and taking selfies. It was fun to be a little part of the celebration.

I want you to meet Laura from St. Louis, Missouri. She has just completed 160 Kilometers with her 4 friends. She let us know that the last 16 miles today were done in the rain. They were looking for where to get the finished stamp, and was having difficulty finding someone who spoke English. I asked our guide and I hope I got them going in the right direction. We both took pictures of each other, and we all congratulated her on her accomplishment.

As we were driving out of town we saw more pilgrims heading toward the finish line. They are easy to spot with their packs, walking sticks, the scalloped shell hanging on the side of the pack they use to drink from the fountains along the way, and their determined walk.

Lunch was late and huge, so when we got back to the ship, we headed to the pool grill for BBQ Viking style dinner. That way we could enjoy smaller portions. They did a great job.

Both Mike and I were tired, so we stayed in and I worked on the blog. It was an early night to bed for us.