Santiago - Day Sixteen

Day Sixteen

Date:     April  2013

Place:    Santiago de Compostela

Weather:   Sunny, cool and gorgeous.

Accommodation:  Hotel Agalia

Today was going to be a slower day so we set off after breakfast to the cathedral to get an audio guide and understand some more of the history before the Pilgrim’s Mass at noon.

We met the Norwegian couple who we had criss-crossed along the way for a couple of days.  They had finally completed the camino after five years as every year they did one portion of it – not a bad way to do it I thought.  Of course, being much closer to Spain it does afford this possibility.  I noticed the woman was wearing sandals and socks which I have been doing since finishing the walk yesterday.  I need not have been worried as so many peregrinos are doing this…..the feet need a break and it’s too cold to go without socks.

The audio guide was quite good however I do love a sense of history and there were very few dates to give a better understanding of the evolvement of the cathedral’s development over one thousand years.  When we entered by the side door a mass was taking place and we listened to the priest who sang the service in several parts.  He had a magnificent baritone voice which was amplified around the cathedral.

Of particular importance is the Portico de la Gloria (The Glory Portico) which stands just inside the main entrance.  At present it is undergoing extensive renovation however St James was spared and we could see where pilgrims had knelt and touched for 800 years.  St James stands on the central column just below Christ.

St James - the goal of the pilgrims and part of the Portico de la Gloria.

 

The main nave is breathtaking in all its gold and elaborate decorations.  Above the main altar is St James and you can see pilgrims, tourists and the devout filing through and giving the traditional hug to the saint.  The original has now been removed as it was suffering from wear and tear.

Spectacular!

Notice the silver incense burner in the centre.

 

We sat near the front sometime after 11.15am as the cathedral was filling for the Pilgrim’s mass at noon.  As we sat I listened to more on the audio guide.

A nun commenced singing just before noon and the main entrance of the bishop and his priests.  As the service was in Spanish we had no idea what was going on so we just stood up and down and followed the crowd.  There were many pilgrims, some who had obviously timed their finish for the noon mass as they sat with muddied clothes, walking staffs and backpacks.

Towards the end of the mass was the highpoint:  the organ sounded loudly and the botafumeiro (very large incense burner) was lit and hoisted above the main altar.  Incense filled the cathedral and the botafumerio swung on a massive pulley system as loud organ music and the nun singing filled the church.  Talk about an experience!  It took five helpers, dressed in maroon caped smocks to manage the large incense burner.  The smell was wonderful and considering it was used in various styles since the middle ages to cover the odours of energetic pilgrims we can only assume it did a terrific job!

After the mass we purchased tickets to the palace attached to the cathedral and the museum.  There was not a lot to see in the palace area so we went off to lunch at a nearby café and continued to practice our Spanish.

We emerged from the Pilgrim's mass at 1pm to a bright sunny day.  The cathedral had been very cold.

 

The museum is worthy of a visit as it includes the cloisters of the cathedral.  They are large and have very tall vaulted ceilings.  One floor above are many grand tapestries which are displayed in four different rooms including some designed by Goya and Peter Paul Rubens.

The large cloisters attached to the cathedral form part of the museum.

The huge tapestries on display by Peter Paul Rubens.

 

It was time to collect the car from the airport so Desley and I set off looking at the shops while David and Cameron retrieved the car.  We wandered the shops but many were closed as it was Sunday.

We set off for dinner after 7pm (very early for the Spanish) and the weather had turned showery after an sunny day.  The restaurant we chose wasn’t too far away and we chose light meals after our later lunch.

Tomorrow we are setting off again.  Of course, if we were real pilgrims we would be retracing our steps and walking back to where we set off.  Not a chance!