DAY 70 - SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (Rest Day) - Monday 01 July 2024

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After a delicious buffet breakfast, we headed out to the cathedral, doing a bit of pilgrim-arrival watching in the square. Whenever we passed through the square today - which was quite a bit - we stopped to watch. 

We found the correct entry door to the cathedral and toured the inside, including down to the casket of Santiago (St James) and then up behind the altar for a close up view of its golden magnificence. We were so overawed we missed the likeness of Santiago but later we saw people reaching over from the small chamber behind to give him a hug (kissing is discouraged post-covid).

We enjoyed the ceremony of the Pilgrims' Mass. Even though it was all in Spanish, it was welcoming and inclusive, with services for non-Spanish speakers explained at the beginning. The priest spoke slowly and clearly, there was a singer with a beautiful voice and most people attending seemed to be Catholic and Spanish so we could follow their lead as to when to stand, sit and kneel. 

Our second task was a trip to the laundromat, something we try to do every rest day! We found ourselves explaining the system - which is very easy once you know how - to several newbies. We also had a couple of interesting chats as we all waited for our washing. One pilgrim had just completed the Spiritual variant of the Portuguese Camino, and explained how they had walked most of it but made other arrangements one day as they wanted to get to a monastery by midday to ensure they got beds. Another pilgrim told how yesterday he'd walked 47km, not intentionally but due to a combination of circumstances, that's how it had worked out. 

After that we were ready for lunch. We found a great spot in the old town with gourmet hamburgers, served on artisanal bread and with Galician tetilla cheese.

In the afternoon we had our traditional rest day siesta. Later we explored the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, once a pilgrim hospital and then converted to be one of the world's oldest hotels, before going out for dinner. 

Sunrise over the cathedral. The day's pilgrims were already arriving. 
Praza do Obradoiro 
More arrivals in Santiago
Santiago cathedral
Santiago cathedral
Santiago cathedral
Santiago cathedral - exit vía the shop
Praza do Obradoiro
Alameda Gardens 
A fun outing to the laundromat
Praza do Obradoiro
Wandering in Santiago
Some of the tourist shop offerings
Hostal dos Reis Católicos 
Our rest day in Santiago draws to a close
Horreos
Day 70 - Map
Day:                               70
Distance:                      0 km
Walking time:              0 hrs 0 mins
Elevation gain:            0 metres
Cumulative distance: 1,395.87 km

Comments

  1. Victoria N2 July 2024 at 10:00

    I think you need a little Hórreo in your garden LOL.
    Fantastic photos of your day, brings back wonderful memories.
    Congratulations and I look forward to seeing the next leg.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aussie Slow Travellers3 July 2024 at 06:14

      Thanks, maybe a miniature horreo for an insect hotel?

      Delete
  2. Manny2 July 2024 at 10:15

    I agree, an horreo at the bottom of the garden and a shell tile above the front door would be appropriate!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aussie Slow Travellers3 July 2024 at 06:18

      A shell tile would be easy, some even have the name of the particular camino. Which one would we choose?

      Delete

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