Santiago

I have truly LOST the desire to blog, so some photo commentaries for the pilgrimage trip will be very short. Someday I might get the desire to go back and fill in the details.


Pilgrimage Monuments
On the hill just before entering Santiago de Compostella--in view of the spires of the church--there are two monuments to the pilgrims (above and right). This hill was a popular resting place throughout the centuries, an emotional spot where the exhausted pilgrims could finally see the cathedral and the end of their journey.

Santiago's Cathedral: End of the road
The destination of the pilgrimage is, of course, the beautiful 12th century Baroque cathedral, legendary home of the bones of the Apostle James. This cathedral and it's famous relic made Santiago de Compostella the third most important place of pilgrimage anywhere in the Christian world, after Jerusalem and Rome. Below are pictures of the exterior and interior of this important church.




At left is the tomb, reputed to hold the bones of the one and only James. It lies in the crypt beneath the altar in relatively simple setting (as compared to the ornate detailing in the main cathedral area above).

The Botafumeiro
On occasion, services in the cathedral are concluded with the swinging of a huge silver incense burner that is suspended from the ceiling in the center of the cathedral. Lucky for us, we were there just in time to catch it in action.

After the mass (in Spanish so a bit hard to follow) and then communion, eight priests pulled on the rope to make the huge contraption swing in a wide arc up and down the cathedral transept, spewing sweet-smelling smoke. At one point, it looked as if it would hit the ceiling, and the audience let out an audible gasp.

Supposedly the custom began in order to counteract the stench of the pilgrims, and legend has it that priests would enhance the good mood of the congregation--already giddy from having completed the camino--by adding a pinch of cannabis to the mixture. Huh...this cathedral is certainly full of legends.

(I especially like this picture above because the man in the foreground looks just like Warren.)


My last nun spotting
'Birders' get a special thrill to see an exotic bird in its natural habitat. I, on the other hand, like spotting nuns. Nuns and priests. Guess that makes me a 'nunner'. Seriously, Spain in the perfect place for viewing nuns and priests in their natural habitat. I was in heaven!

I am just mystified by them. I have so many unanswered questions. What is your life like? Do you get bored? What made you decide on this cloistered life? I am in awe at their dedication and sacrifice, bewildered by the whole experience. Someone hook me up with a nun, please. I'm busting with questions.

To feed my curiosity, I visited a convent one evening in Santiago to hear the nightly singing of praise by the nuns. I shamefully snapped this photo during the service (sin flash). I couldn't help myself.


And totally unrelated to the above...
Just before leaving Granada I bought this cheap plastic bag at Spain's version of a made-In-China $1 store. I needed a big bag that would hold my two carry-ons, as the budget internal Spanish flights only allow for one carry-on. I then shamelessly used the hideous thing for the entire camino trip, totally unaware that I was advertising my sinful nature. It wasn't until I got home that my sister pointed out that I was not Singing in the Rain with this bag, but Sining in the Rain. I love funny translations. :)

Although...perhaps it wasn't a translation mistake. Perhaps the bag's goofy tagline "I sometimes want a time when I can laugh" has more layers that I originally thought.