Santiago

This morning we were up at six o'clock and packing. On the bus at eight and on our way for the last stretch. There was a steep hill upwards and then after a view of Santiago, a steady downhill into the city. We arrived outside the cathedral after ten and pottered around viewing the sights until eleven when we went into the cathedral for high mass at midday. A magnificent cathedral and very large.

All of us just before entering the cathedral.

Inside the cathedral

 

The two photos above show the great censer swinging with the men operating it. All rather startling because the censer is suspended from the Central tower and is swung until it reaches the horizontal. All rather dangerous looking. The high mass was rather odd to my Protestant way of thinking. First a nun appeared 15 minutes before midday and coached the assembled throngs in singing. She had a beautiful voice herself and was dealing with a mixed nation congregation and did it beautifully. Then four priests appeared and the service started but the nun still ran the singing. The organ is quite something. Then at the very end we had the censer ceremony.

I would guess there were more than a thousand people present. Our hotel is an ancient building by the north door of the cathedral.

The afternoon was spent sleeping, - the shops are all shut anyway. We went out later and looked around. Ended up in a fabric shop!! Ruth bought two lengths of silk and I bought one of cotton.

So what now. Well, I am glad I came. I do not think my character has changed/improved. But it is a bit late in life for that. So I was not expecting a change. Walking through the countryside day after day does remove one from normal life. I think if you walked the whole length of the Camino Santiago which is 800 km in Spain, you would change in character.

 

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