Saturday: 10/9/2021 Our Arrival in Santiago
Evan’s “Weather Gods” provided another lovely morning for our return to Santiago, walking through lovely countryside, and then into the city. This time we approached the old city center from the south. When completing the Camino Frances we walked into Santiago from the East.
By late morning when we reached Praza do Obradoiro, the plaza in front of the cathedral, it was already full of tourists, many of them pilgrims arriving from the various “Caminos” to Santiago. This is the goal, the end of the pilgrimage, and everyone is smiling, crying, resting, hugging, staring at the cathedral, and taking their celebratory selfies. After celebrating our own arrival with hugs and kisses, we walked down to the Pilgrim’s Office. Here, you take a number, and then wait your turn to get your “Compostela,” the document affirming that you have completed the Camino. Happily, they also provide an “app” so you can watch the progress of the numbers. We knew from the start that our numbers would not be called for at least three hours, so then we set out to find our hotel and seek some lunch.
We enjoyed walking around Santiago’s “Old Town” section and found our hotel out by the Marketplace. After settling into our room, we sought food in the market, but it was very busy and there were no seats to be had. Tourists lined up waiting for seats in the crowded marketplace. Just as our frustrations were leading us to quit, we saw someone just preparing to open another café, so we asked for seats and were granted – just as long as we would be gone within an hour and a half. We promised, and we ended up enjoying a first-rate meal: stewed sweet peppers, grilled hake and a delicious dessert. Then back to the Pilgrim’s Office for our Compostelas.
Walking the crowded streets of Santiago, we noticed many groups of men carrying guitars and wearing black capes featuring the red Cross of Santiago. Our curiosity was stirred up. Clearly, there was some sort of gathering of guitarists going on.
Sara likes to scope out our travel connections ahead of time, so we took a long walk out of the Old Town to find the railroad station. It was approaching 6:00pm (18:00) when we made our way back toward our hotel, but on the way we found a theater where people were entering for a concert. We learned that this was a “III Encontros Troyanos en Compostela Festival Dos Caminos,” a special festival celebrating guitarists and the traditional music of Spain. So these are the guys we saw around town, with their instruments and black capes. Tickets were available, only five to six euros each, and the show would start in just 15 minutes. We thoroughly enjoyed an amazing concert with guitarists from Spain, Portugal, and even Puerto Rico. There were solo vocalists and lots of choral singing, all accompanied by so many guitars: classical, traditional Spanish guitars, the Portuguese style guitars, some mandolins and large base guitars.
We left the theater as they performed the second encore, for we had dinner reservations. By now the night had cooled off considerably, but we had no jackets, so we walked briskly to Mama Peixe, which our friend Emily had recommended. Despite the chill in the air, and the open window at the restaurant, we enjoyed a terrific meal here as well.
Sunday: 10/10/2021 Attending Mass at the Cathedral of Santiago
We were anxious to return again to Santiago for many reasons. When we were last here, completing the Camino Frances in 2019, the Cathedral of Santiago was closed for cleaning and reconstruction. Much of the interior was inaccessible, although visitors could still enter, visit the crypt, and put their hands on the shoulders of the statue of Santiago featured on the altar. But no services were held in the sanctuary, and no swinging of the famous Botafumiero. This time, we hoped to see a service, and to watch the Botafumiero fly.
What is the Botafumiero? In Roman Catholic church services, the priest often swings a censer or thurible, in which incense is burned, on a chain. In the Cathedral of Santiago, the Botafumeiro is one of the largest censors in the world. This one is suspended from a pulley mechanism in the dome of the church. It takes eight men to control the swing of this huge thurible as it flies over the heads of the congregation spreading clouds of smokey incense. This is a sight to see. Click here to see the Botafumiero in Santiago.
Unfortunately, the cathedral has recently cut back on this exercise, using the Botafumiero only on select holidays, or when someone donates enough cash for them to make it fly. So Sunday morning, we went to attend the 9:30 Mass, even though we had given up on our hopes to see the Botafumiero.
The Cathedral of Santiago is huge. We sat toward the back of the nave of the cathedral, looking directly at the ornate main altar, which features three different statues of Santiago / Saint James. The first is on the main altar, an elegant version of the saint. This is the one that pilgrims touch when they go behind the altar and then to the crypt where Saint James’s remains are believed to rest. Above this is a second statue, this one more typical of Saint James as a poor pilgrim, Santiago Peregrino, with his scallop shells, walking stick, and gourd. High above this, atop of a platform adorned with angels, is the third statue of Saint James, this one astride a white horse and wielding a jagged-edged sword to destroy the Muslims fallen beneath his horse. This one is Santiago Matamoro (“Saint James the Muslim Slayer”).
Click to learn more about these contradictory images of Saint James.
The service was all in Spanish and Latin, with only a few lines of English. We understood little, but we appreciated the solemnity of the service and the singing. As the service was winding up, we noticed the arrival of several men dressed in maroon, and we saw the huge thurible, the Botafumiero, brought to the alter and the smoke of burning incense. Yes indeed, we sat back in awe to watch these men working a huge rope to send the Botafumiero swinging, up and across. Before long, it flew from one side of the transept to the other, sending up clouds of smoke and incense. We simply watched in awe and appreciation. Our wishes had been granted.
The last highlight of our visit to Santiago was dinner at our own hotel, the Hotel Pazo de Altamira, which is also home to a Michellin recommended restaurant. We ordered a meal for two that featured three starters — Scallops, croquettes, shrimp as tapas — grilled hake and beef for a main course, as well as two desserts and a bottle of wine. Suffice it to say that we ate very well in Santiago. What a trip!
And tomorrow we ride the train east to Vitoria-Gasteiz.
