SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELLA, SPAIN

If a picture is worth a thousand words, we have a colossal blog for you today. We docked in La Coruña, Spain and travelled to Santiago de Compostella, the terminus of the Way of St. James. Hikers and bikers travel from all over the world to come to this sacred place. The pilgrimage takes anywhere from a year to a week; pilgrims carry a credential which gets stamped at each hostel where they stay. Once they arrive at the cathedral, this passport serves as documentation that their journey is complete and provides them meals at a hostel built by Ferdinand and Isabella. So.....
Picture # 1). Proof that it is not always rainy and dreary here, though today was cold and wet.
2) Pilgrims arriving in the cathedral square, getting their photo taken even before putting their heavy backpacks down
3-4). Adam and Eve on the hostel where a) pilgrims get fed and b) guests may stay at a 5 star hotel (parador), and 3) we had a happy reception later in the day with taps and music
5-6) Jolly saints on a doorway; these are the biggest smiles we have seen
[Photos 7-11 are from the museum under the Cathedral]
7) God (on left) expelling Adam and Eve from Eden - no-one looks too upset about it
8) James' bones being returned (by ship) to Compostella
9) Cute Epiphany - big Mary, small kings and Joseph, and the donor
10) Sebastian and arrows
11) My favorite. The Annunciation. Gabriel looks very distressed by the news he has to deliver and won't even look Mary in the eye. Mary looks 8 months pregnant and is not at all surprised by the Angel's declaration -she's just resigned and wishes it would get over.
12) WJE in a small courtyard
13) The rear of the Cathedral nave with huge trompettes on the organ and a hint of the gold to come.
14-15). The chancel with only a tiny hint of the gold and bling and massiveness of it all. The 6 angels holding the baldachin are about 10 feet long.
16-17). Hard to see botafumeiro or thurible that weighs 50 pounds and takes 8 men (my guess is that the teens sign up for this job) to swing it almost ceiling high.
18). Another favorite. This columnar structure is totally flat - just painted to look carved.
19-20) The Spanish musician dancers who entertained us at their reception and a cloak with ribbons denoting their travels
Finally, a shot of the cathedral floor - the tile is magnificent.
Love, H&B