Santiago de Compostela
Waking up to a fine morning and opening the curtains on such a view is really enough to make us feel very thankful indeed. The square seems to be constantly buzzing with pilgrims, tour groups and people like us, just taking it all in. But we are the lucky ones to be able to stand just outside a pair of french doors and watch it all happening from the best vantage point of all.
We had decided to spend the day getting our bearings in the city so soon after breakfast we got our things together and joined the crowds in the square, hoping to stay dry as long as we could.
The Pilgrims (Peregrinos as they are known here) tend to gather around this spot, to take selfies and then to kick back, plonk themselves down on their rucksack and just savour the view for a while. Who could blame them?
We looked back over to the Parador and noted the french doors onto “our” balcony, up there in shadow, top right. But we didn’t linger long because we had got things to do and places to see!
We hummed and hawwed about whether to go inside the Cathedral first, but having noted the weather forecast this morning thought it better to save that for when the rain started. So, we carried on down into the old town.
There were fewer people around here too, we we were able to stop and look around without feeling we were holding up the traffic. I was taking photographs of little things that caught my eye and we were generally enjoying just being here. There really was no pressure to be anywhere at a particular time or anything…we could just potter.
So we noticed things like this street sign to the Rua de Fonseca and then stepped over the way to peer inside a courtyard garden.
That just happened to be the courtyard of the Colexio di Fonseca, named after the Archbishop Alonso III di Fonseca, a key character in the history of the city and particularly the University, of which this is part. Our relaxed schedule meant that we could find out about him, read the information boards and just stop and admire, which is exactly what we did.
We were not planning on any peregrinations of our own, either, but we were amused by some of the most common items on sale here. Firstly, the traditional walking staffs with the scallop shell insignia of St James, which most pilgrims have tied to their rucksacks.
But other readily available items included plenty of foot-related first aid such as Compeed blister plasters, insoles and other orthotic devices to make walking more comfortable.
I’m sure a fresh new pair of socks is something many pilgrims might look forward to and this shop had plenty with souvenir designs on them. In fact, the blue and yellow Camino logo was to be found on almost anything here. The bagpiper figure in the window is playing an instrument we came across in Bilbao - gaita . (More about them later)
For now, we were making slow progress, stopping to look up/down small alleyways and into courtyards. It was still fine and there was blue sky - much better than we had dared hope for!
Further along the street, I just had to take a photograph of this door knocker - isn’t it wonderful? My Hero gave it a try - not actually making a noise, but simply lifting thehand and quietly placing it back down. It moved easily and would be most effective. There was an (almost) matching one on an adjacent door to the same building as well. I wonder if they were modelled on real hands? If so, would that be a bit creepy?!
The Galician style of rounded spires, seen on top of churches and other ornamental towers here and there have caught my eye and there was one just along the street here.
No cross on the top so I’m thinking it’s not a church and I make a mental note to find out more. The list is getting longer by the hour!
Whilst we stood and stared up at the tower, one of the many pilgrims walked past us, for we were now on the street which forms the final stretch of the Camino, up to the Cathedral.
The shop windows around this spot didn’t go unnoticed, either. Whilst my Hero eyed these cones of Jamón, I took note of a shop selling only slippers across the street. There’ was a huge variety of women’s slippers in one window and a similar array of men’s slippers in the other. I’ve never seen such a wide choice, though that was not what caught my Hero’s eye when he finally managed to resist the idea of a mid-morning snack.
He noticed the opening times posted on the shop window. Oh yes, we knew about the Spanish “siesta time” but had forgotten what a pain in the neck it can be when wishing to make the most of our time here. Perhaps it was a good job we left the cathedral till later - it wouldn’t close during the afternoon, surely!
So, on we went, remembering to look up now and again and admire the oriel windows which feature in some of the older buildings here.
By now, we were reaching the Cathedral area again, though this time approaching it from the other side. Our map and guidebook had recommended this area as worth exploring and when we came across this imressive building in a square at the end of the street, we stopped for a closer look. It’s the Monastery of San Martino Pinario and though we read that it’s worth a visit and our arrival appeared to coincide with their opening times, sadly, it was closed to visitors.
As we sat on a small wall and admired our surroundings, we decided what to do next. We were so very close to the cathedral, rather than “save it for later”, surely it made sense to just go in now.
However, no sooner had we stepped inside than we heard an announcement that a service was about to begin. Those wishing to join the communion were requested to do so in silence, others were requested to please leave by the nearest exit.
It wasn’t quite what we planned.
Not only that, but as we made our way out into the square, the first drops of rain began to fall, quickly becoming rather more serious. For the second time today we felt thankful of our beautiful hotel room just a few steps away! However, someone, somewhere has a way of reminding us of reality and was maybe having a bit of a laugh at our expense, because throughout the day and well into the evening - just below our window there stood a gaita player. Please enjoy the sound of his playing here and imagine the enjoyment of hearing that same piece over and over again, because either it’s the only piece he knows or else they all sound the same to us!
