Santiago de Compostela

This post comes with a warning.   I have heard such wonderful music, I wanted to share it with you.  Enjoy.

I love Santiago.  It is such an easy city to get around.  The old town is lovely,  but even the newer, more commercial part of the town has an energy about it.  I also love how easy it is to "bump" into someone you know.  

The Cathedral from Alameda park

In this time in Santiago I have met Heather, from WA, a very early member of the Australian Friends of the Camino. I'm member number 50 (only because I was slack filling in the form), and she is member number 75 and we have been corresponding on and off since 2010. I have met our Camino Chronicle editor, Alison, and her 2 friends, and while waiting for the lift, I met Rex and Zorka, early committee members who I haven't seen for about 5 years. Then there is Larry and Sally who I had a coffee with before leaving last year, encouraging them to walk under their own steam. They heard I was in town and came knocking on my door! That doesn't include people I have met on the way and see as I wander the streets. I either didn't know these people were coming to Santiago, or didn't expect to be here at the same time as them.

With West Australian, Heather

With Rex and Zorka

With Alison

The old town, where the pilgrims can be found, is full of souvenir shops, narrow streets, bars, and restaurants.   Pilgrims like to eat outside, but I generally eat inside, it's cheaper and often more comfortable. 

Pilgrims arriving on the Portuguese route into the old town. 

One of the treats in Santiago is the nightly busking of a small group of Tuna Compostelana.  They don't begin performing until 10.00pm and only in "the season".  It is impossible to not have a smile on your face watching them - no matter how briefly.  Their performance is so energetic, enthusiastic, professional, and musically appealing.  During my time in town I have seen them at number times, and the last time a trumpeter just started playing in the crowd.  He was invited to join them and both the Tuna and the trumpeter wowed the crowd.

The trumpeter who infiltrated the Tuna

On my second night in Santiago I went to Mass at San Augustin where my friend John is the organist.  Tasmanian, Lee Anne, was there too.  She is on the committee organising the (January) Cygnet Camino, and, following the Mass, the three of us went out to dinner.  I was able to show Leeanne the Tuna, and also the shadow pilgrim. 

John played Advance Australia Fair while the collection was happening!  With a big smile.

San Augustin was first run, as the name implies, by the Augustinians.  In the 1700's the government purchased many such buildings, the Augustinians left, and over 200 years the church fell into ruins.  It was, around the turn of the 20th century, taken over by the Jesuits.  What no one realised though, was that the people of Santiago have a special devotion to Saint Rita.  The San Augustin Church has an altar to Santa Rita, and even though the church was in ruins, the people of Santiago continued to bring roses to the altar on her feast day (May 22nd).  

Igrexa San Augustin 

This continues to this day, some leave them, others take them away to give to family and friends.  John was playing at the 10 Masses for the day, beginning at 8am!  Along with that, a choir "Vox Peregrini", were to sing at each Mass.  Knowing the music would be special, I resolved to attend as many Masses as I could.  It was pretty much standing room only for most of them.  It was fascinating watching the stream of people passing the altar with their roses.

A week before the feast day, just a few vases of beautiful red roses

Early on the feast day, more roses

At the last Mass, the roses have increased considerably. 

The San Augustin Church is almost next door to the fish market.  On the other side of the market is the little Igrexa de San Fiz de Solovio.  This was the hermitage where the hermit Paio (Pelayo) lived and is the church in Santiago with the oldest routes to the city's past.  Paio was the hermit, who, looking up, saw a falling star/s and on investigation, is said to have subsequently discovered the remains of Santiago/ Saint James.  I even got to have a couple of signs in this church.

Inside Igrexa de San Fiz de Solovio

and outside

Opposite San Fiz stands a new sculpture of Paio (Pelayo) looking upwards to the heavens

The other day I went to Mass in the Cathedral.   I just happened to sit in the third row of seats, and it just happened to be a day when the botafumeiro swung!

Swinging the Botafumeiro 

I have done a couple of days,  and a couple of mornings, volunteering with the Camino Companions above the pilgrim office.   Sister Katherine established this group 10 years ago, and I remember meeting her then to see how we, in Australia, could help.  It was in its infant stages then, but is now a well organised group with four volunteers from around the world on the fortnightly roster.

One of the duties for someone on the roster is to go to the Cathedral prior to Mass and make an announcement about the services offered by the Camino Companions to English speaking pilgrims.   I had a turn on my last night of volunteering to do the task at the 7.30pm Mass, having watched the previous evening to see how it is done.  It means that all the volunteers doing this task (English, French, German, and Italian) sit in the front row, which also means, if the Botafumeiro swings, as it did both evenings, we get a bird's eye view!

This is the front row view, surreptitiously taken, organ thundering, and out of tune Señora next to me!

The Cathedral powers that be are obviously struggling to find volunteers for chores like taking up the offering.  I was co-opted on both occasions to collect down one aisle.  It was a task that took about 10 - 15 minutes, and I only collected for a quarter of the building.  Unlike our churches at home, where you just pass the plate, the cloth bag NEVER leaves the collectors hands!  It makes me smile the way it is clutched.  It seems so untrusting.  It is a serious business (the bag was very heavy by the end), the Señora's rarely smiling, but I did it with a smile, and sometimesa "gracias".

Pilgrim numbers seem to be increasing daily.  Watching the roads entering from the Camino Frances and the Camino Portuguese there is a constant stream of pilgrims.  Some have walked the minimum distance required to obtain a Compostela,  and others have walked much further.   Those pilgrims definitely have a different look about them, but all pilgrims look excited to be here, and have a look of pride and success in their achievements. One day this week there were over 3,500 pilgrims collecting a compostela, just one of the certificates available.   It is estimated that there are about 40% more people walking than actually bother to go to the pilgrim office and collect a compostela.  Thus the 3,500 was probably closer to 5,000 pilgrims.

The queue of pilgrims waiting to see if they will be lucky enough to get into a packed Cathedral for the 7.30pm Mass.

On the 6th Thursday afternoon Easter,  Galicia celebrates Fiestas de la Ascensión, this year on the last weekend in May / first in June.  Although it is a religous festival, celebrated in the churches on the next Sunday, it is marked as a cultural festival too.  Here in Santiago the locals turn out in their traditional costumes, marching in bands, singing, or dancing.  There has been an abundance of musical activities for me to see and hear.

Señora's waiting with their tambourines.  I think everyone in Galicia plays one, and boy, can they play them!

I have resisted the Galician delicacy of pulpo!

My time in Santiago de Compostela is coming to an end.  I am heading to Braga for a couple of days so that,  hopefully, I can visit th Bom Jesus do Monte church.  More on that next time.  Then I am headed home!