Polite Canadian

Even though today is my last day in Santiago de Compostela, I sleep in until 1000 hrs.  I get up and reorganize my stuff.  I have washed my hiking pants, they are not quite dry.  I put them on anyhow. They dry quickly.  

So today I venture back into the old city and just walk around. It is cold, but mostly sunny. 

Back to the cathedral....

I never took the full rent the headphones tour... But I think this is where the remains of  St. James rests. 

This is the fountain outside the south entrance, looking away.  I call it my entrance.... Those that do the Portuguese Camino from the south are supposed to enter here.  I did. 

I went to the pilgrim's museum.  I like scale models. Easy to see the big picture. And this cathedral is big!

North is to the left in this picture, the south entrance is on the right end of the cross.   Later I would sit on the left side of the cross during mass. 

There was a cool computer game of sorts where you are a pilgrim walking into town and talking with people.   

Here is the town as it was. 

So for those that do not know... All roads lead to Santiago.  My Compostela just says I arrived here, not by which way I came.  Most pilgrims take the (yellow on this map) Camino Frances.  The second most popular is the Portuguese Camino (grey on this map), and note the (black) route to Fisterre. 

Then it was time to just hang out in the sun for awhile.  This is the west side where there is serious restoration going on.  Now they have this elevator going up and down.. Makes you wonder  how the restoration work 100 years ago went

In the movie The Way the characters enter here and touch the bottom of a statue of St James. ... First off they have covered the area with glass so you cannot touch/ wear it down anymore, and two you cannot even see it cause it's getting restored.  

That guy is dressed up for people to take pictures of him.?

Pilgrims arriving...

And more walk about in the town..

Had a sandwich and coffee and then another coffee and this Santiago tart.  There was wifi in the shop. 

I double checked my deal with Bell and confirmed that my long distance and roaming charges were included and then made calls home to my parents.  Hola from Spain! 

It was 0800/ 0830 hrs their time!

Nice blue sky. 

And pilgrims keep arriving. 

So I am walking around and I hear 'Squamish' and turn to meet Deanna, Tony and their Australian friend Matthew at a cafe.  I sit and talk for a bit with them.  We agree to meet at the 1930 hrs mass tonight. 

I wondered into the University of Santiago area and find a display about the Little Prince, and a collection of some of the translations... 

There is an Alice in Wonderland, Tintin display as well as collection of early pop up books. Cool.  Here is the University courtyard. 

Then I run in PEI Patricia and we go for coffee.  She went to mass at noon and is going to hear nuns sing somewhere else. We bid our farewells. 

Back to the church and a sneaky shot showing the confessional booths.  One sits down opposite /facing the priest. Non of this behind curtain stuff. 

And I just decided to hang out in the church looking at its grandeur and people watch.  Oh ya and get good seats for mass. 

I ended up sitting behind a couple from France who I recognized from the bus ride to Fisterre yesterday. 

Check out the suspension of the botafumol. 

And Mary is in a good spot for people to come by and say what they need to. 

The French guy in front asks a church helper about the botafumol and is told it was at noon.  Next time is 0800 hrs tomorrow. This is not good. I remark that I was told my the Compostela giving woman this was the time.  Another in front confirms he was told the same. 

Somebody more important comes out up behind the ropes and the French woman in front gets up to ask and he confirms we are botafumol good to go. 

I am a polite Canadian... I would not have bothered him. 

It's 1930 hrs and Mass begins. I have not been to a lot of Catholic Masses in my life.. 

There is some sitting and some standing.  I think the guy with the nice singing voice is the one who the French woman spoke with!  The priest is quite young, and the service is all in Spanish.  It might as well have been in Latin because I can't understand anyhow. 

There is some group singing, and some repeat after me stuff, more standing.  The priest takes the bread and wine and (you are right Gary) the public are only offered the bread.  

I think somewhere in there as a pilgrim I am blessed. 

Then show really gets going...

Gets going pretty high...

Almost hits the ceiling... But I think they have done this before and all will be fine. 

A little fire gets going inside...

And just like that the disease ridden smelly pilgrims are fumigated. 

Then it was time for dinner.  The others had been here before for tapas. 

Tomato cheese, chicken, omelette and a yummy blue cheese that arrived just after the picture. 

Okay other people ate stuff like this...

Serious group... A couple of bottles of wine later and we parted ways.  Mathew was off to Porto by bus, and Deanna and Tony were headed to the Canary Islands. 

And I should get to sleep as I am off to Barcelona in the morning!!