The final walk!
While the group left O Pedrouzo in various stages, it is a program tradition to enter the plaza together as a group. The first part of the walk is beautiful forest, but after that it's pretty industrial.
We met up with the group about half a mile from the Cathedral plaza in Santiago while waiting on the rest of the group to arrive; once we were complete, we walked together as a large group into the Cathedral plaza, serenaded by bagpipes, and celebrated the completion of a very long and difficult (and rewarding) journey. It was overcast in the plaza, and it even rained briefly; I will note that the vibe was a little more subdued than in 2024; nevertheless, it was still an incredibly meaningful moment.
There were hugs, photos, smiles, and sighs of exhaustion. What a great feeling of community and accomplishment.
After spending some time in the plaza, we went to get our Compostela from the Pilgrim's office and then had a few hours to relax and have dinner before meeting up as a large group to tour the tomb of Saint James (in the cathedral) and attend the Pilgrim's mass. There was a new translation service this year, so it was great to be able to attend the mass and understand what was being shared.
After mass, folks could gallivant however they pleased, but we encouraged folks to return to the plaza around 9:30 to be serenaded by the Tunas!
https://tunaderechosantiago.com/
Según la historiografía local, los orígenes de la Tuna de Derecho de Santiago de Compostela se sitúan, sin duda alguna, entre el Mesozoico y la segunda mitad del siglo XX, producto de la inhalación excesiva de "gas ribeiro" por una docena y media de jóvenes estudiantes cuya principal pasión era causar infartos entre el personal docente y tañer extrañas y originales cítaras importadas del lejano Cipango.
Poorly translated by Google:
According to local historiography, the origins of the Law School Tuna of Santiago de Compostela are undoubtedly situated between the Mesozoic era and the second half of the 20th century, a product of the excessive inhalation of "ribeiro gas" by a dozen and a half young students whose main passion was to cause heart attacks among the teaching staff and to play strange and original zithers imported from distant Cipango.
Ha! Clearly a group that appreciates a good tongue-in-cheek historical account. They are very talented musicians and entertainers. From what I understand, it's a group of folks from the Faculty of Law (and maybe now some older students, as well?).
They always put on a good show. Good music, singing, some dancing, and some laughs. A wonderful close to a fulfilling day.
Forest walking
More forest walking
We are going to show up to Santiago de Compostela in style!
Cool silhouette.
These markers help identify turns on the trail as well as the remaining kilometers
One of our favorite cafe stops
Entering SdC
The city shows up for Pride
Shells marking the path
The group waiting for everyone to arrive
I think I just got clipped
Walking into the plaza
We made it!
The group in front of the cathedral
Way to go, everyone!
The faculty
The passport stamps document the journey
The official end
Waiting for our Compostelas (pilgrim credential)
Getting our credentials
Deya should be a model for Aquarius
Out in SdC
The cathedral
Lighting candles for those who are going through a tough time
The cathedral
Attending the pilgrim's mass
Inside the cathedral (Saint James in the center)
Beautiful stained glass
From Wikipedia: The famous giant incense burner at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is called the Botafumeiro, which literally means "smoke expeller" in Galician. Weighing around 53 kg (117 lbs) and measuring 1.5 meters high, it swings through the transept at speeds of up to 68 km/h to dispense thick clouds of fragrant frankincense
St. James
Cathedral at sunset
Cathedral at sunset
one of the Tunas
Faith getting courted by the Tunas
In front of the cathedral at night
No comments:
Post a Comment