March 31, 2009
Santiago de Compostela
Waking up around 8:00 a.m. for a change compared to our usual 7ish wake-up call was quite nice for a day. We ate a nice breakfast at the hotel and set out on our way for another tour. The tour of Santiago began in the square. We took a walking tour of the older quarters of Santiago. It was a little chilly out but the day warmed up quite nicely. During the walking tour in Santiago we saw the archbishop’s palace. We also saw the Santiago Cathedral. The cathedral was amazing. Stepping inside I automatically noticed the gorgeous stained glass windows and intricate columns. The sculptures were amazing.
For lunch we were given free time. Wandering about the streets of the old quarters we found a quaint little pizza joint. A group of about seven of us split two pizzas evenly, and we got to experience the taste of pizzas from a different country. Sadly, after lunch most of the stores were closed so we visited lots of little street vendors. I personally adore street vendors because the sell unique items that are usually one of a kind. For about an hour this was fabulous. Then we decided to get a little adventurous and visited Zara which was outside the old quarters.
The day ended on quite a different note. We sang our mass at the Santiago Cathedral. At this mass we sang to some of the pilgrims who had travelled at least the last 100 kilometers on foot. Santiago is known as the third most holy place for pilgrimages in all Christendom. One of our very own delivered part of the service and we sang all of our sacred pieces.
The night ended with quite a unique dinner. Personally, I’m not a fan of seafood but if you are, then this was the place to be. At Casa de Xantar we were served a variety of tapas. This included but did not limit octopus and squid that was baked in its own ink. Needless to say, I didn’t eat very much. It was a good day overall, and our journey to Oporto and Lisbon was something to look forward to.
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