Puerta Del Camino Santiago de Compostela

... have been gathering for centuries to visit the tomb of St James. The Cathedral itself was magnificent, and the surrounding buildings where also very impressive. Shopping in the narrow flag stoned streets was a delight. We stayed at were given refreshments in a former hospital dating from around 1513 which is a listed building and is now a first class hotel. It was all very grand.

... the lobby. Dinner last night was quite exceptional. Paul had the duck confit and I had the pork chop....both were delicious.<br><br>So we left Ribadeo yesterday and took the coastal road. It was like I imagine Highway 1 down the California coast used to be in the 50s. We stopped at Cathedral Beach and I'm attaching the photos. Santiago is a big-ish city with lots of traffic and its accompanying exhaust. It's a university city so ...

We travelled through thick fog over and through the mountains on typically heroic Spanish roads. They cut through mountains and build viaducts over the valleys. We drove through and around weary looking Pilgrims to our campsite which was on the Camino de Santiago. It was closed. After some interesting encounters with some locals, one old man practically ran away when asked for directions, we found this camp site.<br><br>The centre ...

... does the paying, and we couldn't have been more clear that we were expecting friends). We enter this club and find that he has reserved a VIP table in the corner with a velvet rope and all. A waiter comes and asks for our orders, and once we realize that this guy is paying for all our drinks, we order and sit there talking and drinking. I get one of the other girls to ask him his name, which turns out to be Doglas (DOE-glass). We sit there talking amongst ourselves ...

... and were able to walk all over the roof and take pictures. After the roof, they took us on a tour of the market of Santiago, where we saw a truly revolting aisle of seafood, mostly still alive, a vegetable aisle, and a cheese aisle. The cheese in Galicia is a special local cheese called "tetilla"-- boob cheese. It comes in the shape of, yes, boobs. The story goes that a bishop commissioned a famous Italian sculptor to make a statue of the Virgin Maria for the entrance to the ...

... de l estpagnol...le Galicien! Top 5 des souvenirs achetes a Santiago 1- Baton du pellerin avec petite courge sechee (on n a jamais su a quoi ca servait... de gourde? Boibois tu peux nous aider) 2- Tarte aux amandes 3- T-shirt avec la fameuse fleche jaune 4- Coquille St-Jacques avec epee rouge de la Galice 5-Chapeau de pellerin en feutre brun

After two days in La Coruña, I headed southeast to the city of Santiago de Compostela. The Cathedral of Santiago is the 3rd ¨holiest¨site in the world because holds the apostle´s remains which brings thousands from all over the world on pilgrimage to worship. The University of Santiago brings a youthful atmosphere to the ...

... I was in class the next day, Cris checked out the sweet cathedral and actually went to mass! What a good little catholic boy! So instead of making this the longest travel log ever... I'm sure you'll hear the stories down the road.. I'm just gonna say when we weren't too busy ruining eachothers lives (aka. bad haircuts, failing tests, near eviction, African kidnap plans, and strep throat) We were cooking amazing meals, drinking way too much ...

... we reach our arrival time of 11.45am, confirm we are at the right place, because of the sign for the Camino. DP checked around, but the way was definitely up hill, and a long way up. 4.5 km later, and about 600 metres up, we arrived at our official starting place of O'Cebreiro, which is a lovely small village of about 20 old stone buildings, perched on the saddle of the ridge, high up on the mountain. Buildings made in the dry stone wall style of thin, flat stones ...

... everywhere. There's a very strong Celtic influence here, so lots of bagpipes and drums. These little bands of musicians and costumed people have been making lots of little parades through the town all day, and I spent a good while just following them around. (Or was I following the men? I think I like the Spanish ones the best.) Every now and then one little band would bump into another on the street, and then they'd play together. There's just a really good celebratory vibe in this place.