Santiago de Compostela

Parador living is quite amazing. We had a wonderful breakfast in the traditional room where they used to feed the pilgrims. Of course, we were having an extensive hotel breakfast inside this beautiful structure. Here’s a photo of the room with stone walls and windows overlooking the plaza:



After checking out, we walked over to Alameda Park which is outside the city center and popular with the locals. We visited the “Duas Marias” statue which remembers these two eccentric ladies who used to walk around the park at 2 pm. They apparently were a bit impoverished and had mental issues - their family was targeted as they were against Franco. They used to flirt with the local boys as well, hence the winking and the hand reaching out. Many people pose as if their bottom was being grabbed:







Also famous about the park are beautiful views of the Cathedral - here’s a few from our walk:











We then headed over to the Cathedral museum where you’re not allowed to take photos of the treasures or beautiful chapels - only from the balcony and in the cloister.





One sacred chapel where the kings of Leon are apparently entombed was jaw dropping and there was a beautiful recently discovered and restored Triptych that remembers St. Francis of Assisi and Queen Isabella making the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

We cut our visit short to head to noon mass at the Convent of San Francisco - the church that memorializes St. Francis of Assisi and the location of the pilgrim mass during the renovation of the cathedral.



Here you can see Tresa and Mary Ann looking for seats. We made sure to arrive 30 minutes prior as we were sure it would get full early like Christmas or Easter mass. We found seats next to a couple from Seville and observed the many pilgrims.



There were people in crutches, barefoot, and many people in pain. But we were all here together celebrating the pilgrimage. At the beginning of mass, they announce every country and every Spanish province from which a pilgrim had arrived and registered with the pilgrim office within the past 24 hours.

There was a group that was hard of hearing and I believe 2 priests who accompanied them. There was a translator for both the priests and the group. I wasn’t sure if the mass permits any priest who made the pilgrimage to join the celebration at the altar as there were several, including clearly one American as he read part of the service.

In any case, I completely teared up when the priests signed the Our Father and served communion to those hard of hearing. Along the way, we saw many with special needs and it reinforces that this pilgrimage is for everybody.

We returned to the museum to finish our visit and then went to Meson 42, our alternate for dinner last night for lunch. We ordered a goat cheese salad and some bread with ham - all delicious.



As it was close to our SunTransfer pick up to the airport, we returned to our Parador hotel for a quick self guided tour and freshened up. A photo of the chapel:



Our driver was early and we headed to the Santiago de Compostela airport which is not very large. He was very chatty and friendly. He advised he had done the full French way and walked the Camino in 27 days when it takes about 34. He definitely had a lot of energy as Mary Ann tried to understand his fast talking stories.

At the airport, we shared some wine and got on our 1 hour flight to Madrid where we transferred for another 1 hour flight to San Sebastián. Our SunTransfer driver picked us up and we drove about 40 minutes to the top of Monte Igueldo, where we’re staying at an Accor hotel called Mercure. We have beautiful views of the sunset, the famous San Sebastián beach called La Concha, as we enjoyed our welcome drinks and then dinner for our first of two nights in San Sebastián!