Got up early and went to the center and the Cathedral. The main entrance was still closed, but I could get in by a side door. The church itself is remarkably small, rather cozy in fact, the enormous amount of ornaments are not obtrusive.I looked around a bit and before I left burned a candle for my mother and Jol, as I promised.
It is quite busy now on the large square before the cathedral, and also in the office where I have to wait to get my Compostelana.I have to show my Credencial del Pelegrino, my pilgrims pass so they can verify my wanderings:
I can't make much of my new Latin name, something like the Divine Germanum, they wouldn't call me that back home! But that's the reward for your troubles, and of course absolution of your sins.
And the next day my name along with all the others that made it, was called during mass in the cathedral. I may sound a little cynical, but it was rather special really.
So the next days I looked around Santiago, it is a very nice city, with many beautiful buildings. I really like the cathedral, I can only talk in superlatives about it.
And the beautiful old walls, with many flowers growing in it.I collected some special coins, 100 and 5 pesetas, released in the holy year 1993.
Whenever 25 of July, the nameday of St. Jacob is on a Sunday, it is a holy year for Santiago the Compostela.I tried to visit Padrón, a little village on the coast, where St. Jacob supposedly landed in Spain, but my leg was giving me too much trouble. And so finally I decide to go back home. Too bad for the Picos de Europa and the Pyrenees, they will have to wait for another trip. It would be irresponsible to walk on like this.
So that's it, I hope I didn't bore you too much and maybe some future pilgrim can take advantage of my experiences.
My next goal is this:
Some reactionsWhy not let him know you followed him on his way?