That's what Santiago de Compostela translates to.
I took a day trip from Vigo to see this city. RENFE runs sleek comfortable tilt trains on this route that hit 150 km/h on straights.
The line in places runs along beautiful vistas of Galician estuaries and rivers, and the magnificent spans at crossings.
Disregarding the preposterous tale that brought about the creation of its magnificent cathedral, making it the third most important Christian pilgrim destination after Rome and Jerusalem, it's still fascinating because of the pilgrimage trails attached to it, the Caminos de Santiago.
By the way, notice the huge botafumo attached to a rope and pulleys. This is a side view so you don't see the mass of worshipers that the priest is facing.
I was curious about why people do the pilgrimage. Aside from the religious reason, a growing number of people, including the young, are doing it for personal or cultural reasons. Before setting out I had read two books by secular authors who had done the Camino. Tim Moore, a Briton, did the conventional Camino from Roncesvalles in France, but unconventionally, with a donkey, and wrote about it in Spanish Steps. Tony Kevin, an ex-diplomat, who brought the SIEV-X incident to light, did the Camino from Andalucia, one of the alternate routes, and wrote about in Walking The Camino. The common theme seems to have been a need to reevaluate one's life. The enforced solitude of the walk, the clearing away of all quotidian concerns, seems to bring about an eventual acceptance of one's condition. And that of the donkey, in Tim's case.
By the way, I can recommend Tony Kevin's book for a chapter with an insightful analysis of Spanish politics, past and current.
2010 will be the next holy year for the Caminos so the turnout will probably be a record number.
Solvitur ambulando, it is written. My own little walk between the train station and the old city, and around the narrow streets of the old city, seems to have done the cold I have a little good at least. It was a worthwhile two hours before moving on to Pontevedra.
By the way, notice the huge botafumo attached to a rope and pulleys. This is a side view so you don't see the mass of worshipers that the priest is facing.
I was curious about why people do the pilgrimage. Aside from the religious reason, a growing number of people, including the young, are doing it for personal or cultural reasons. Before setting out I had read two books by secular authors who had done the Camino. Tim Moore, a Briton, did the conventional Camino from Roncesvalles in France, but unconventionally, with a donkey, and wrote about it in Spanish Steps. Tony Kevin, an ex-diplomat, who brought the SIEV-X incident to light, did the Camino from Andalucia, one of the alternate routes, and wrote about in Walking The Camino. The common theme seems to have been a need to reevaluate one's life. The enforced solitude of the walk, the clearing away of all quotidian concerns, seems to bring about an eventual acceptance of one's condition. And that of the donkey, in Tim's case.
By the way, I can recommend Tony Kevin's book for a chapter with an insightful analysis of Spanish politics, past and current.
2010 will be the next holy year for the Caminos so the turnout will probably be a record number.
Solvitur ambulando, it is written. My own little walk between the train station and the old city, and around the narrow streets of the old city, seems to have done the cold I have a little good at least. It was a worthwhile two hours before moving on to Pontevedra.
Interesting thoughts about pilgrimage.
ReplyDeleteOne of the key things, I think, is the abandonment of 'normal' possessions and comforts. Tolstoy, for example, who also wanted to divest himeself of his copyrights.
And yet, pilgrims are also associated with the shady side of life. The miller from Canturbury tales.
The pictures look great!
Yes, I think in the past some criminals were offered the choice of taking a pilgrimage or suffer some other punishment, to extirpate their misdeeds. And of course as with any "tourist" trail, all sorts of exploiters get into the game.
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