Santiago, Day 2

Day #34: 0 miles!

Friday, September 26

What a great time we have had here in Santiago. Last night we stood in a long line to have our credentials and stamps checked so we could receive our Compostela certificates. Some people (particularly Spanish Catholics) consider this a kind of get-into-heaven-free card. I just consider it a nice record of my journey:

A portion of the rooftop of the cathedral after sunset. 

Today we received an additional certificate from the Franciscan Convent because it is the 800th anniversary of St. Francis's journey to Santiago. I have a special fondness for St. Francis and was happy to follow in his footsteps and get this certificate. This was a beautiful statue of him near the convent:

At noon we attended mass, hoping to see the botafeirmo swung. It seems to be by chance that you get to see this spectacle. We talked to a friend last night who had attended mass three times and never saw it, but we were in luck. When we entered the cathedral early, a special mass for visiting students was in progress and we ended up seeing it swing twice within an hour. I have to say that the mass was particularly uninspiring-people talked right through it and jockeyed for good spots. Very chaotic. But even I, the skeptic, was moved by the sight of the botafeirmo swinging high up to the ceiling. It is basically a large incense burner (175 pounds of silver-coated bronze) raised with pulleys by eight monks in burgundy velvet robes. It flies high overhead and emits smoke. My understanding is that originally it was used to dispel the smell of the stinky pilgrims. The photo below is what it looks like when grounded. There are lots of good videos online showing it swinging and it was also shown in the movie "The Way." It really was a remarkable experience. 

After the first mass we found a small chapel and lit three candles-two for friends who are seriously ill and one for a friend with serious chronic illnesses. (You know who you are and I hope you could feel our prayers for your peace and healing coming across the ocean to you.)

The altar in the small chapel had beautiful scallop shells along the edges and the Santiago cross in the corners. This cross has been common all along the camino. The design is from the Crusades, combining a cross and a sword.

After the second mass and second botafeirmo we saw several friends in the cathedral. It was great fun to see them again. We all went out for lunch and drinks to celebrate. 

Christine and Jesus from Canada (Jesus was born in Galicia and is going back the hard way!), Grace, Jan from Denmark, Thomas from Germany. We all met in Orisson on August 24, the first day of our journey. We hadn't seen Thomas for weeks. He has already walked to Finisterre and back.  

The great cathedral here, sections of which are almost 1000 years old, is being renovated. As they do with most of Europe's great buildings, they have made screens to shield the construction work. The screens are printed to show the actual building. That is why the pictures look a little odd. 

Some of the facade is real and some is painted screens. 

 From a distance you can tell how much of the real cathedral is under reconstruction. 

Some of tonight's free musical entertainment-Spanish "tuna" singers (seranade singers) in full costume (not a great pic).  At other locations there were a Galician bagpipe player, Korean drummers, a saxophonist, an opera singer, and more.