Camino Norte, Day 19, Arca to Santiago

We had purchsed some crousants and OJ, which we downed for breakfast. We were not that far from Santiago, and we wanted to walk into town, not take a taxi. But we also wanted to not be exhausted from a hard day, and it was threatening to rain. So, we took a taxi part way, to Monte de Gozo, and walked the rest of the way into Santiago. Our google map program led us turn by turn toward our apartment, which was in the old town. Frankly, I was lost by the time we got to our apartment, but as I explored around the area, I got reoriented and felt comfortable with the neighborhood.

Above is the corner of the main plaza, with the Cathedral on the left, the Colexio do Xerome on the right. Shown below is the Praza do Obradoiro (Galician for "square of the Workshop"), which is in front of the Cathedral, and is the main square in the old town part of Santiago. The lighted building below is the Hostal dos Reis Catolicos, or Catholic Monarchs’ Hotel. It was commissioned after Ferdinand and Isabella visited Santiago in 1492, to create hostel and hospital facilities for pilgrims. Many of them were walking the Camino in ill health, seeking cures, enlightenment, forgiveness of sins, or at the very least cuts in line to get into heaven. If you did pilgrimages to Santiago, Rome, and Jerusalem, you got major cuts in line to heaven.

Below is the Cathedral of Santiago, the third cathedral to sit on the site of St. James bones, which were found in 820, when the area was controlled by the Moors. The first cathedral was built between 1075 and 1211. Work was done in the 1600s, and renovated and expanded in the 1700s. It is presently being renovated on the inside, so there wasn’t much to see inside.

We went to the Pilgrim Office, a couple of blocks from the cathedral, for Laura o get her Compostela. She took a number, literally, and an app to tell us what number they were on. Her number was something like 1700, and they were on 500 or so. We waited around for awhile, and finally gave up and went to our apartment. We walked 10.2 km, 6.34 mi today.