Santiago de Compostela

Stella
Alan & Mary Phypers
Thu 23 Sep 2010 22:53

42:52.84N 08:32.65W

 

Today we caught a bus to Santiago de Compostela. 

 

This, for those like us who didn’t know, is a very holy place where St James walked to 2000 years ago and converted many to Christianity.  Having been killed in Judea his body was transported back to Spain by sea covered in scallop shells and buried at Santiago.  When his grave was found some 800 years later by a shepherd the area became a major pilgrimage site. 

 

Today it is a medieval city full of cathedrals, plazas and narrow windy streets and has become very touristy with lots of shops selling shepherds and scallop shells.  We did however succumb to the Tarta de Santiago – a tart with an icing sugar cross on the top! 

 

Many people still walk to Santiago along the old pilgrimage route and the city was full of hikers looking very elated having spent 30-60 days walking 780km from the Pyrenees.

 

IMG_2213.jpg

 

IMG_2243.jpg

 

IMG_2235.jpg

 

 

IMG_2217.jpg