Spain: Santiago de Compostela

July 2016

The Camino de Santiago (or simply "the Camino") was something I learned about ironically in Saudi Arabia. I was surprised that such a travel "thing" had never been on my (or Brian's) radar. The end point is, of course, the Cathedral of Saint James (the apostle's purported resting place) in Galicia, Spain. I wanted to see it for what it represents and to understand what the place is like as the focal point of a long pilgrimage.

I visited on a day trip from A Coruña - enough to get a taste of it. Of course, the town exists on religious tourism which it embraces completely. I purposely followed the end of the two main routes (from the north and south) and walked them into the square. I enjoyed watching people end their journey and seeing the look of accomplishment on their faces. These days, many "pilgrims" are not religious and simply taking advantage of a well-established trek across northern Spain. To have walked across the Pyrenees from France and then nearly the whole width of the country is no small achievement. I wondered if I could still do it (I had one colleague at King Khalid University who tried and failed - but he was massively out of shape).

On the main square was an orderly queue to see St. James' remains. I waited patiently - the line moved slowly. We were all given just a few moments to gaze at something (very unclear) behind some glass (with glare). I must admit to disappointment. The story goes that one day the remains of the saint had "flown" to their current location from the Holy Land (like the old mosque in my friends' village in Java had supposedly done).

The visit was unique and I am happy I did it. The cathedral and square are opulent (for such a small city). It is always fascinating when a small city holds an attraction that dwarfs its home. The square around the cathedral looked like it should have been in Madrid or Barcelona. Santiago de Compostela is tiny.

I left wondering if I would ever do the Camino. It is likely that COVID stole my window for that opportunity - oh well, at least I saw the end point.