mardi 1 juillet 2008

Santiago de Compostela




As all Spanish cities, this is a city for pedestrians. There is a large historical centre where the Cathedral, museums and cloisters are situated and lots of pedestrian walkways.

It is interesting to sit and watch the pilgrims arrive on the Prazza de cathédrale, mixed in with local people going about their business and tourists. When we arrived on Sunday, it seemed to me that there were only pilgrims around. I did not notice other people. It was an all important moment for us!

Even after having walked and climbed and descended paths, roads and sometimes what seemed like river beds along the way, being in a city with hills and steps everywhere is exhausting! This morning I went to the local market. There is the usual indoor stalls for meat, fish and dairy products and like all European markets, the chickens come plucked but with their heads and claws. There were farmers' stalls, many selling hot peppers. There was a whole stall of salted cod and other fish and of course all the seafood you can imagine including octopus which you will find on almost all menus. Arlette ordered it one evening. It arrived complete in her plate as if it were alive! She claims it was delicious. She hasn't ordered any since.



Tomorrow we fly to Paris and Thursday we fly back home. This has been an extraordinary experience but I can't wait to be back home!


Michèle

3 commentaires:

Anonyme a dit...

and "home" can't wait for you to be back...

Anonyme a dit...

We met the evening at Domaine de Mathieu just outside Cahors on 8May. We also caught up with Michele one aftarenoon at Condom on 15 May. I am afaid that we got ahead of you after that, reaching Roncevalles on 25 May and Santiago on 25 June, and laeving for Paris on 27 June. We met Guy and Julia on 13 May at Lectore, and saw them again in Leon through Rabenal. Thanks for your blog and congratulations on completing the trek. It was a pleasure walking with you and your providing information and photographs of other pelereins that we shared our journey with.

Anonyme a dit...

Greetings. We met the evening of 8 May at Domaine des Mathieux, and saw Michele again at Condom on 15 May, where we had a delightful lunch with her and received her directions to the cyber cafe and laundromat. Thanks much for your blog. We are afraid that we got ahead of you, reaching Roncevalles on 25 May and Santiago on 25 June, catching the train back to Paris on 27 June and the plane back on 7 July. We met Guy and Julia at Lectoure on 13 May, and then again between Leon and Rabanal. Thanks for the photograhs and other information about our fellow pilgrims who made the journey so memorable and congratulations on completing the trip. We are only sorry that we could not have met up again further along in the journey.

Qui suis-je

Ma photo
Nous voilà deux femmes à la retraite prête à passer à la prochaine étape de notre vie. Ce pèlerinage nous donne l'opportunité de vivre des changements dans nos vie.