Exploring Santiago 1

After getting sorted at the albergue and being delighted to take off my walking shoes after today’s 25km or so, I headed first for a nearby bar for celebratory refreshments.

I then walked back across the Praza do Obradoiro (Workshop square), in part to see whether I spotted anyone else I knew who had just arrived. The buzz of raw emotion and whoops of joy are quite something to witness, as others arrive before the cathedral.

Having soaked up a little more of the atmosphere, I thought I’d see what the queue was like at the Pilgrim Office, which is a 5 minute walk from the square. I’d already pre-registered my personal details before leaving the UK, and so already had a QR code for the staff to access my information. There are kiosks to do this upon arrival as well as a QR code to scan for the registration page.

The security guard at the door checked that I already had my registration code and handed me a slip of paper, with a further QR code and the number of my place in the queue. I was directed into a corridor with a screen above the far doors, and a handful of happy pilgrims in front of me. Every 15-30 seconds or so the screen displayed the next number and assigned desk (about 10 or so were in action today).

After little more than a minute, my number came up, allocating me to desk 7. The friendly volunteer took my credencial and asked how my Camino had been. He scanned my QR codes and checked the details, before examining my credencial (with somewhat more scrutiny than I remember from the last time!)

The volunteer congratulated me on completing my pilgrimage and presented my with my Compostela, explaining that my first name had been translated into Latin. He then asked if I also wanted to have a distance certificate too for a small charge.

After paying at the cash desk for the distance certificate and a protective tube, I headed out into the garden behind the pilgrim office building. I’d completely missed this last time but it was lovely to sit for a moment, in the shade of this beautiful and peaceful oasis.

With only about 45 minutes before the service was due to start, I retraced my steps back to the Praza do Obradoiro and the round to the cathedral entrance in the next square, the Praza das Praterías (Silversmith square) in order to see what the queue for the 7.30pm Mass looked like.

The queue wasn’t took long and was moving reasonably quickly and so I joined the line. I knew I’d be lucky to find a seat this close to the start of the Mass, as you usually need to be on the queue at least an hour before to get a seat.

As anticipated, all the seats were indeed taken but, I got inside the cathedral and found a pillar to lean against and to take some of the weight off my feet. The cathedral have recently launched an app which is meant to provide an AI-driven simultaneous translation of the Mass into half a dozen languages. Despite having it pre-loaded and apparently ready to go, the app didn’t connect to the dedicated network inside the building, and there was no mobile signal otherwise.

I therefore had to rely upon my bilingual liturgy book and my rudimentary familiarity with the Mass.

Nuns sang accompanied by one of the 2 organs (which was just above my head) which was lovely. I just about managed to join in with the congregation’s part in the responsive sung Psalm, although I couldn’t quite catch the words. The lectionary said the Psalm should have been Psalm 139 and that the responsibility line should have been “Guíame, Señor, por el camino eterno” (Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way) which was something like what we were led to sing.

The gospel reading was from the first verses of Matthew 18 (which I had on my phone in English), and I think got the gist of about 30% of the homily, which sought to connect coming to Jesus humbly and like a child (as per Matthew 18v3) and the simplicity and humility of the pilgrim’s journey on the Camino.

There was no swinging of the Botafumeiro, a huge thurible or incense censor, because it’s been taken down to allow scaffolding in the central crossing, whilst restoration works are underway to the ceiling. I gather it will be back in December and will be swung at every Mass (4x a day) next calendar year because it’s a Holy Year in Santiago.

After Mass, I found a convenient and reasonable restaurant for a meal after the service.

Later, I went back to the main square, the Praza do Obradoiro, hoping to see the nightly performance of a band of Galician musicians playing traditional instruments, who were at least initially all local law students. Unfortunately it turned out that the band aren’t performing at present due to an indefinite protest camp of tents at the back of the square, protesting about the lack of availability of housing in the city.

However, I did find my other Israeli friend who also arrived today and who was also looking for the band and so we went for a drink together instead and it was lovely to catch up and hear in particular about the Spiritual Variant.Read more