Santiago-Free Day 1

You learn a lot at the laundromat. I had some thoughts on museums to visit but wasn't sure which to prioritize with the time I have available. With the help of my laundry mates, I figured out my plan for today and tomorrow.

First up, I made some changes to my plan for the next few days. I decided not to walk to Finisterre. I want to do some exploring in Santiago. There's so much to see here so I'm extending my stay by two days and then I'll take a bus to Finisterre and spend two days there and meet up with Sue and Bob again.

So after laundry, I met up with Sue and we went to the Cathedral and hour before the Pilgrim's Mass to get good seats and then Bob caught up with us. I noticed right away that the first two rows of pews were reserved. That usually means that a tour group has made a donation to have the botafumeiro swing. The botafumeiro is an incense urn, as tall as I am, that historically was used to purify the air since the smelly pilgrims used to sleep in an upper level of the church. Now it's a symbolic purification and lifting of prayers. I didn't take much video of it because I wanted to just watch it. It reaches speed of about 40mph.

After Mass, we went to Hotel Costa Valla to have a beverage in their garden. I learned about this place from the laundromat. It was a beautiful garden and my lemonade was delicious.

Bob and Sue then went to the Cathedral rooftop tour, which Pat and I did three years ago, and I went to the Casa de la Troya museum. I'm staying at the hotel of the same name and my mom sent me a picture of a book she has of the same name. It turns out the book is semi-autobiographical and the events took place in a house that was turned into a museum. It's about a wealthy young man from Madrid whose father sends him to the farthest, and rainiest, university (Santiago) to get him away from bad influences. He ends up meeting, and rooming, with a bunch of guys in a rowdy boarding house. An 18th Century Animal House, if you will. The Tuna bands feature heavily in the story. It's piqued my interest so I'll have to either read the book or watch one of the movies made from the book.

Then we shared a nice dinner and said good-bye until Finisterre.Baca lagi