The end of the road . . .

. . . But not our trip!

In 44 AD St James (santiago) was martyred in Palestine. 800 years later a monk found a tomb in the woods in Spain and decided it was the tomb of the saint. It was convenient- he could help them in their battles against the moors. So a cathedral was built and became a centre for pilgrimage. Today thousands of people every year come to worship. Traditionally on foot, donkey or horseback, along several routes, all ending in santiago de compostela. There are long routes starting in France, the pyrenees, or from southern Spain and Portugal, or across Spain from the east or from Madrid. The shortest route is the English route, as English pilgrims arrived by sea at A Coruna, then walk. Even though its the shortest route, its still a long hard walk, and the mountains in the way don't help! Everywhere on our trip we've come across pilgrims walking, singly, in pairs, or in organised parties. We are in awe of them, but it does mean that the city is packed full, even this late in the year.

The legend has it the boat carrying the saints remains sank off the coast near here but all the occupants survived, and were covered with scallop shells, so the scallop is the symbol of the Saint and it is used all along the camino to show the way.Читать далее