Day: June 30, 2025

Santiago

After setting an alarm everyday for 2 months on the Camino, we slept in this morning until around 8, then walked next door from our hotel and had a breakfast of cafe con leche and Croissants!

When we finished, Linda returned to the room to begin reorganizing her stuff for the train trip tomorrow. So, Jim returned the 1.25 mile walk to old Santiago de Compostela to take some photos and checkout the inside of the Catedral.

A few pilgrims and tourists beginning to congregate in Obradoiro Plaza at 9:00 a.m.
A view of the Catedral looking directly at the Pórtico de la Gloria (gated door on center, ground level). The Pórtico of Gloria was like a porch where pilgrims entered the 24/7 over 1000 years ago. It was closed this morning so will have to check it out next trip!
A closer look at the west entrance (which is normally closed except for the Pórtico de la Gloria museum/display).
A closer look above the Pórtico at the architecture and sculptures.
Jim walked around to the south side of the Catedral where most visitors enter. No line this morning, but yesterday, a line containing hundreds of people snaked into and filled the courtyard on the east side of the Catedral and then continued down a street leading into the courtyard.

When Jim entered the Catedral there was a 9:30 pilgrims mass beginning and no photos were allowed in respect for the parishioners.

So Jim took a seat and joined the 30 minute service. It was obviously in Spanish and Jim’s not catholic, thus being unfamiliar with the service routine. So, when not reflecting on the spirituality of the moment, he observed the artwork and sculpture and symbolism displayed all around him.

Here are some of his visual observations during the service and then after the service.

Jim’s view as he sat in the nave, in a pew about half way back. The organ pipes and decor located at near mid-sanctuary were awesome.
Approaching the altar… Botafumeiro suspended at right center.
The Botafumeiro was hanging in the Catedral but not swinging during today’s pilgrimage mass at 9:30.

The ‘Botafumeiro’ is the famous giant thurible or censer in the Santiago de Compostela cathedral. It has been used since the Middle Ages, to clean the air when crowds of pilgrims, having completed the Camino de Santiago, arrived in Santiago de Compostela after their long journey.

The Codex Calixtinus, the first Camino de Santiago ‘guide-book’, refers to the ‘Botafumeiro’ as Turibulum Magnum, which means this ritual has been taking place at least since the 12th century.

The current ‘Botafumeiro’ dates back to 1851, and it’s made of silver-plated brass, is 160 cm high and weighs 62kg when empty plus up to another 10 kgs more when filled with smoking coal and incense. Eight men, called ‘Tiraboleiros’, are required to operate the ‘Botafumeiro’.

The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is the largest ‘Censer” in the world.

Moving forward, with the transepts to your left and right, you can focus more on the Altar Major which features St. James.

The Altar Major with three depictions of St. James (Santiago).
Santiago “the knight”
Santiago “the pilgrim” or “martyr”
Santiago “the Apostle”
A closer look at Santiago, the Apostle. This depiction of St. James is the main focus of the Altar Major and is positioned just above the crypt that holds the remains of St James and two of his followers. Pilgrims can climb the steps behind him and embrace him, by placing their arms around his shoulders.
This is the crypt holding the remains of Santiago, St. James, Apostle of Jesus Christ.
This was one of only a few stain glass windows seen in the Catedral. It was located behind the Altar Major.

After his brief visit today to the old city and the Catedral, Jim hurried back to our hotel to get to work organizing his stuff for our return home,

The rest of the day was routine/uneventful. We got to bed early as our train departs for Madrid at 7:48 a.m. tomorrow morning.