When the early
disciples of Christ divided up the known world for evangelism, James got
Spain. According to legend, the remains
of Saint James were transported and buried here by his followers after his
martyrdom in Jerusalem. When the
crusades made pilgrimages to Rome and Jerusalem too perilous, the
indulgence-seeking faithful flocked to Santiago de Compostela, making it the 3rd
most holy pilgrimage in Christendom.
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| Some provocative on-lookers on the balconies (modern art ?) |
The town is so
grandiose and the cathedral is so decked out with reflective sparkly things
that my photos could only be disappointing (also not helped by a big scratch in
the lens.) The biggest and best surprise
of our visit, however, was running into a friend from Stockholm at the museum -
small world, indeed, especially considering all our thwarted attempts to reach
Santiago earlier! After hugs and squeals
and being shushed by the museum staff, we spent a lovely evening together
catching up on more than 15 years of relative absence.
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| St James himself... |
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| Surprise reunion |
After the bright
lights and big city, we left the port of Coruna for an idyllic anchorage in the
Cedeira estuary. Since the winds were
from the west and southwest, we moored off the Laira beach, across from the
port area and other better-known moorings.
I’m not sure we were supposed to be there (the chart said something
about “reserve integral”) but we treaded lightly and left the next morning… for
an adventure that has now left us stranded in Viveiro.
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| Cedeira light |
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| Mooring near Laira Beach |
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| Laira Beach mooring (yes, there is a beach to the left, but it was not easy to photograph...) |
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