Santiago de Compostela

Yesterday we took a break from classes and traveled to Santiago de Compostela. Santiago is the capital of Galicia, and is most famous for being the final destination of the "camino de santiago." That is, a pilgrimage stretching hundreds of miles ending up at the cathedral in Santiago, where the remains of St. James are said to be buried. Some people continue to do this walk as a religious pilgrimage, but others do so for recreational reasons.

We decided, of course, to take the more modern route and hop on a train yesterday morning. The train ride is a little under an hour, and we arrived in Santiago around 10:30. In the morning, a guide took us through the cathedral and parts of the old section of Santiago. Santiago is a beautiful city, with some amazing views of the cathedral. Parts of the cathedral are constructed in Baroque style, and thus are extremely ornate. The main altar absolutely gleams.

After our tour, we went to "Galicia Digital," a digital/virtual museum. They have different 3-D shows that explore Santiago and other parts of Galicia. The students were able to get a feel for what its like to swing the incense in the cathedral, and to drive a car through the streets of Santiago. This was all done through the use of computers, etc.

The families packed lunches for the students (many of which consisted of about four sandwiches, five pieces of fruit, two drinks, and more), so we took some time to eat lunch and have a bit of free time to explore a little more or do some shopping. When we all met up again, we walked over to a nearby pack for some more incredible views of the cathedral. The park also had a sculpture exhibit that we were able to check out.

The train brought us back to Pontevedra at 7:30 where the families were waiting. FYI, next year is a holy year for Santiago de Compostela. In case anyone wants to start prepping for "el camino".........