[ Spain Days 12-13 ] Saturday, June 23, A Coruña to Santiago Compostela, Galicia :: Sunday, June 24, Santiago de Compostela
Origin: Hotel Nido, San Andres 146, A Coruña
Destination: Hotel Costa Vella, Rua da Porta de Pena 17, Santiago de Compostela
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Destination: Hotel Costa Vella, Rua da Porta de Pena 17, Santiago de Compostela
30 minute train from A Coruna, it was a 3 km walk to our Casco-Viejo (old-town) hotel with its peaceful garden patio/cafe behind.
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When she asked us if we were pilgrims and we answered no, she responded, " Oh, yes, you are, just a different kind of pilgrim."
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Watching the hundreds of pilgrims reach their destination at the Cathedral here in the Plaza do Obradoiro we marveled and thought about all the walkers over centuries who have been drawn for so many reasons to this place. We felt a bit like imposters for arriving by other modes. It is an inspiring scene. We are all on our own journey.
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Watching the hundreds of pilgrims reach their destination at the Cathedral here in the Plaza do Obradoiro we marveled and thought about all the walkers over centuries who have been drawn for so many reasons to this place. We felt a bit like imposters for arriving by other modes. It is an inspiring scene. We are all on our own journey.
What fun to be here for the June 23 night time 'Festa de San Xoan' (Saint John), here referred to as the shortest night of the year. It is a night of music and dance, grilled sardines and meats, beer and other beverages.
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To our delight, Kyong-im Rhee from Korea, shared our outdoor cafe table. She was celebrating her solo walk on one version (almost 800 km) of the entire French Way Camino over the past month, walking 25-30 km a day.
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To our delight, Kyong-im Rhee from Korea, shared our outdoor cafe table. She was celebrating her solo walk on one version (almost 800 km) of the entire French Way Camino over the past month, walking 25-30 km a day.
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Visiting museums is a pleasant way to stay cool during high 80-degree afternoons: Contemporary Art Museum, the Pilgrimage Museum, Museo do Pogo Galego (honoring Galicia's history, language, crafts, and traditions), and the Monastery of St. Martin Pinario. The historic cemetery with its white crypts abuts a lovely garden nearby.
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We had planned to leave on a morning train Tuesday to Leon. The bad news is there was no room on the train. The good news is (1) we missed a near 100-degree F day in Leon by arriving after midnight, and (2) we got up to the new-and-still-not-completed Ciudade da Cultura. It looms over the city and hopes to be the complex of places and activities that archives, studies, displays, promotes Galician culture. And, it is obvious that the hope is that this complex will draw visitors by the thousands. The museum is open and operating. Being Monday, however, we got into only the impressive library (purporting to have all Galician literature and historic documents.
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The architecture is monumental in scale, uses stone and tile boldly, and presents a new hilltop to the World below.
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As we finally got on the train to continue our journey, we knew we boarded with several people who had walked their way to Santiago Compostela. We presume they left with a powerful sense of "having arrived," for we left feeling some of their dust and sparkle had rubbed onto us.
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We had planned to leave on a morning train Tuesday to Leon. The bad news is there was no room on the train. The good news is (1) we missed a near 100-degree F day in Leon by arriving after midnight, and (2) we got up to the new-and-still-not-completed Ciudade da Cultura. It looms over the city and hopes to be the complex of places and activities that archives, studies, displays, promotes Galician culture. And, it is obvious that the hope is that this complex will draw visitors by the thousands. The museum is open and operating. Being Monday, however, we got into only the impressive library (purporting to have all Galician literature and historic documents.
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The architecture is monumental in scale, uses stone and tile boldly, and presents a new hilltop to the World below.
..
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As we finally got on the train to continue our journey, we knew we boarded with several people who had walked their way to Santiago Compostela. We presume they left with a powerful sense of "having arrived," for we left feeling some of their dust and sparkle had rubbed onto us.
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