5-14-11 Leon to Santiago de Campostella

Breakfast again was a fabulous spread.  I took a couple of bites of melon, pear, fried egg, sausage, puff pastry, chocolate tart, yogurt, special K, churro, and hot chocolate.

          We departed for Santiago de Campostella at 9 am.  On the way out of town, we saw a number of people carrying backpacks and walking sticks on the way to Santiago.  Going to Santiago has been a popular pilgrimage for over 1000 years, to visit St James’ remains in Santiago, which is Spanish for St James.  I think the religious purpose is to receive absolution.  There are many different starting points and routes, but they all end in Santiago. The most popular route is the French route, starting in Paris, which is 2 months by foot.  If a pilgrim starts from the French border it takes about 30 days by foot, shorter by bike, and much shorter by bus.  All along the way there are signs and paths for pilgrims.  Many people do it for reasons other than religious – often to mark a turning point in their life so they can contemplate what is next for them, like retirement or loss of a job.  The routes are called the caminos de Campostellla.

          Just outside of Leon, we saw 5 stork nests, each with storks in them, in a church tower right next to the road.    

Stork nests

          Shortly after starting, we stopped in the town of Astorga.  One of Gaudi’s earlier designs is a bishop’s mansion in the town.  It resembles a church, with turrets and stained glass windows, but has touches of interior design that are unusual.  My favorite feature of the town was chocolate.  There are several shops that make their own chocolate.  I found one that was open, and picked out a chocolate covered biscuit.  The cashier was a cute young woman, so I took her photo (with her permission) for certain of my friends who will appreciate seeing her. 

          I relaxed a bit in a coffee shop and had a cup of thick hot chocolate.  It was the consistency of hot chocolate pudding, but had a much more intense chocolate flavor than pudding. 

          Lunch was in a family owned restaurant in a small town along the way.  I had a green salad and a small portion of beef stew, both of which were good. 

          Our weather was clear and in the mid 60s.   The drive was through green countryside, with many trees and fields. 

          According to our tour guide, northern Spain hasn’t been impacted by the economy as much as southern Spain which was more reliant on construction and development, which has essentially stopped. 

         Our stay for tonight is Santiago Santiago de Campostella.  The entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  On the square with our hotel and the cathedral are also a 35,000 student university and the town hall.  Some times, probably when the King is in residence, the buildings on the square house the King, the Bishop, Mayor and University president.

          Our hotel for tonight, Parador – Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos, was built in the early 1500s as a hospital and as a hotel for catholic kings and queens when they visit the cathedral next door.  The King of Spain still stays here when he visits. It is on the main square in the historic center of the city. 

Our hotel is on the left, the famous cathedral is on the right

Wedding party in the lobby of the hotel

 We are in the Province of Galicia, where they speak a different language.  Spain has 5 languages – everyone speaks Castillian Spanish, and some also speak a different language in different provinces.  Galicians are of Celtic origin.  One vestige of that is in their music which includes bagpipes.   There is a bagpiper playing all during the day in a passageway next to the hotel, unfortunately right near our room.  I’m glad he stopped playing in the evening and didn’t start again until around 10 am.

          Dinner was in the hotel.  We had a choice of the formal dining room, with waiters in tuxedos, or a less formal restaurant, or pub.  We chose the pub because according to travel writer Rick Steves, the atmosphere in the formal dining room is stuffy and the food doesn’t make up for it.  We shared a mixed salad, mussels, a few small scallops, and a very good dish of lobster and paella.  Dessert was a disappointing sorbet with cherries and too strong liquor