Our tour of Santiago continues with Maria describing and pointing out many interesting features. We have a break at the food market (Mercado de Abastos) where we get to sample some San Simon cheese - a smoked cheese shaped like a spinning-top that is made in Vilalba and celebrates El Camino. After more exploration with Maria, we take a lunch break - we have tapas at Casa Elisa.

We meet Maria again at 2:30pm, at the Parador, and are taken for a tour of the Cathedral's interior. Here we are able to view the casket that holds the relics of Saint James, and Janet goes to the rear of the Saint's statue.

 

At 4pm, we return to the Parador and check-in to our rooms, then go back to the Cathedral in order to visit the church's museum. This is spread over four floors and contains many interesting items including some splendid tapestries and books. We are also able to see a version of the large incense burner used in the Cathedral.

(above): Room 109 of the Parador de Santiago.

 

(left): Cathedral interior accessed from its Museum.

Dinner this evening is at the earlier than usual time of 8pm and is served in a basement room reserved for the Titan group. A very pleasant meal includes an option for veal that transpires to be an excellent steak. Jeanette declines the soup course (pumpkin) and is offered a salad alterntive that never appears. After some difficulty we get a bottle of white wine - service is slow and generally amateurish. After dinner, we enjoy some cool air on Obradoiro Square and enjoy the sound of a choir singing in the portico of the Paxo de Roxei. We retire hoping that the bagpipe player who has been present near the Parador all day will also be retiring soon.

 

 

After a good breakfast that again includes sparkling wine, we visit the nearby Cathedral museum. It is cloudy this morning and there is light rain as we cross Obradoira Square. The museum contains much of interest including a film regarding the restoration of the Cathedral's El Portico de la Gloria.

The Cathedral museum (above)  contains many fine statues amongst its exhibits.

(left) Janet and Jeanette explore the Refectory.

(below) San Martino Pinario - a church that is larger than Santiago's Cathedral.

After San Martino Pinario Church we visit the Pilgrim's Museum (above right) where there are many explanations regarding the history of El Camino and some excellent exhibits including a statue of Saint James (left). We then have lunch at the Cafeteria Rue Villar, where we have Galician Pie with salad. At a nearby jewelry shop, Jeanette and Janet purchase souvenirs of our time in Santiago.

 

Most of the tour group meets at the Parador at 2:40pm in order to make the excursion to Corunna that we missed out on due to the bus strike. Under a cloudy sky, we make the 46-mile journey in about an hour.