Santiago

Today is my last day in Spain.  It's been so much fun here and Santiago has been wonderful.  Duran's observation is that often a city with a prominent tourist destination becomes "owned" by the tourists.  Not so in Santiago.  This is a city of quiet, dignified people who are ready to help if they can.  Not too many speak English, so we limp along on my bad Spanish.

I don't really know when the city was founded...I think it was toward the end of the Roman Empire...but the pilgrims didn't start coming until 814 AD.  The story of how St. James bones arrived here is about as whacky as anything I've ever heard.  Every turn in the story is more bizarre and the only explanation is that it is a miracle.  Whatever.

The actual name of the city is Santiago Compostela which means that St. James body composts well in Santiago.  Is that creepy or what?  More later on composting.

This morning I went to the Santiago airport to retrieve my stored luggage.  I think they have some systems issues that could use some review.  To pick up the luggage, I have to go to an unmarked door and pound on it until someone opens it.  Then the security guard in the room has to call another security guard to take me downstairs to the locker.  Once there, she asks me if I have paid for the locker (no, I didn't know where to pay), so she waits for me to pay.  I walk about 300 feet to a cashier who calculates my bill.

Let's see.  It costs 5 euros a day and I had it in storage for 6 days.  She calculated 23 euros.  I am aware that Spain has some economic problems and I think it is becoming clearer to me.

So I walk back to the locker, the security guard signs some papers, I get my luggage and back to the city.  Two hours--not bad.

Duran and I then walked around the city a little while.  He wore some really bad shoes and his ankles (he calls them his "feet neck") are killing him.  So we walk slowly around the city.  I think the highlight was the enormous monastery and hostel.  I spoke with a monk (his English was worse than my Spanish) who lives near the coast, but comes to this monastery for some kind of instruction.

The hostel is for pilgrims and costs 17 euros per night for a private room.  We got a great tour of the ancient seminary and it was old and the rooms were small and the bathrooms shared.  But the place was spotless.  I wished we had stayed there. 

I have nothing to complain about though--our hotel here is very charming and quiet.  All of the accommodations have been really good (after Barcelona).  But I have been paying 40 euros per night and I had originally thought that Duran and I would share a room, but it turns out that isn't possible....my snoring.

Tonight we walked to the front of the large cathedral and saw a square.  In the front was the cathedral, behind us was an enormous monastery, to our right was an apartment for poor students (it did not indicate if "poor" referred to their economic plight or academic standing) and to our left was a hospital for pilgrims.

We went into the hospital, and it didn't take long to realize it is no longer a hospital, but a very, very high-end hotel.  The restaurant was first rate, the lobby was elegant and there was a big conference at this hotel.

What kind of conference would you have at Santiago Compostela.  I'm not making this up.  It was a European conference on composting.

Damn.  I missed it.