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| Santiago de Compostela |
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Posted by:
Maryn on February 7, 2007 |
Last weekend we flew ‘up north’ to the city
of Santiago de Compostela. We stayed at a hostel and at first I
was a little nervous. But this one was very nice. The beds
were more comfortable than in my apartment. The bathrooms were
clean with plenty of hot water and we got breakfast in the
morning and were walking distance away from the center of the
city. Our group was 12 girls and we had a blast. The nights in
the hostel were a lot of fun – we played card games and shared
photos.
Santiago de Compostela is the third holiest
city in the world where they keep the ashes of St. James. The
Cathedral was BEAUTIFUL!!
The next day we went on an autobus tour of
the coast. We visited Noia, Muros, and Fisterra. The sky was
bright blue and so was the water. Even though it was freezing
cold the coast looked beautiful. The water was full of small
colorful fishing boats. We packed a picnic. There are two
types of food that are native to Santiago. Queso de Teta,
translated that is, tit cheese, it is shaped like a cone and
named after that shape, haha. There is also cake named “Tarta
de la Abuela” translated, “Grandmother’s Cake”, which is covered
in powered sugar with a brown sugar cross in the middle. We
enjoyed eating both.
The next day we decided to walk a small
portion of el Camino de Santiago, which is a pilgrimage that
starts from locations all over Europe. People walk for months.
We walked for an afternoon. After they make the journey to
Santiago, they travel to Fisterra, which is said to have the
most beautiful sunsets in the world and at one time was believed
to be the end of the earth. There they wash there face, hands,
and feet in the ocean and burn 5 pieces of clothing from their
journey and watch the sunset, this symbolizes the end their old
life. The next morning they go to the ocean and watch the
sunrise which symbolizes a new beginning.
The past few weeks have left me exhausted
and confused. Each morning I wake up not knowing what to
expect. It is definitely an adventure. I have made some
wonderful friends and memories already. I miss everyone at home
and at ‘The Gate’. It is hard being away but I know this is an
experience I will never forget.