September 30, 2022: Our hotel in Santiago de Compostela had the worst breakfast buffet, so on this day we ventured out and found a charming restaurant where we breakfasted each day in Santiago thereafter.
We had breakfast at La Tertulia.
William discovered the ready availability of mint tea at Spanish cafés (forsaking thick hot chocolate). We both had fresh orange juice, also a treat throughout Spain.
On our way back each morning in Santiago, we passed through the Praza do Obradoiro where horses and riders assembled. We had no idea why.
Our first tour activity of the day was to visit the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, an 11th century landmark. It’s the destination of thousands of pilgrims who walk the Camino de Santiago (the “way of St. James”) from France, Portugal, Sevilla in the south of Spain, and other points of origin.
View of the cathedral from the Praza de Quintana
Altar of the cathedral featuring the shell and sword symbols of Saint James.
The altar
Looking up into the dome and vault
The scallop shell of St. James symbolizes an open hand, which is for giving aid to others and receiving it as well.
Architectural detail
The floor pattern pre-dates Escher by several centuries.
This is the monstrance. Each of the cathedrals we visited had one housing the Eucharist.
Tour guide Maria quietly telling us about a tomb in the cathedral.
Detail of the cloister
Dueling organs in the cathedral.
Architectural detail in the cloister
Architectural detail in the cloister
Cracked and retired bells in the cloister.
View of the cathedral towers from the cloister
Bell detail
Elaine in the cloister.
Three of four sundials in the cloister.
Entrance to the crypt of the cathedral.
An altar in the crypt.
Detail of the altar in the crypt.
We also went to see the entrance to the cathedral, which is in a restricted area. It is the Portico of Glory. Pictures were forbidden there, so we borrowed this picture from https://andaspain.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Door-of-Glory-OPT.jpg. At the top of the arch are musicians playing a two-person hurdy-gurdy. Anton Corral (whom we met a few days before) made a two-person hurdy-gurdy based on this sculpture. His product is on display in a museum.
When we finished touring the cathedral, we hurried to the Mercado. There we sampled cheeses, watched oyster shuckers, ogled hanging meats of all kinds, and even saw a few vegetables.
The shell of St. James was everywhere. Here it is on Camino do Gozo cheeses in the Mercado. That translates to “the way of joy”.
One of the cheese booths at the Mercado, with “boobie” cheese (really called tetilla) – you can see why.
Our guide Paula shopped the market while the rest of the group was touring the cathedral. This is the meat counter where she bought pork steaks. True to her methods, she didn’t tell anybody she was doing this – it was to be a surprise.
Paula and the meat vendor.
The cheese lady announcing that we are going to have a tasting!
William is not too sure about the impending cheese tasting, as he is not a big cheese fan.
These are the cheeses to be tasted. They ranged from mild on the left to bleu. William gave up after the third cheese. Elaine liked all but the bleu cheese. All were locally produced in Galicia.
We moved on the oyster booth at the Mercado. They gladly shuck oysters for their customers.
The finished product.
Tour group member Joe carried the oysters to the Mercado restaurant where we had lunch. This is why Paula was shopping all morning. The restaurant cooks a meal of the food that you buy at the Mercado, and that was what we were treated to.
The finished pork steaks at the Mercado restaurant. On the left are the remains of a plate of fried padron peppers and on the right the best French fries ever. We had the padron peppers repeatedly all over Spain. Because they were so good.
William and Elaine enjoy the meal.
We had a choice of a couple desserts that Paula didn’t shop for. Elaine predictably chose flan. We were too busy eating to photograph all the other marvels that we consumed.
After lunch we had “free play.” We were on our own to shop and explore Santiago until we met to go a suitably late tapas dinner starting around 9:00 PM. Unfortunately we got only one picture of the food from that amazing dinner. They served the best Russian salad (a Spanish variation on potato salad) in all of Spain. No one knows why it’s called Russian salad.
Garden in front of the Monasterio de San Martín
This bust is in honor of the canonization of John Paul II. Note the St. James sea shells.
William rests in the square near the monastery.
The wonderful tapas restaurant where we had a late and delicious dinner.
The only tapa we took the time to photograph. It was fideuá Negra de luras y gambón con alioli, which is black noodles with squid, prawns, and garlic. Yum.
On the way back to the hotel, we took this night-time view of the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.
