It is not raining...too much....so we are going to the Cathedral and visiting who we came to see...Saint James.
One visit before to the Church of Fructuoso built between 1754 and 1765 or in Spanish the Church Igrexa de San Fructuoso.
It is located in the Old Quarter and looks exquisite...thus why I wanted to go in.
The views that surround this church.
Deb honouring her sister Barb's memory by lighting a candle on her birthday.
A delight to visit and show gratitude for all the reasons we are truly blessed.
Back up this impressive walk way to see Saint James.
At the top of the walkway is The Palace of Rajoy, completed in 1766 and directly faces the Cathedral.
It is the Town Hall for the city, and for the Galicia region it is their governing Parliament building.
The building has had many purposes. Some of which have been a residence for priests and Cathedral staff, but also a prison.
Interesting sculptures that decorate the Cathedral.
We are heading in....before the crowds come.
Incredible stain glassed window inside the Cathedral. A few days before, the line of visitors went around the church to see Saint James, but on this day there were only about 10 people ahead of us.
Interesting sculptures of Jesus in a sitting pose...don't think I have ever seen one like that?
Traditionally, when the Cathedral is not under renovations, you can give thanks to Saint James for bringing you safely on the Camino to Santiago. There is no way to walk up to the front of the life size sculpture, but we can go behind him.
That's just what we did.
I thanked him and gave him a BIG hug from behind.
Saint James the Great. He was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ and one of the first to be asked to join and follow him.
He died in 44 AD in Jerusalem after King Agrippa ordered him to be beheaded.
We walked down the narrow stairs to the crypt of the Saint.
No photos are allowed and I am not a rule breaker. The photo of his resting place was taken by me at the Pilgrim Museum. They offer a video and I took the photo from there.
It is a tiny space where he rests....but the people who come to see him don't care about that.
It is amazing to me, and I am sure to the masses, that we get to witness Saint James's eternal resting place.
Lighting a candle for our dear and much loved friend Ruth who is living with a degenerative, progressive and terminal illness. We honour her with a prayer and a candle.
Even with the renovations inside the Cathedral there are still statues to be seen.
One of the sadly missing elements of this completion of the Camino is the mass for the pilgrims with the Botafumeiro ceremony.
It resembles the hanging incense burner below (but not nearly as ornate).
It weighs over 53 kilos and is 1.5 meters in size. It usually hangs, inside the Cathedral, from the main dome. It has incense in it.....and it's use is to 'symbolize the true attributes of the believers.' It blesses them and I actually read where it served to help with the smells of the 'ripe' pilgrims.
It is on pulleys and takes 8 men to make it swing above the congregation, which it does, getting serious height. It looks amazing.
You can definitely YouTube it and check it out.
Behind the Cathedral is this quiet and beautiful plaza, The Quintana de Muerto Square.
It hosts many events and concerts.
A sculpture depicting feet...very appropriate after the Camino walk.
The translation of 'Camino Recto, Camino Erguido' is
'Straight Path, Upright Road.'
And this is a wee bit funny to me....a tourist and visitor to Saint James getting a personal photo with him.
She was close enough to take a selfie....just saying....lol.
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