Pilgrims or travelers? For centuries people have flocked to the delightful city of Santiago da Compostela, St. James of the Field of Stars, tucked away in the far northwest of the Iberian peninsula. It was here in the early Christian period that the body of St. James is reputed to have been brought by sea from the Holy Land to its final resting place. A later (and now not very politically correct) vision of St. James on a white charger slaying a Moor (Santiago Matamoros) inspired a centuries-long crusade to rid Spain of Islam, culminating in the expulsion of the Muslims and the Jews with the fall of Granada in 1492. After Rome and Jerusalem, Santiago is one of only three pilgrimage sites to offer plenary indulgence for the most serious of crimes.
Our only indulgence was lunch at one of the most beautiful hotels in the world, the Host l de Los Reyes Cat¢licos, the former pilgrim's hospice. Before lunch we had a guided tour of the cathedral, pausing to admire Master Matthew's magnificent west door of glory, a summation of medieval theology in stone. A highlight of the day for all was a chance to witness the "botafumeiro" in action -- a giant incense burner, some 300 pounds in weight and swung the length of the transept by some eight men, a ceremony originally devised for the very practical purpose of deodorizing pilgrims. Not necessary for modern travelers, of course, but by the end of the day the spirit of pilgrimage had touched us all.
