Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Our morning aboard the National Geographic Endeavour began early today with a much-anticipated departure in the Zodiacs to the Galicia port town known to the locals as “Finisterra”, or Land’s End, named by the Romans for being the westernmost point in Spain. Between the multi-colored waterfront apartments and the lush rolling hills behind them, it was hard to ignore the diversity of colors in this place as we pulled into the harbor. We boarded the buses and began our adventure along the narrow and winding road of Costa de la Muerta. It was difficult to pull our eyes away from the rich landscape that surrounded us along our route, which included a multitude of quaint little villages set in between a combination of oak and eucalyptus trees. With so much greenery around us, it was no surprise to learn that Galicia contains half of the forest area in all of Spain.
Our arrival to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was accompanied by some enthusiastic hoots and hollers from a group of pilgrims who had just completed their trek to the famous site, which is the resting place of the remains of the patron saint of Spain, St. James. The exterior was as equally impressive as the interior with never-ending stone carvings, gold and silver-plated alters, and meticulously detailed stained-glass windows. We navigated our way through hordes of people of all ages coming to pay homage, and captured a glimpse of St. James’ tomb. Some of us stayed for part of the mid-day mass, and watched the silver botafumeiro pendulum high overhead the congregation, filling the air with its smell of burning incense.
An excellent show of Galicia and Celtic-influenced dancing was our appetizer for lunch today inside the Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos. We finished our meal with a surprise group of Spanish guitarists who played and sang for us as we sipped our wine. Dessert was a traditional drink from Galicia called the Queimada, which is made with spirits, coffee beans, sugar, lemon, orange peels, and a few other secret ingredients. Brewed in a cauldron over a flame, it is meant to purify the soul and aid in keeping witchcraft at bay.
We then returned to the buses to meet the ship an hour away in the port town of A Coruña. Also called “The Crystal City” for its large window-covered balconies along the boardwalk, it holds the title of being one of the most significant shipping ports for almost 2000 years. We celebrated the end of our day with a champagne toast at the base of the Torre de Hercules, the only Roman-era lighthouse in the world. Once back on board, we enjoyed a BBQ dinner out on the deck this evening, and slowly made our way to bed with dolphins riding the bow of the ship and the sun setting on the horizon.
Our morning aboard the National Geographic Endeavour began early today with a much-anticipated departure in the Zodiacs to the Galicia port town known to the locals as “Finisterra”, or Land’s End, named by the Romans for being the westernmost point in Spain. Between the multi-colored waterfront apartments and the lush rolling hills behind them, it was hard to ignore the diversity of colors in this place as we pulled into the harbor. We boarded the buses and began our adventure along the narrow and winding road of Costa de la Muerta. It was difficult to pull our eyes away from the rich landscape that surrounded us along our route, which included a multitude of quaint little villages set in between a combination of oak and eucalyptus trees. With so much greenery around us, it was no surprise to learn that Galicia contains half of the forest area in all of Spain.
Our arrival to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was accompanied by some enthusiastic hoots and hollers from a group of pilgrims who had just completed their trek to the famous site, which is the resting place of the remains of the patron saint of Spain, St. James. The exterior was as equally impressive as the interior with never-ending stone carvings, gold and silver-plated alters, and meticulously detailed stained-glass windows. We navigated our way through hordes of people of all ages coming to pay homage, and captured a glimpse of St. James’ tomb. Some of us stayed for part of the mid-day mass, and watched the silver botafumeiro pendulum high overhead the congregation, filling the air with its smell of burning incense.
An excellent show of Galicia and Celtic-influenced dancing was our appetizer for lunch today inside the Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos. We finished our meal with a surprise group of Spanish guitarists who played and sang for us as we sipped our wine. Dessert was a traditional drink from Galicia called the Queimada, which is made with spirits, coffee beans, sugar, lemon, orange peels, and a few other secret ingredients. Brewed in a cauldron over a flame, it is meant to purify the soul and aid in keeping witchcraft at bay.
We then returned to the buses to meet the ship an hour away in the port town of A Coruña. Also called “The Crystal City” for its large window-covered balconies along the boardwalk, it holds the title of being one of the most significant shipping ports for almost 2000 years. We celebrated the end of our day with a champagne toast at the base of the Torre de Hercules, the only Roman-era lighthouse in the world. Once back on board, we enjoyed a BBQ dinner out on the deck this evening, and slowly made our way to bed with dolphins riding the bow of the ship and the sun setting on the horizon.
