Note from Kelly
Monday, April 8, 2002 14:50
Weather: Cool, clear and comfortable
Location: Internet shop in the student district of Santiago de Compostela

My heart goes out to Tom for the loss of his goretex jacket; I contrived to leave my Santiago pilgrimage history on the night train from Madrid and have been kicking myself for it ever since. Of course, I didn´t notice I´d forgotten it until I wanted to consult it for some information on the Codex Calixtinus, a mediaeval guidebook to the road to Compostela that includes all kinds of early songs. I studied some of those songs at my Vancouver Early Music course a couple of summers ago, and will be performing some of them on April 19, so I´ve been wandering about Santiago ever since we got there humming ´O adjutor omnium saeculorum´, ´Fulget dies´ and ´Vox nostra resonet´ under my breath.

Paul and I have had a wonderful day and a half in Compostela. We arrived before dawn and made our way into the old centre of town, following our noses rather than any more reliable source. Accordingly, we missed the cathedral altogether (which is astonishing...it´s a BIG building!) and had to backtrack from the monastery of St. Clara. It was really something to find our way down into the plaza, bordered by the Cathedral, a university building, the city hall and a 15th century hostel that has been converted into a fine hotel, just as the sun was rising. Nobody was to be seen, and there was a stillness about the place that would have been mystical if we hadn´t been sort of sleepy and in need of coffee.

We stayed the night in the very excellent hotel mentioned above, and it more than made up for two consecutive nights on the overnight trains! Antique furniture, abundant white towels, and a canopied bed with the scallop shell of St. James carved in the headboard. I´ve got pictures.

Galicia has its own dialect, to Paul´s chagrin, and so we´re not as fluent here (I use the royal ´we´!) as we are in Madrid. He´s going to wind up with some really messed up Spanish if he keeps on hopping districts like this. It has been useful, though, to travel with someone not entirely dependent on six words learned from Sesame Street, a phrase book, and sign language for communication!

Incidentally, I have been taking stairs (especially descending ones) very slowly and painfully for the better part of a day. The funicular operator´s prediction was all too true; I think some people who saw me in the cathedral at Santiago must have wondered if I was there hoping for a miracle cure for my crippled legs. I´d forgotten what real sore muscles could be like! Some stretching and a nice hot bath have helped; I´m much better today.

Thanks to Tom for allowing me to guest post. We had an email from Patrick, who arrived safely in Toronto although had to jog the length of two terminals in Heathrow to make his connection. Paul is staying through until Sunday, based in Madrid, and doesn´t know where else in Spain he may roam, but I fly out tomorrow morning, so this will be my last appearance. It´s been a good trip!


posted by Kelly at 9:05 AM | link |