Santiago de Compostela, in north west Spain, has been one of the Christian world’s main pilgrimage destinations for over 1000 years, based on the belief that it is the burial site of one of the disciples, St James (Santiago in Spanish).
The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and an intriguing, hospitable and welcoming place, with narrow winding streets to explore. The grand cathedral is the ultimate goal of the pilgrims who have travelled the Camino de Santiago from faraway places.
Santiago is the capital of Galicia, and the region is quite different from most other parts of Spain in terms of culture, music, language (Galician) and climate.
Unlike much of Spain, Galicia is wet. Santiago is said to experiences some rain on more than 300 days per year.
Galicia is considered to be one of the seven Celtic nations (along with Scotland, the Isle of Man, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany) and its music reflects this heritage. Bagpipes (called gaita gallega) are a common feature of Galician music. My favourite Galician band is Luar na Lubre. A link to their song Chove en Santiago (It’s Raining in Santiago) is here.
This is my contribution to Tiffin’s A-Z Guidebook, this month starting with the letter ‘S’.
Lovely music. As an outsider, it sounds like a real blend of celtic and Spanish music, but to them it’s their beautiful music. Looks like a lovely place. Hope to be there one day.
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Thanks. The music has a whole tradition behind it. Visit Santiago if you can. The nearby coastal scenery, with rias (sunken river valleys), fishing villages, and the wild Atlantic, is excellent as well.
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i would love to get to galicia. i would love to do the walk if i was younger and fitter:) it sounds like a really fascinating place. cheers. merry xmas.
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Thanks, Sherry. Best wishes for the new year. Even if the Camino is out of reach, the daily walks around the old town to find a restaurant for lunch or dinner is rewarding enough.
Thanks also for your regular comments on my A-Z Guidebook posts. I enjoy yours each month, but for some reason (my incompetence/technical unknowns?), my comments aren’t accepted. I’ll keep trying.
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Love the st image .. a very interesting post. Thank you 😃
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You’re very kind. Best wishes for a brilliant new year.
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And to you too! 😃
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We have also visited Santiago de Compestela and yes, it rained whilst were there. I suppose that’s what happens in northern Spain! We were there in November and as we drove across from the east, we still saw a scattering of hardy pilgrims even though the first flurries of snow were falling. Thanks for joining and sharing a happy (and wet) memory with me.
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Great structure!! Lovely post.:)
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Thank you.
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