Arriving in Santiago de Compostela

As mentioned earlier, we took a flight from Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela. Via Madrid if you don't mind. A bit circuitous I suppose but we made it comfortably in the end. There is a wonderful bus service from the airport to the Placa Galicia right in the middle of town. It runs every 30 minutes and only cost 3 euros.

Oh, remember me saying I didn't bone up on my Basque? Well I didn't bone up on my Galatian either and that is what they prefer to write their street signs in here. Ah me.

Santiago de Compostela is renowned as the finishing point for the gruelling Christian pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago. It starts typically in Paris or the Pyrenees mountains or Lisbon or where ever you happen to be really and winds its way to here. There are lots of people who still attempt it evidently as the plaza is full of people with backpacks, heavy boots, walking staves and smug looks on their faces. Hey, we trekked there the full 100 metres from our hotel, a little credit where it's due, please.

If Adelaide thinks they are the city of churches, they got another think coming. Seriously, you couldn't throw a spud and not hit a church in this town. I can see three right now from my hotel window.

There is also a wonderful botanic gardens here called La Alameda. It covers acres and acres with woodlands, meandering trails, avenues of trees and flowering shrubs. We saw camellias, rhodies in many colours, maples, oaks and believe it or not, gum trees. That's right, gum trees and they are simply enormous. They are doing very well in what must be a strange land to them. Even their tree ferns (imported from New Zealand) are looking in top shape.

Dinner tonight was at a local restaurant called The Penalty. The name bodes badly but really is indicative of their penchant for displaying La Liga soccer matches on 5 or 6 large screen TVs placed strategically throughout the restaurant. 

Typical street scape in Santiago de Compostela.

Whereas Bilbao was a mix of old and new, Santiago is a mix of old and older.

Our darling little hotel, San Miguel Gastronomico. Honestly, that's its name. 

Louisa at the front desk is just magnificent. We'll have to buy her a present I reckon.

Our darling little room with its adorable balcony niche with table and chairs.

Jackie and I will have conversations over breakfast here.

The view from our window with the Iglesia de San Martin Pinario at the end of the plaza.

 That's the cathedral spire in the background.

Our bathroom with two facilities apparently.

Maybe Jackie and I can have conversations here too.

The church of San Martin Pinario attached to the monastery of the same name.

Oddly, the doors are below street level and have to be reached by descending some stairs.

The stairs to the door look like they were designed by Escher.

Ah, the amazing baroque facade of the famous Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

This is the end point of the gruelling Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.

Some detail of the facade. Exceptionally intricate and very well preserved.

Some detail of the central spire.

Baroque seems to mean putting lots of statues and things in places where they don't really fit.

 The cathedral stands before the Placa Obradoiro.

Its whole northern side is flanked by the Palacio de Reis Catholicos.

Or it was, now it's a Paradore hotel.

More astonishing detail of the Cathedral facade.

The Cathedral and attendant buildings form the eastern side of the plaza.

Alameda Park is a beautiful botanic garden setting with walks, lawns, forest and hedged garden beds.

The people of Santiago love to come here and relax, many with their pets.

  

An avenue of oaks in the gardens.

 A picturesque fountain setting in a fringed rose garden.

We saw this and our jaws dropped. 

It is a gum tree, (eucalyptus globulus) growing and thriving in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Parts of the park are elevated and give a good overview of the city and Cathedral.

A typical streetscape in Santiago.