Day 9 and 10 – Fisterra to Santiago
A day to sleep in was welcomed. The bus to Santiago didn’t leave until 11:45. Even so I had an hour of nothing to do after breakfast. Nice to relax! My companions had left much earlier for Muxia. Other than purchasing a pen to replace my broken one there wasn’t much to do.
The bus took the coast route with lots of twists and turn. It was nice scenery but towards the end of the 2.5 hr ride the constant turns and up and down over the short hills made my stomach queasy. I made it back ok, but I would have rather walked if I had the time.
It turns out that I did have the time because the wine festival in Porto made it impossible to find a room. So Porto has been dropped from my itinerary and I am going to spend an extra day in Santiago then go straight to Lisbon.
In Santiago, the first task was to get my laundry done (easily accomplished). My hotel in Santiago said sure, I could stay an extra night, but had to be out the next day, Friday, since they were booked for the weekend. So with a quick plan change I go to Lisbon on Friday for three days and skip Porto altogether.
The best hamburger I have ever had was for dinner at Casa Elisa on Rue Do Franco. I had eaten there several times before because it had an inviting air and was just around the corner from my hotel. It isn’t cheap but it is convenient, the food was flavorful, the service friendly and the wine soft and easy to drink. But this hamburger had the best flavor and texture. I don’t like hamburgers that are thin tasteless patties, with fluffy tasteless buns. This patty had great taste – better than any store bought burger in the States. It was as thick as two+ junk burger patties and the bun was firm, flavorful and not to thick. They added some cheese, very tasty tomatoes, very fresh lettuce and cooked bacon (Spanish of course). Fabulous!!
My next day, the extra day in Santiago, actually worked great because I toured the Cathedral Museum and joined a roof tour.
The Cathedral that exists today was started in about 1100, and mostly finished by 1500. The museum has architectural relics from when the Cathedral was being built. Additionally there were remains of older religious structures on the site of the Cathedral going back another thousand years.
In the museum there was exquisite art (paintings, sculptures, tapestries and gold and silver work). It is a journey of art through the ages, from ancient roman building pieces like columns and some sculpture, through renaissance, and Flemish design influences. The tapestries were 4-500 years old, and large (4+ feet by 5+ feet) with really fine detail. The tapestry images were with Flemish (think dutch) life and costume. A surprise in a Spanish church.
The final part was going up on the roof of the Cathedral with the magnificent views of the city of Santiago and the Spanish countryside.
Panorama View
After a quick stop at the American Pilgrims on the Camino office (for a tapas restaurant recommendation) and at the Galicia Tourist office for fresh (think unused) maps and the day was done.
Tomorrow off to Lisbon!