Santiago de Compostela

Lyss at the end of her pilgrimage to Santiago two years ago.

     The rain let up for a few hours one day, so before that could change we ran to the train station to take a trip to Santiago de Compostela.  Many Galicians have told us that Santiago is the most beautiful city in all of Spain.  Alyssa was pretty set in her opinion that Toledo is the most beautiful city in Spain, but my vote was still up for grabs.  Santiago is a mere 45-minute train ride away from Villagarcia. 

     On our train ride we passed horses, goats, and sheep grazing in tiny farm fields.  We learned that Galician parents choose to literally split their inheritance between their surviving children.  What once started as a normal sized farms would be split into smaller and smaller pieces so each child can have their own piece of farmland just big enough for a few animals but too small to actually have a business.  I asked one Galician farm owner how much work it took to take care of his four goats.  He said “It isn’t any work at all.  You just toss them your leftover bread every day and then kill one once or twice a year during a festival!”

     We arrived in Santiago and raced to the market so we could explore before it closed.  When we got to the market we were met with the smells of fresh bread and cheese.  I used my husband shining power to read Alyssa’s mind and there was one clear and powerful thought coming through.  FREE SAMPLES!  We walked up to the very first stand and a man offered us a sample.  However, it wasn’t quite what Lyss had in mind.  He used a big ladle to reach into a barrel and pull out an octopus tentacle.  Before we knew it he had cut it, seasoned it, and presented us with toothpicks skewering pulpo (octopus meat).  I’ve become quite an experienced octopus eater in my time here in Spain and enjoyed the free treat, but Alyssa had never tried it.  She stuffed it in her mouth smiling, waved goodbye, and walked quickly away.  By the time I caught up to her there was a wad of octopus in her hand.

     I was very proud of Alyssa’s attempt to eat octopus so we picked out some bread and cheese to eat for our lunch.  As we walked through the market we saw...

Santiago is home to some of the world's finest seafood.

We enjoyed our favorite dessert local to Santiago, Tarta de Santiago, in front of the Santiago Cathedral.  While enjoying our dessert, we met pilgrims who had just finished the pilgrimage.  It is tradition for pilgrims to kiss the brick on the left after finishing the pilgrimage.