Free Things to do in Santiago

In Santiago there are several things that you can do at little cost (I know I have entitled this blog 'free things to do in Santiago' but some of these require a donation).

1. Meet up with friends from the Camino - you will likely run into most of the people who you saw whilst walking, catch up with them and congratulate them on their success. This may lead to going to get a drink together which is not free but bars in Spain don't mind you spending a long time over one drink

2. Sit on the square in front of the Cathedral and watch Pilgrims arrive - this is one of my favourite activities in Santiago, a chance to re-live your own arrival and maybe even see someone you know arrive

3. Attend a 'concert' - as far as I can work out musicians are assigned to one hour slots to play (if you've walked the Frances you've undoubtedly seen someone playing under the arch near the Cathedral) so stop and listen for a bit, the variety of music is great so if you don't like an artist at a particular time come back later but do give a bit of money for the privilege of listening

4. Go to Pilgrim's House (see this post: http://footprintsonthecamino.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/pilgrim-house-in-santiago_13.html ) here there is a library with books you can read or you can paint a stone to leave for another Pilgrim or just relax (but once again please donate to keep this brilliant place open)

5. Walk around Santiago's streets - the old part of Santiago is beautiful and after a little while not walking you'll miss the activity

6. Walk around Santiago at night - probably only if you are staying close to Santiago's centre but the streets are quieter and the Cathedral looks beautiful at night

7. Go in the Cathedral - an obvious one I admit but even after you have hugged the Apostle, seen his remains and seen the Tree of Jesse (assuming the scaffolding is out of the way so that you can) there are many other parts of the Cathedral to see or just find a seat and sit and remember your journey to get here.

8. Take some 'artistic' photos - already done Pilgrim shadows whilst walking? Can you get one near the Cathedral? Or a photo of your bag/walking boots in front of the Cathedral? Have a play and see what you can do

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The Camino Primitivo

The Camino Primitivo (or the Original Way) is reportedly the very first Camino Way to Santiago in the 9 th century when most of Spain was under the control of the Moors and it runs from near the city of Ovideo in Asturias as it starts in Villavicosa (which also lies on the Camino Norte so many people follow this Way from Basque city of San Sebastian (Donosti in Basque) or in from the French border at Irun ( this route then hugs the Bay of Biscay passing through Guernica, Bilbao, Santander, Llanes before going under the Picos de Europa and then heads along the coast to Ovideo) before branching off onto the Primitivo which goes across the mountains and through the city of Lugo before joining the Frances at Melide. The route is 320km long. Image taken from https://viaalpina2013.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/camino-del-norte-camino-primitivo/

Symbols of the three main Christian Pilgrimages

The symbol of the Pilgrim to Santiago is the Scallop shell of which many can be found on the coast of Galicia and it is actually a symbol of the Pilgrimage (and has become a symbol of other Christian Pilgrimages too) partly because you could find the shell easily there and so could go back home and show it off as proof that you had done the Pilgrimage. It has also been included in carvings in some Churches.

Pilgrims' Trail to Saint Michels Mont, France

I have only walked two of the Camino routes (the Frances and Portuguese) and still want to try many of the others and yet I am also finding other Pilgrimage routes that I want to walk - I did the Pilgrims' Way in the summer which starts from Winchester which is also the starting point for the Pilgrims' Trail a 155 mile route that finishes at Mont St Michel in Normandy, France. The cult of saint Michel was popular in Britain from the 9th century and the Pilgrims walking this way were called Miquelots and many Pilgrims on their way to Santiago. The route is marked by green way markers in Hampshire taking walkers from Winchester to Bishop's Waltham to Southwick and then to Portsmouth where ferries are caught to France and Way markers become blue. Tradition says that, in 709 Saint Michael the Archangel appeared to the bishop of Avranches, Saint Aubert, and told him to build a chapel in his honour on the island. The bishop obeyed and soon sent a group of monks over...

On the Camino

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