Day 9 - Sept 12 - Vigo, Spain

Today we arrived in Vigo, Spain. We chose to take a walking tour of Santiago De Compostela. This city is considered one of the holy cities for the Catholic. Third to Jeruselem and Vatican City.

The port of Vigo from the Ship

These people are pilgrams. Evidently people come from all over to make the pilgramage into the holy city. I think they said that the pilgramage is 100 km on foot or 200 km on bicycle. They have an office in town that will give them offical documents in Latin if they complete the trip. Everywhere you looked you'd see these pilgrams and they always carried a scallop shell.

This was our tour guide.

Monastery built in the 16th century

Saint James Cathedral

Built in the 11th century

this huge incense burner called a Botafumeiro is suspended from these ropes and swung in wide arcs over the heads of the worshippers . It requires the efforts of eight strong men to control it. It is still used on special occasions today.

Pazo de Raxoi - from the late 18th century - home to the city council and the regional government of Galicia

Hotel de los Reyes Cathlicos-Build in 1499 - it is now a luxury hotel

In the same plaza the Praza do Obradoiro, there are a number of people trying to get you to pay to take their picture. We did cave in and paid for the dog's picture. He was cute.

Notice the scallop shell on the terrace - people used them to decorate