I got up early in the morning to take photos of the streets in Santiago de Compostela. That day's pilgrims were already arriving, including a group on horseback who rode right into the main square of the cathedral.
Visiting St. James in the cathedral and attending the Pilgrim's mass at noon is the traditional finale for the peregrino.
As you'd guess from the outside, the cathedral is HUGE. Here are photos as you enter, and of the altar itself -- yes it's all real gold. This is unchanged, as it has appeared to millions of pilgrims for over 1,000 years as they finished the journey.
There's a traditional ceremony that pilgrims perform when they enter the cathedral. You touch the feet of St. James' statue at the side of the altar, then ascend a stairway that winds around the back of the altar, and give the golden St. James there a hug and prayer of gratitude. (See the hands of someone hugging the statue)
You can then go into the crypt below the altar and see Old St. James' bones in a silver box. These are the bones that were found in a field around 800 AD and began the entire devotion to Santiago de Compostela.
wow!
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