Visiting the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain has been on our wish list for a while. Once we started travelling again in Spain at the beginning of July it seemed like an ideal destination.
It was quite emotional to stand in the Praza do Obradoiro, in front of the striking Santiago Cathedral and watch the arrival of some of the 300,000 people who make the pilgrimage to this city every year - walking the Camino de Santiago (Way of St James). The majority are looking for something, a purpose, as they follow The Way. This visit has made us think about our own pilgrimage that we are on in our motorhome and how our expedition is changing us, as individuals and as a family, especially following the intense period of lockdown caused by the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
We spent a couple of days in this beautiful city, staying at Camping As Cancelas. This convenient campsite was about a 35 minute walk into the main part of the city, and just behind a huge shopping centre and Carrefour which was very convenient (although we remembered why we don't like shopping mall food courts after a disappointing meal there!) One of the huge pluses was its large swimming pool which provided a great way to cool down after a day exploring the city in the sun!
As well as taking a tour of the cathedral, wandering through the narrow old town streets, playing spot the Camino shells embedded in the paths, and enjoying the most amazing ice creams we also spent a few quiet hours wandering through round the beautifully laid out Museum of Pilgrimage and Santiago. Exhibits covered so much, from the spiritual side of pilgrimage, to the historical and also the practical. There were some amazing pieces of art that really captured some of the heart behind pilgrimages too. This great museum really helped our kids to understand more about the journey we are on too.
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