This is our bartender at the bar next to our alburgue, The Last Stamp. Last night the bar was decorated with spiderwebs and ghosts and goblins. It was just like Halloween in America.
This was the guy in the bunk above me. That is either an army surplus CPAP machine on his face or he is dressed up as Darth Vader for Halloween and left part of his costume on after he came back to the alburgue.
All night long his breathing machine was making that Darth Vader inhale and exhale wheezing noise that always gave me the creeps in the Star Wars movies. Needles to say I didn’t sleep much last night. I was awake most of the night wondering if Darth Vader was either going to stop breathing or jump out of his top bunk and try to cut me in half with his light saber. This morning he had the nerve to tell me that I was snoring and that I kept him from getting a good night’s sleep last night. I know that is a lie because I was awake most of the night and he slept like he was in a drug induced coma.
This morning I got up, showered, shaved, dressed and ate breakfast. After I finished breakfast I walked down to the Cathedral with Giorgio to attend the noon Pilgrim Mass. We got there at 10:30 AM and there was a line forming to enter the Cathedral. Today is All Saints’ Day and that is a big holy day and holiday in Spain. Tomorrow is All Souls’ Day, another big holy day and holiday in Spain. The Spaniards get a four day weekend out of this doubleheader holiday. And this is a country that closes down every afternoon to go home and take a nap. What a life these Spaniards live.
I thought the Pilgrim Mass on Sunday was a real spectacle. Today’s Mass topped Sunday’s Mass by a mile and turned out to be a full blown Hollywood production. Today it was standing room only by 11:00 o’clock for the noon mass. I am so glad we got there early and got a seat. Before the mass the Cardinal led a procession through the Cathedral.
I believe that is Saint James getting carried around as the procession’s guest of honor.
Before the Mass, while the procession was going on, the seven guys in brown robes did the Botafumiero incense swing. Every time I see this I get the chills. It really is quite a sight.
The pipe organ was playing at the noon Pilgrim Mass and they brought in a 40 person choir to belt out a few liturgical hymns for our listening pleasure.
This is the couple that I met at Mass in St. Jean. They just arrived in Santiago this morning.
That’s it for today.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thursday.
Good evening from Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
AbeAndMarkontheCamino 