Happy St James’ day!

Today, July 25th is the feast of St James, it is only right I give it a mention as the resting place for the relics of St James at the cathedral Santiago de Compostela is our final destination and the whole reason for this amazing pilgrimage! So, to give the cathedral a bit of drama, I’ve found this footage:

Saint James Feast Day in Spain is a national holiday where shops close and street theatre, dance and traditional bagpipes will fill the streets.

In England, it is customary to eat oysters, and proclaim that anyone who eats the oyster will not want for anything. In France, they eat scallops instead of an oyster. Yum.

In the cathedral they obviously celebrate as churches do but Santiago is a little special in that it brings out a mahoosive incense burner called the Botafumeiro, this is attached to a pulley system and uses ropes to swing it high into the roof of the church, bellowing incense smoke as it’s swung over the heads of the congregation. Pretty impressing seeing as this thing weighs 80 kg and measures 1.60 m in height.

Here’s a video of the swinging in action:

Here’s a different kind of swinging in action:

NO! not that kind of site……..

So, Ultreia et suseia! (onwards and upwards!) and for a little more information try the Catholic Culture website.

This blog: Tony Hemans and Glen Eccles cycled the Camino Frances from St jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela covering 845km in 6 days in October 2012.  If you are trying to get fit, planning an adventure, long distance cyclist or just curious about my mid-life crisis then subscribe and share!