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Hola from Spain! Last week we made our way from Portugal through Galicia to the holy city of Santiago de Compestela (here’s the link to the archives). This week we’ve arrived at our final destination. Boy, did I learn a lot – for example, I had no idea Santiago de Compestela is regarded as one of the three most religious cities in the Christian world (after Rome and Jerusalem). If you want to find out why people trek to here from all over the globe, and see lots of pictures, then hop on– our ride is leaving! If you’re in a hurry or have ADD, don’t worry; there’s a 2-minute Johnny Jet video at the end of this week’s story. Also: My sister "Georgie Jet" (Georgette) did a Marie Antoinette tour of France. Her Part 1 story (on Paris) is located here – be sure to check it out.

GALICIA
We are in the Galicia region of Spain, located in the northwest part of the country. I wrote about this area last week -- including the language, the food, and some memorable cities that few Americans know about. This week we have made our way to the capital of Galicia: Santiago de Compestela. As you are about to learn, there’s much more to this place than just the region’s capital.

BACKGROUND ON SANTIAGO DE COMPESTELA
For centuries people from all over the world have been flocking here to enjoy this historic and holy city. Let’s start with the basics: The Spanish word "Santiago" translates as "St. James," while "Compostela" comes from the Latin "campus stellae" which means "field of the stars" St. James the Great was one of Jesus’ apostles (his brother was John). Legend has it that St James made his way to Galicia to preach Jesus’ good word. Nine hundred years later his bones were found in what is now Lebanon, and supposedly brought to Santiago Compestela later that same century (9th). St. James was buried directly below where a shepherd spotted a star; later, a cathedral was built over that very spot (it opened in 1075). This city is regarded as the final resting place of St. James; his remains are believed to lie beneath the altar in the crypt of the cathedral.

FACT: The population of Santiago de Compestela in 2004) was 92,298 -- and that doesn’t include the 30,000 students who attend the famous Santiago University.

WHO COMES HERE
Over the past 1,000 years people have made pilgrimages here (originally using the Milky Way as their compass). They came for a number of reasons – most often to rid themselves of their sins, or to journey toward God. This is one of three pilgrimages in the world that believers believers think will cause sins to be forgiven (the others are Via Francigena to Rome, and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem). The Santiago de Compestela pilgrimage is known as "The Way of St. James." Over 100,000 pilgrims travel to the city every year, on five major European routes. The most popular, from France, takes 30 days by foot. Yes, many people walk. An official pilgrimage to Santiago de Compestela requires that the last 100 km (62 miles) be walked, or the last 200 km (124 miles) biked. Pilgrims are required to get official credentials, known as the Pilgrim’s Passport. This allows them to get free or very inexpensive rooms (a few euros) for one night only at each refugio (similar to a hostel) along the way. The passports are stamped at each stop. When pilgrims arrive in Santiago de Compestella they receive a certificate -- and of course something much more important than paper. The pilgrims and their routes are well protected by the police and government – in fact, the pilgrimage routes have been declared European Cultural Routes by the Council of Europe, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I didn’t do an official trek myself – although I might have to go back and do it to rid myself of my sins. Instead I drove (the Portuguese way, via Tui), like the majority of Santiago’s 6 million annual visitors. But in 2004 179,944 people made the pilgrimage, and it seems to get more popular every year. That’s almost 500 pilgrims arriving a day! The most popular countries for pilgrims are Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, the United States, England and Canada. But I met people from Brazil, Israel -- even Australia.

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