When we came back from our vacation in Manila early this year we made plans with long-time friends to get together in the summer but it was already the second of July and still raining.  Late in the afternoon Sunday when I logged on the internet among the incoming e- mail was from a travel agency offering a last-minute cultural cruise to three countries.  Eddie was excited because the ports of call of the ship are near historical sites we have not been to. How can we resist the offer, not only was the price reduced but if booked between seven to nine-thirty of the same evening there is still a 10% deduction from the total price.

In Spain the ship will dock in La Coruña. Not far from the port is Santiago de Compostela, a Catholic pilgrimage destination. Another port of call in Spain is Bilbao. The city attracts thousands of art lovers since the opening of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

In France, La Rochelle is a haven for boating enthusiasts.

The ship will stop for one day in Southampton in Great Britain. There are daily trips from the port to nearby places, among them to Salisbury, known for its Cathedral. In Wilshire, a short distance from Salisbury is located one of the wonders of the world, Stonehenge.


Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

The first port of call of our cruise ship MSC Opera was La Coruna. We joined a tour that took us to Santiago de Compostela, capital of Galicia province.

The Cathedral of Santiago (Saint James) de Compostela (Campus Stellae, field of stars) stands in the plaza of the old city. Santiago de Compostela is a Catholic pilgrimage route, called the Way of Saint James (Camino de Santiago) since the 9^th century and the pilgrimage continues up to this time. It is said that if a pilgrim wants to follow the old custom, the journey should start in the home and end in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. For this, the pilgrim will receive plenary indulgence.

We were told that around 100,000 pilgrims from all over the globe go to Compostela every year to pray and implore the intercession of Saint James.  Catholics consider Compostela a sacred place.

Among the faithfuls who pray for the intercession of Saint James are Filipino Catholics and quite a number who have the means and resources have journeyed to the place. Kababayan in the Netherlands organize trips to Compostela.

The Cathedral occupies a vast area of the old city. We went inside through one of its four huge entrances while mass was being said.  The 13^th century-old statue of Saint James is in the Cathedral. The grandeur of the altar and the large statues of saints are truly work of art with reverence. We followed the queue leading to what we were told were the remains of Saint James.

Our guide told us before we began the tour that one story about Saint James is that he preached in Galicia before he traveled to the Holy Land. After he was beheaded his disciples brought back his remains and buried it in Galicia.

Saint James feast day is July 25 and when this falls on a Sunday it is declared a Holy Year. The last jubilee celebration was in 2010 and the next one will be in 2021.

Our tour afforded us enough time to saunter leisurely in the small streets of the old city taking photographs of the historical buildings, churches and quaint houses. We climbed the staircase in front of the Cathedral just like other tourists were doing to get a better view of the square. At one side of the square is the hostel for pilgrims, Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos which was constructed during the time of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabela. It is now a luxurious hotel.

Noticing that we were tempted to buy chorizos and Spanish cheese sold in the market our guide warned that the ship is strict in bringing in fresh food.  To compensate for our disappointment we went to one of the cozy small restaurants.  We read earlier that the cuisine specialty of the province is seafood, fish specially. We ordered the menu of that day, fish steamed with herbs served with broiled potatoes and green salad. It was one of the tastiest and satisfying dishes we have eaten.

Bilbao (Spain)

The following morning the ship anchored in Bilbao in the Basque region of Spain. We thought we will have enough time to go inside the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, one of the Guggenheim museums in the world. But our guide dissuaded us because he said we need one day to appreciate the modern and contemporary works of art of international artists displayed in the museum. We settled for a city tour that included a drive around the museum.

Guggenheim Museum-Bilbao

From the road we had a very good view of the museum which is near the Nervion River. The design of the building is impressive. Our bus driver must have sensed our excitement and eagerness to take souvenir photos.  He drove slowly several times around the museum and we kept on clicking our cameras. It is difficult to describe the remarkable architecture of the building and the beauty of the landscape. It is better to show them in pictures.

 

 

Munting Nayon News Magazine