September 20: Santiago de Compostela

The albergue in Santiago, unlike all the others where you have to be gone by 8 am, allowed us to stay until 10. Consequently, we lingered over a leisurely breakfast, and then walked to the cathedral where we found a small hotel nearby, Hospedaje Fonseca, with a room for two for 15 euros each.

I spent the remainder of the day exploring Santiago, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The centre of the city is a maze of mostly pedestrian-only, narrow, cobblestoned streets that meander in every direction and then periodically meet up with delightful plazas. Photo 803: Narrow, pedestrian only streets.

Photo 819: An unusual overhang.

Photo 824: A serene garden spot near the cathedral.

The centrepiece of the city is the cathedral which was completed in 1211 after 136 years of construction. It is so massive that it is surrounded by four plazas of which the largest is the Plaza do Obradoiro. This faces the huge double staircase which leads to the main entrance of the cathedral.

Photo 826: The main staircase.

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