Ok, so Santiago has a population of around 100,000. A few thousand pilgrims, tourists and rubber-neckers a day is scarcely to be noticed. There’ll be a few days a year when the Vigo and Coruña cruise ships add to the throng, but not for long (can’t miss dinner) but, on the whole the city of Santiago won’t notice them. The 1km radius of the cathedral, okay, that’s knee deep in the buggers. And what do we have? We have headlines about how there are too many/ not enough visitors pricing out the locals while failing to spend enough money. Trying to eke out their few remaining €’s by sharing a tapa between 6 and moaning like mad when the Emerald City starts to look a bit Jade(d).
I can’t wait for this year’s flush of headlines includes “pilgrim wears trainers despite admission standards”, “Cathedral employs bouncers”, and “Santiago says “wasn’t our original concept””.