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  1. B

    Meaning of Latin Words on Santiago Cathedral's Main Door?

    I respectfully refute this allegation. :) It was Tom (t2andreo) who started this whole side discussion in his post #13 : But, in my layman's observations over the years, it DOES seem that most Catholic and mainline Protestant churches are aligned with the altar end is on the East facing side of...
  2. B

    Meaning of Latin Words on Santiago Cathedral's Main Door?

    The reason that I asked which door the OP meant is that we cannot enter the cathedral by the main, i.e. west, door, the Pórtico da Gloria. So the south door may be now considered the main door. I was told, years ago. that churches in England were orientated east-west so that we would be facing...
  3. B

    Meaning of Latin Words on Santiago Cathedral's Main Door?

    What do you mean by "the main door" to the cathedral? North, south, east, or west? Can you link to a photo or a written copy of the words you are referring to?
  4. B

    Botafumeiro out of use for maintenance for unspecified period

    I have read that there are two botafumeiros. "The current Botafumeiro is made of an alloy of brass and bronze and is plated by a very thin 20-micrometre layer of silver. The current Botafumeiro was created by the gold and silversmith José Losada in 1851. It has a golden sheen." [btw brass and...
  5. B

    Botafumeiro

    Not a lot, again imo. The people in the congregation would have been (and still are) much closer to other pilgrims than to the botafumeiro. The incense burns for perhaps a couple of minutes at the end of the Mass. If the celebrants were concerned about the smell of the congregation, they would...
  6. B

    Botafumeiro

    To show off (imo). Despite what you may read in some places on the internet, only a small quantity of burning charcoal is put in the botafumeiro – round about 1 lb or 450 g, though, of course, it is not weighed. Not 40 kg. To that is added a few ounces of incense, which is enough to make the...
  7. B

    Botafumeiro

    The commentary is perpetuating the myth that the burning of incense is to 'fumigate' the building, or to mask the smell of the pilgrims. It's not.
  8. B

    Who has enjoyed the pilgrims meal in Seminario Mayor San Martin Pinario?

    It is worth noting that the meals at the HSMP are not stated to be "pilgrims' meals". Though many pilgrims stay at the HSMP in the pilgrims' rooms on the top floor, there are many more rooms for non-pilgrims on the floors below – though there is nothing to stop pilgrims staying in one of those...
  9. B

    Who has enjoyed the pilgrims meal in Seminario Mayor San Martin Pinario?

    In my experience, lunch is better than dinner. The lunches seem more varied and 'Spanish' (or 'Galician'), whereas the dinners seem to be more like the pilgrim menu you've had the previous 30 days or so (if you've walked from SJPdP).
  10. B

    Is the construction of Santiago Cathedral finished? Are there any pilgrim masses being held?

    You'll be lucky to find a church open, unless it's a Sunday and a service about to start. Just about every church I passed on several caminos was locked. Cathedrals were usually open. There was often an admission charge, reduced on production of a credencial.
  11. B

    Statues at the bottom of the staircase

    The statues are remarkably crude, don't you think? They've had a fair bit of wear and tear from the weather, but I don't think that they were works of art in the first place. I can see the likeness to Roman soldiers from the 'skirt' of the one on the left and their greaves. But neither has a...
  12. B

    Statues at the bottom of the staircase

    Does anybody know who the statues at the bottom of the staircase from the Praza de Obradoiro to the doors of the Cathedral represent? The one on the left seems to be shielding his eyes from the sun. The one on the right seems to be awkwardly striding forwards while holding a shield close to his...
  13. B

    Santiago tourism

    This is a good guide (imo): http://trekopedia.com/santiago-walking-tour/
  14. B

    Noughts and crosses

    Is there a document that locates the stones accurately enough to make them relatively easy to find? E.g. San Martin Pinario -- is that the church or the monastery?
  15. B

    The Botafumeiro technical details

    Obviously not to you, Scott. But it was to me and my friend. And thanks to everyone else who has helped settle the matter.
  16. B

    The Botafumeiro technical details

    Yes, Debi, I saw it in December. My friend has been converted. It hardly matters, but did you see how the charcoal was lit? A match and barbecue firelighters or a gas torch?
  17. B

    The Botafumeiro technical details

    Thanks, Flog. Where did you get your photo? It's all sorted (sort of) now. My friend has read the scientific paper that Kathar1na led us to and revised his blog. He's gone down from 80 pounds to 'just under 2 pounds'.
  18. B

    From the airport into the town

    There are machines there that you can buy tickets from. If I remember rightly, you can use debit or credit cards to buy bus tickets.
  19. B

    Statue of Santiago

    I've taken several photos of the statue in the Cathedral over the years. "Santiago Matamoros sculpted in wood and painted ca 1751-53 by by José Gambino (1719-75)."
  20. B

    Pilgrim Meals in Parador in Santiago

    I would just like to mention that the meal itself is generally (in my experience) nothing to write home about. Lunch was better than dinner. But the companionship and chat with the other nine (though brief) was more important. It was much better to dine in the restaurant with the voucher than in...

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