A
Anemone del Camino
Guest
My fist time in Santiago was on a Sunday in 2012. Went straight to the noon Pilgrim Mass as it was near noon. It was chaos: packed, packed, packed, with pilgrims and their packs but also tourists making the tour during the service. You also could not make out a word of the service
Today was very different. First thing is "tourist management": you are regularly reminded to not speak while waiting for the service to start, because, after all this is a llace of worship. (Clearly something the pilgrim sitting next to me feet out of shoes, but with dirty smelling socks did not care about
The the tourists are asked to leave if they are not there for the service!
Sound system must have been upgraded because you can now here the priests! And it was a lovely service, says the fundraiser, with the main priest talking about charity, giving money and time (collection went to Caritas)
I did miss the nun with the signing practice but I think that she had been replaced for this service by a beautiful choir of children.
But most amazing, especially on a Sunday amd Corpus Christi, was all the room, standing room mind you, still available! Even midweek I had never seen so much room.
Now, what ever happened to tne Pilgrim Reserved Spots?
Today was very different. First thing is "tourist management": you are regularly reminded to not speak while waiting for the service to start, because, after all this is a llace of worship. (Clearly something the pilgrim sitting next to me feet out of shoes, but with dirty smelling socks did not care about
The the tourists are asked to leave if they are not there for the service!
Sound system must have been upgraded because you can now here the priests! And it was a lovely service, says the fundraiser, with the main priest talking about charity, giving money and time (collection went to Caritas)
I did miss the nun with the signing practice but I think that she had been replaced for this service by a beautiful choir of children.
But most amazing, especially on a Sunday amd Corpus Christi, was all the room, standing room mind you, still available! Even midweek I had never seen so much room.
Now, what ever happened to tne Pilgrim Reserved Spots?