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The Two Marias

Bridget and Peter

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Home to Reims 2007
Reims to Limoges 2008
Camino Ingles 2009
Limoges to Gernica 2009
Gernica to San Vicente de la Barquera 2010
San Vicente to La Isla 2012
La Isla to Santiago Sept/Oct 2014
Sil has directed us to this article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/co ... 62077.html

at the end the journalist revealed the answer to something I have been wondering since being in Santaigo in March:

My friend, Cristina, said: "Meet me in Alameda Park, by the Two Marias." Searching fruitlessly for a pair of granite virgins, I asked an elderly local for guidance.

He pointed to two figures of heavily made-up, brightly clad, beaky old spinsters. "I knew them," he said. "They were sisters, a bit ..." he touched his temple, "who paraded here every lunchtime, and the students teased them." He added: "They'd suffered in the Civil War, and the Socialist mayor helped the family, and commissioned these figures in their memory." Ancient or modern, Santiago's statuary is refreshingly down to earth.


Here is a photo of us pretendinvg to be asking them the way to the bus stop for the airport:
 

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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Only one of the Marias has had a change of fashion in recent years!
They are ready for a new outfit - the present ones are covered in graffitti.
 

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I met these ladies last time I was in Santiago, and wondered what they were about. Thanks for a fun bit of information, Sil!

Reb
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.

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