The serenity of his view, looking upward at the inside of the dome of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, belies the buzz and bustle down below. There is an interesting juxtaposition on the Cathedral floor of those arriving exhausted and reverent at the Cathedral after a month-long pilgrimage, profoundly moved beyond words, against the crowd of tour groups and tourists with cameras in hand. This was one of the few days during the year when the famous incensory (the “Botafumeiro”) was to be lit and used during the midday Mass, drawing even more visitors than usual.

To me, this view captures the historical and the architectural, the practical (in the pulley system for the thurible, which is really quite elegant) and the spiritual—transcending the present worldly moment. This is my lasting impression of the wonder of the place, the destination of “The Way”.

---