[Gocamino] Hello from Santiago

[Blaroli at aol.com]

Hola,
Warm greetings form Santiago where the weather is absolutely lovely and the Holy Year doings are still going strong.
Tne entire Obradoiro square is covered with a gigantic patch-quilt meant as a protest against ¨gender¨violence against women.
The square is covered with a black cloth and anyone who wishes to do so may get a (free) piece of cloth, cut it into whatever figure one desires and go sit on the big basic cloth to  sew it on.
Naturally, the whole thing is quite eye-catching and colorful.
The noontime Pilgrims Mass was a big affair today (just my luck) with fifty bishops and four cardinals in town for a bishop´s conference. Naturally, it went on for hours.  The botafumeiro was, as usual, spectacularly impressive.... more so than usual which is saying a lot.  It is simply awesome, regardless of how many times one may have seen it before.
The new issue of the official Archdiocese glossy magazine ¨Compostela¨, datd October, just came out.  On page 47 thereof there is a paragraph with a grateful acknowledgement of the help sent by the Ämerican Pilgrims on the Camino¨¨for the acqusition of new computers for the Pilgrims´office. They gave me two copies of the magazine which I will send on to Kathy Gower as soon as I return to New york early next week.
Unfortunately, their computer system is still not working and they have had to engage a private computer installation firm to put the thing in working order, once and for all. The cost to the Pilgrims´Office will be about 7,000 Euros, or about $9,200 US Dollars. (The Euro is now $1.35 US Dollars)
As I understand it, the Friends of the Camino in Brasil have already begun to collect donations to help the Pilgrims´Office with the expense.  I am sure that we, North American pilgrims, will do no less.
The Pilgrims´Office has also commenced the process of building a new albergue in town, to sort of replace the one in Monte del Gozo which is somewhat  of distant, and to add to the albergue in the Minor Seminary that has been in use for the past few years.
I simply cannot believe the number of Camino books that has been published since I was here last September.  At Mass today I was standing next to a French woman pilgrim who was busily drawing on a notebook; when she showed me her drawings after Mass I was spellbound with admiration at her artistic talent and the speed with which she was drawing.  I took her name and address and will be in touch with her so that when, and if, she publishes her drawings we will be sure to get a copy.
The Post Office close to the Pilgrims´Office is exhibiting the winners of the ¨Photographs of the Camino¨contest.  I have never, ever, seen such beautiful, soulful, insightful, inspiring photographs.  I wish that they had a catalogue, or some way of obtaining some copies.
I haven´t yet gone to the Pilgrims´Museum to see the exposition of art works related to the pilgrimage of Cosimo de Medici in the sixteenth century, but that exhibition seems to be the talk of the town.
Again, if I can get something, or some information, for any of you while I am here, please let me know ASAP.
Affectionate greetings!
Rosina