Aquarellists

[Rosina Lila]

Hello,
200 aquarella artists have arrived in Santiago to participate in the XII
National aquarella symposium. Their paintings, all Santiago-themed, will be shown
throughout the casco streets until Sunday.
At the same time, the National Aquarella Exposition  has collected
outstanding watercolor paintings by the best artists in Spai n and they will be on show,
 throughout September, at the Obra Social  Caixa Galicia Hall.
For purposes of the symposium, the aquarellists will paint aspects of
Obradoiro, San Martin Pinario, Quintana Square and the Alameda.

Presently, there are many outstanding art exhibitions in Santiago. One of the
most impressive is at what used to be the chapel of the USC's (Universidade
Santiago Compostela) faculty of Geography,  right by  the only remaining door
into Santiago from  city-wall days. They have Picassos,  Murillos, Zurburans,
Dalis, Goyas, etc very beautifully presented. (It took my breath away). Another
mind-blowing exhibition is in a museum on the building right after San Martin
Pinerio's seminary in Azabacherias square.  It is called "The art of Persia".
Apparently the government of present day Iran, of all people, lent the
artifacts to Santiago as part of the commemoration of the Xacobean year. There are
about 500 pieces, some four thousand years old, that woud do credit to the
Louvre or New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art; the lighting, the arrangement,
and the video room where they show an explanatory documentary, are really
extraordinary.
There are many others exhibitions, and the entrance to all is free.

The book "La Flecha y la Vieira" that illustrates a pilgrimage through the
Caiman Frances with water color paintings (hundreds of them, all evocative and
very, very beautiful) cannot be found anywhere in Santiago.  The large
bookstore on Rua Villar, "San Pablo", told me that they sell it out as soon as they
get it.  Probably pilgrims who have seen the book in some other city have waited
to buy it in Santiago so as not to carry it.
It can be gotten, however, directly from the bookstore in Seville, in the
manner that I wrote about before.  If you wish, I will post the information
again.

Lastly ... and back to the French, ... the newspapers report that the
Jacobean Associations of France, in collaboration with the Spanish Federation of
Caiman Friends Associations of Spain are in the course of a pilgrimage from France
bringing walking sticks from France to various cities on the Camino Frances.
(I presume that they are quite special)

The newspapers also say that more than one million tourists visited Santiago
during August, and that 572,899 pilgrims have used the Xunta sponsored
albergues (the figure does not include services in tents, "polideportivos"... sport
arenas, etc., which are also sponsored by the Xunta).... the crowds are still
here....
I wonder how the aquarellists will manage to paint Quintana Square with that
huge line of people, six abreast, waiting to go through the Holy Door.
Regards,
Rosina


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