[Gocamino] Santiago's day in Santiago

[Rosina]

Hello you all,
As usual, words fail to convey the wonders of special days anywhere. I guess they wouldn't be special otherwise, by definition.
I can only tell you that the "burning of the Cathedral" is grand..... and then some.? I don't know the origins of this extraordinary feat.... or its purpose. Yet, in a way, I'm glad, and fortunate, that it appears that this year, 2008, will be the last one with such extravagantly lavish display of fireworks, rockets, flares, lasers, colored shooting-up electrical fountains,?real flames and such, that go on for an incredible sixty minutes..... From eleven o'clock p.m. on the 24th of July to midnight.
It appears that concerned archeological and cultural-historical heads have managed to prevail over public oooohs and aaaaahs to convince the? powers that be?of the inevitability?of ?consequential damage to the structural essence of the Santiago Cathedral and its treasures.
But it was FANTASTIC!
While no attachments can be sent here, I'll gladly send you some pictures that may?give you an idea of the incredible goings-on.
As for other things..... the place was jumping: a full Carnival at the Alameda together with tents teaching most of the Ibero-American dances by Cubans, Brasilians, Argentinians, and so on.??Stages were set all over the city, in the public streets and Quintana and Platerias squares for all sorts of entertainment by world-renown singers and dancers......?including a stunning musical sort-of-=jazz?group from Mali in Africa.... And some of the great entertainers from France, Germany Italy and Brasil wherefrom came?Gaetano Veloso (whom I do not particularly like) and Toquinho whom I have adored for decades..
And on....?and on..... and on.
Despite the heavy rain, pilgrims were pouring in.?On the 24th more than 1,300 qualified for a Compostela, on the?25th (the big day) when the office was closed for half a day, about?900 showed up and on the 26th more than a thousand...... and they keep coming.....and smiling, and singing.... and dancing (you can see some in the photos) On the 25th 175 Mexicans showed up and after getting their Compostela they livened up Quintana Square with mariachi music and their wide-brimmed hats
The place is gearing up for 2010 (as you'll see in some of the pictures) and the preparations are going at a clip..
There is one absolutely wonderful new DVD produced by the Xunta and TVE- the Spanish network TV station-.... it is terriffic, , and there are about twenty new picture-and-story Camino books..... each more impressive than the other.
There's a lot to?tell about the Archconfraternity's resolutions and such..... the renovations within the Cathedral, the new albergues in the casco, and so?on...... and will?write about them.
Meanwhile....... a (very) tired and happy hug.
Rosina
ps: Kat, Dave and Grant, I'm sending you some preliminary pictures. Perhaps someone?can organize?the slew of them in viewable form for anyone to see.... Let me know.... I'll send you the lot.
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