It wouldn’t do for Viking to let us leave without another jaw-dropping culinary extravaganza. It was a brunch featuring tomahawk steaks, lobster tails and gargantuan shrimp, but somehow my pictures were all of the desserts. To wit:
In addition to the delicious treats, we were likewise impressed by the presentation:
They’re making it difficult to say good-bye to our Viking World Cruise!
(My laptop does not appear to have the little squiggly line that belongs over the “n” in A Coruna, alerting you to its correct pronunciation, which is: “ah co-ROO-nya”)
From the port, we boarded our coach for a one-hour’s drive to Santiago de Compostela, home of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, ending point of the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of Saint James. The Camino dates back to the 9th century and is a network of trails that has attracted pilgrims for over 1000 years. Our guide told us that some 3,000 pilgrims arrive at the end point each day, following one of many routes, some of which are more than 1,000km long. Even before we arrived in Santiago de Compostela, we spotted pilgrims on the route, easily identified by their backpacks adorned with a scallop shell.
As pilgrims arrive at the Plaza de Obradoiro, just in front of the cathedral, they are greeted by the sound of the Galician bagpipes, creating a solemn and emotional atmosphere marking the end of their journey.
We spoke with a young woman who had just completed her walk of twelve days, starting in Porto, Portugal. In addition to pre-registering, it was necessary to have her progress documented along the route at several checkpoints. Upon arrival, she received this very attractive certificate:
Our tour also included a climb to the roof of the cathedral for some often scary but always spectacular views.
And here’s a peek inside the cathedral.
