Page 38 - traveling70eng

TRANSCANTÁBRICO GRAN LUJO
Facade of the Cathedral in the Obradoiro Square
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
The beginning of an unforgettable experience
LThe journey begins in a city where every stone tells
a story: Santiago de Compostela. The air here
smells of incense and rain freshly fallen on granite.
When the sun chooses to break through the Galician
clouds, it casts golden glints across the Baroque
façades of the Plaza del Obradoiro, where the cathe-
dral rises like a stone colossus, guardian of centuries
of pilgrimage and devotion.
Travellers arrive at the historic Hostal de los Reyes
Católicos, a Plateresque jewel built in 1499 as a
hospital for weary pilgrims on the Camino. Now a lu-
xury Parador, the building is much more than accom-
modation: it is the spiritual threshold of the journey
about to begin. Its quiet cloisters, Gothic arches and
flower-filled courtyards offer a first encounter with the
solemnity and beauty of the north.
Just opposite stands the Cathedral of Santiago, pre-
siding over the vast Plaza del Obradoiro with its ma-
jestic western façade, crowned by towers that merge
with the ever-changing sky. Inside, the tomb of the
Apostle James rests in soft light, wrapped in whis-
pered prayers. There is no rush: every corner invites
stillness, contemplation.
38 -
The city orbits around its temple: the Praza da
Quintana, with its two stepped levels; the Praza
das Praterías, with its fountains and craftsmen;
and the intimate Praza da Inmaculada, or Azaba-
chería, the final stop for pilgrims completing the
French Way. Together they form a harmonious
ensemble, permeated by the sounds of bagpi-
pes. Walking through its winding streets, one fe-
els that history comes to meet you, and that the
shadows cast by the old lanterns are keepers of
secrets.
After lunch at the Hostal, a luxury coach collects
the passengers for the journey to Ferrol. The
road winds through eucalyptus forests that seem
to whisper, and slate-roofed villages from which
wisps of smoke curl gently through the mist. The
Galician landscape—with its endless meadows
and gentle hills—becomes a prelude to what lies
ahead.
The journey to Ferrol is more than a transfer: it
is a transition. The traveller leaves behind the so-
lemnity of Santiago to enter the gentle murmur
of the train that awaits. Upon arrival at the sta-
tion, the Transcantábrico Gran Lujo gleams like
a black-and-gold serpent, poised to glide along
the Cantabrian spine. Its image could have leapt
from the pages of a Scott Fitzgerald novel, and
the warm, ceremonious welcome from the staff—
who will accompany us on this unique experien-
ce—evokes scenes seen only in film.
Facade of the Cathedral from Quintana Square