What is the Camino de Santiago?
It is a pilgrimage route taken by Catholics to visit the tomb of the Apostle Saint James the Greater in the city of Santiago de Compostela, in the region of Galicia, Spain. A pilgrimage is a religious journey, and Santiago de Compostela is the third most important pilgrimage destination for Catholics, after Jerusalem and Rome.
Today, there are planes and buses, but many people like to walk the route to Santiago de Compostela for spiritual reasons or to honor the tradition that dates back to medieval times. Northern Spain lies at a latitude of 43°; the main route runs alongside the Cantabrian Mountains and crosses the Galician ranges at a maximum altitude of 1,250 meters. In winter, it is quite cold and stormy; it rains a lot and even snows in the mountains. Therefore, most people choose to walk the Camino de Santiago in spring or summer.
From Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela, the distance is 665 kilometers, and it typically takes 28 days to complete the pilgrimage on foot. In the small towns along the route, many pilgrims spend the night in special hostels, where they eat, drink, and share information about the route and their countries of origin.
The Camino de Santiago passes through several very old cities in northern Spain, and each city has its own cathedral. But pilgrims finally arrive at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which dates from 1100–1211 and represents different architectural styles. Every year, they hold a festival in honor of Saint James the Greater, the Fiestas del Apóstol, in the last two weeks of July, and there are fireworks, concerts, parades, and special masses for the city's patron saint.
The scallop seashell is the traditional symbol of the Camino de Santiago, and they use a shell drawn with rays or lines to mark the route. Describe and compare the differences between these two photos.
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