23. Santiago to Negreira 2/08/12

This is the day I saw The Swinging Thingy.  It was awesome.  

It's not always known as this.  Other names include: a censer (the preferred name by Jeff although I think he might have begun calling it a 'swinging thingy' lately);  an incensory;  a thurible; but here in Santiago it's best known as The Botafumeiro (Galician word meaning 'smoke expeller').  

Regardless - it's a beautiful vessel that incense is burned in.  It's suspended from a pulley system from the dome on the roof of the church and, during some of the midday Pilgrims’ mass, it's swung on ropes.  The current pulley mechanism was apparently installed in 1604.

This is the video I took of it.  It's about 5 minutes long but shows it from the beginning to end.   

The Swinging Thingy

Botafumeiro pulley mechanism

This is some information I copied from Wikipedia 

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botafumeiro> 

regarding the Swingee Thingee:

The present Botafumeiro is made of an alloy of brass and bronze and is plated by a very thin 20 micrometre layer of silver. The current Botafumeiro was created by the gold and silversmith José Losada in 1851. It has a golden sheen.

The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is one of the largest censers in the world, weighing 80 kg and measuring 1.60 m in height. It is normally on exhibition in the library of the cathedral, but during certain important religious occasions it is brought to the floor of the cathedral and attached to ropes hung from the pulley mechanism.

The ropes typically last about 20 years before they have to be replaced. However, recently a thicker rope than usual was used, and the extra rubbing produced premature wear of the rope. Therefore, this thicker rope had to be replaced sooner than had been expected, in 2004. Before 2004, the ropes were woven from hemp, or a type of grass called esparto, and made in Vigo, Spain. Since 2004, a rope made of synthetic material has been used.

Shovels are used to fill the Botafumeiro, or the Alcachofa, with about 40 kg of charcoal and incense. The thurible is tied to the rope with elaborate knots. The censer is pushed initially to start its motion. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros pull the ropes, producing increasingly large oscillations of the censer. The turible's swings almost reach the ceiling of the transept. The incensory can reach speeds of 68 km/h as it dispenses thick clouds of incense.

At the top of the swing, the Botafumeiro reaches heights of 21 meters. It swings in a 65 meter arc between the Azabachería and Praterias doorways at the ends of the transept. The maximum angle achieved is about 82°. The maximum can be reached after about 17 cycles, and requires about 80 seconds of swinging.

It costs about 250€ for each thurible "performance" at the cathedral. Although this is expensive, the swinging of the thurible is very popular with pilgrims, tourists and visitors.

The Botafumeiro produces large volumes of smoke. This is in accord with the well-known saying in religious circles, "More incense, less nonsense."

One tradition has it that the use of a swinging censer in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral began in the 11th century.  Arriving pilgrims were tired and unwashed. It was also believed that incense smoke had a prophylactic effect in the time of plagues and epidemics. Of course, incense burning is also an important part of the liturgy, being an "oration to God", or form of prayer.

In the 13th century, the pulley mechanism was changed to incorporate a set of coaxial drums of different diameters. Without this innovation, the largest excursion of the Botafumeiro would be about 1.5 meters, the length of the rope pulled by the tiraboleiros.

In the 15th century, France's King Louis XI (1423–1483) donated money to the cathedral to replace their medieval thurible, which was made of silver. A new silver thurible was put into service in 1554. Unfortunately, this ornate vessel was stolen by Napoleon's troops in April, 1809, during an episode in the Spanish War of Independence (1808–1814). Therefore, the Louis XI censer was replaced by the present less ostentatious Losada thurible in 1851.

After 155 years of use, the Botafumeiro was restored in early 2006 by artisans and craftsmen working under Luis Molina Acedo. They repaired the dents and cracks in the Botafumeiro and then reapplied a 20 micrometre thick plating of silver to the vessel.

There have been a number of accidents that occurred during the swinging of the Botafumeiro over the years. Apparently at one time, the Botafumeiro was attached to the rope with a hook which sometimes became disconnected.

One of the most renowned accidents took place during a visit of Princess Catherine of Aragon. She was on a journey to marry the heir to the English throne in 1499 and stopped by the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. While it was being swung, the Botafumeiro flew out of the cathedral through the Platerias high window. No one was reported to have been injured on this occasion.

The ropes and other devices securing the Botafumeiro have also failed; on May 23, 1622, and more recently in 1925 and July 1937. In 1622, the Botafumeiro fell at the feet of the tiraboleiros. In July 1937, the cords holding the Botafumeiro failed again, and hot coals were spilled on the ground.

Current procedure is to attach the rope to the Botafumeiro with a set of "sailor's knots".

I was not intending on going to the Pilgrim's mass at midday as I had planned on an early start for Day One of my walk towards the End of the World - Finisterre.  I did have an early start - right on the EDT of 10.05am.

I took my time packing, having some cigs, having a couple of coffees with Andreas - who was also meant to have an early start to get the bus to Finisterre.  I wasn't in a hurry as it looked like it was going to rain - and if it was going to rain I was going to unpack and stay another night.  [When Jeff was getting organized to do The Transpirinaica bike ride in Spain, a few years ago, he asked his Spanish mate Sergio:  'So what do you do if it rains?' and the reply was: 'You don't bike' - so Jeff and I have taken that advice to heart and figure that if it's raining why go walking or cycling if you don't have to.]  

But it didn't start raining so I said goodbye to the hostal staff, left one of my bike panniers with then with stuff I didn't need and then headed off out the door towards the cathedral where the walk started from.  It was really tricky walking with the pannier and shoulder strap. In the 10 minute walk to the cathedral I changed it from one shoulder to the other about 3 or 4 times and knew it was going to be a pain - but figured it was only 3-5 days of a pain so I would just put up with it.  Passing the cathedral I decided to pass through it from one side to the other - and as soon as I entered I saw the Swinging Thingy. So then came the dilemma.  Do I stay for the mass or keep walking?  I had heard one person tell me that the day she saw the Swinging Thingy the mass went for two and a half hours.  I'd never make it to my first stop if that was the case.  

I hang around the front of the cathedral contemplating what to do, having a few cigs and enjoying the atmosphere and people watching of pilgrims who have just arrived in Santiago. I took many photos for people with the cathedral in the background.  And I got one of myself with my pannier.

I was told by the woman on security in the cathedral that I should be in the cathedral to get a seat between 11 and 11.30.  So, I'm in there testing out whether I will be able to sit in a position that my tailbone doesn't touch the wood - and also testing out how I can video the Swinging Thingy without security coming to tell me not to video it - when Jeff phones.  I slip out the cathedral and it was lovely to chat to him as usual. He is pleased for me that I've made the decision to wait for the mass - and tells me to go and buy a pack. I hate wasting money on things that are unnecessary (cocktails, wine and good food are always necessary however but buying a pack for 3-5 days seems a bit excessive to me).  I don't like shopping and didn't think I had time to go 'shopping' - but Jeff said to go have a quick look.  So I did a quick dash to the info centre to find out where a sports shop was (and there were two quite close to each other) then it was a mad dash to both - and I couldn't believe it that most packs were 100 euros or more but there was one pack that was the right size that was only 30 euros.  So I paid for that, transferred my things and asked the man to look after my pannier till I returned - and then ran back to the cathedral in time for mass to start. It was perfect only getting there at midday as then I had to stand which was much more comfortable for my tailbone.

I loved seeing the Swinging Thingee.  It was incredible - or did I already mention that?  

All these photos have the Swinging Thingy in them: 

This photo is of a pilgrim at confession. I would loved to have taken a photo of just the priest in the confession box so then you too could see that they looked like wax figures!

I was so happy I finally had a chance to see the Swinging Thingy and that the mass was only for an hour.  So it was with a skip my step that I headed off at 1pm to find the yellow arrows and yellow scallop shells to show me 'The Way'.  I was told by the Irish woman (the one who said that it would be impossible to walk to Finisterre in my Crocs) that the directions in the first five kilometers were tricky - so I tried not to be too much of an airhead and kept notice so I didn't get lost - but I found the path to be really well marked - sometimes with an overkill of yellow arrows when the shells would have surficed.  It was a beautiful sunny day and my pack was really comfortable and the first two hours of the walk were really pretty.

You would have loved whizzing down these paths on your bike Jeff

I would have been walking my bike down this bit

I was starting to feel really hungry as I'd just had a text from Jeff telling me about the fillet steak he'd had for his dinner - and it was already nearly 3pm and I hadn't had any lunch yet - and then out of the blue in the next few minutes there was a restaurant.  I would have liked a steak but had no idea how to order that but did well with my first choice of salad (which came with ham and cheese on top) then then a mixed grill which had enough meat for Jeff and I - it had sausages, lamb chops and pork spare ribs and steak - all on hot chips.  Very healthy - not. I ate it all though.  After the meal, half a bottle of wine, some bread and the dessert called Tarta Abuela (Grandmother's tart) - and a coffee con leche, I was ready to stroll again for the next 3 hours.  

Tarta Abuela

I just loved walking along the path and taking photos of flowers and trees and nothing in particular.  When Jeff was helping me cull stuff before I flew to Spain - one of the things that got rejected was my camera - as the phone I was bringing (Jeff's work one which he didn't like) had a camera in it. The problem with this phone/camera though is that you really can't tell what you are taking a photo of - you just have to point it in the general direction - and then when you've taken the photo you have no idea if it was in focus or if the object you wanted got in the photo or whether half of it was chopped off.  So it's always interesting when I get a chance to upload the photos onto the laptop.  Many are blurry.

I loved the purple flowers and ferns

Here's a bit of NZ and Oz - pines and eucalyptus trees side by side

This has happened a few times on the Camino when kind people leave out fruit for the pilgrims to eat.
This basket had yellow plums in it.  

I would have loved to have popped in to have a look at the beautiful house/castle on this property.  
If only they'd invited me in for a drink in their garden

I walked with  a lovely young Spanish woman for the last hour of my walk. She'd had a fight with her boyfriend so wasn't feeling happy.  I gave her a big hug when I left her and hoped that they made up that night. I shared with her, Jeff, one of our strategies which she thought was lovely - but didn't think he'd ever do!  She'd had a hell of a 24 hour period as she'd crashed her car on the way to Santiago, was having trouble with her insurance company (as she' left the car where she'd crashed it) and then the rental car she hired to get the rest of the way to Santiago charged her for a scratch on the car that she knew she hadn't done.  And then they'd started the Camino as soon as they got into Santiago that afternoon. Their plan was to walk the last part of the Camino to Finisterre.  She'd done the other sections before and this was the first time he'd done any of the Camino.

It was about 7pm when I got to the town I intended staying at.  There was a notice on the first power pole going into town that the Municipal Albergue was already full - so on the same power pole there was an advert for a private albergue 650m  away and the arrow pointed onto a path going through the bush.  I just felt like a quiet albergue with a garden and hoped their weren't many people staying there.  The place was perfect for what I needed that night. It was spotlessly clean, had a machine that dispensed cold beers, the price included sheets, a blanket and a towel (so it was great not to have to use my sleeping sheet) and there were only 3 of us in the dorm room - AND no one slept in the bed above me which was perfect.

I had a couple of beers in the garden, walked to the supermarket to buy some food (as I was too tired to go out for dinner), had a shower, chatted to some people I'd met the day before and then went to bed by 9.30. It was still sunny outside but I was knackered.

Shattered after my first day of walking.
It's still sunny outside but I'm just about to go to bed at 9.30!
I blame the half  bottle of wine at lunchtime and 2 beers when I got into the albergue.