1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,419 After over a month on the trail, 2 00:00:02,620 --> 00:00:04,700 spirits are high as well-worn pilgrims 3 00:00:04,700 --> 00:00:06,019 reach their final stop, 4 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:08,759 the city of Santiago de Compostela. 5 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:11,839 Santiago has long had a powerful 6 00:00:11,839 --> 00:00:13,980 and mysterious draw on travelers. 7 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,199 This neat and sturdy city is built of granite. 8 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:19,199 Its arcaded streets are a reminder 9 00:00:19,199 --> 00:00:21,460 that winters here are cold and wet. 10 00:00:22,460 --> 00:00:25,280 Strolling across its squares and under its grand churches, 11 00:00:25,620 --> 00:00:27,280 you can imagine a time when the city 12 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,899 was a religious and cultural powerhouse. 13 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,920 Santiago's heyday was the 12th century, 14 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,920 when the notion of Europe was still in its infancy. 15 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,920 It was a place where people from all corners came together, 16 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:43,920 shared ideas, and then dispersed. 17 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,920 In some ways, the very idea of Europe as a civilization 18 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:48,920 gelled during this age, 19 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:50,920 and Santiago played an important role. 20 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:52,920 Apart from all the pilgrim action 21 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:54,920 and its venerable architecture, 22 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,920 Santiago is a workaday town. 23 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:58,920 Its vibrant market offers a fine opportunity 24 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,920 to sample the essentials of its hearty cuisine. 25 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:03,920 Farmers sell their produce. 26 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:08,920 The shapely cheeses are enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. 27 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:12,920 And the seafood is fresh as can be. 28 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,920 A Galician specialty is octopus, 29 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,920 prepared local style, or a la Galega. 30 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,920 After the tenderized octopus is boiled in a copper pot, 31 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,920 it's snipped into bite-sized pieces. 32 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,920 It's topped with a mix of sweet and spicy paprika, 33 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:29,920 sea salt, and olive oil, 34 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:31,659 then served on a wooden plate. 35 00:01:32,340 --> 00:01:34,340 Eat it with toothpicks, never a fork. 36 00:01:36,890 --> 00:01:39,709 People here have their own distinct language, Galego. 37 00:01:40,049 --> 00:01:41,849 It's a mix of Spanish and Portuguese. 38 00:01:42,670 --> 00:01:44,290 Galicia's ancient Celtic roots 39 00:01:44,290 --> 00:01:46,689 are particularly evident in its music. 40 00:01:47,049 --> 00:01:49,109 With wailing pipes and thundering drums, 41 00:01:49,370 --> 00:01:52,250 the Celtic heritage announces itself loud and clear. 42 00:02:02,939 --> 00:02:05,079 But nothing can distract the pilgrims 43 00:02:05,079 --> 00:02:07,579 as they take the final steps of their long journey. 44 00:02:08,379 --> 00:02:09,419 Around the last corner, 45 00:02:09,419 --> 00:02:12,879 they reach the destination of 1,000 years of pilgrims, 46 00:02:13,219 --> 00:02:16,300 the cathedral that holds the tomb of St. James. 47 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,139 As millions of weary yet exhilarated pilgrims 48 00:02:20,139 --> 00:02:21,159 have done before them, 49 00:02:21,259 --> 00:02:22,780 they stand before the cathedral 50 00:02:22,780 --> 00:02:24,599 and are filled with jubilation. 51 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:32,129 But the religious climax for many 52 00:02:32,129 --> 00:02:33,349 lies within the cathedral. 53 00:02:34,710 --> 00:02:36,370 Imagine you're a medieval pilgrim. 54 00:02:36,669 --> 00:02:38,509 You've just walked 500 miles. 55 00:02:38,909 --> 00:02:40,289 Your journey is done. 56 00:02:41,009 --> 00:02:42,150 Worshiping before the altar, 57 00:02:42,150 --> 00:02:45,030 you give thanks to St. James for a safe passage, 58 00:02:45,590 --> 00:02:47,949 and you reflect on the lessons of your journey. 59 00:02:50,139 --> 00:02:51,759 And if you're here on a festival day, 60 00:02:52,060 --> 00:02:55,300 the mass culminates with an enormous swinging incense burner. 61 00:02:59,300 --> 00:03:02,319 Gazing at the spectacle of this 120-pound burner 62 00:03:02,319 --> 00:03:03,439 flying through the air, 63 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,219 you're awestruck by the wonder of God. 64 00:03:18,419 --> 00:03:21,379 Finally, you climb the stony staircase behind the altar 65 00:03:21,379 --> 00:03:24,840 to the statue of St. James, studded with precious gems. 66 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:27,139 Embracing him from behind, 67 00:03:27,139 --> 00:03:32,300 you take a moment to celebrate your spiritual or personal triumphs.