Justin Goes To Portugal

The Way of Saint James       The second half of the Way has taken me through Galicia, a region with so many similarities to Portugal that some murals along the route celebrate their unity with the phrase “two peoples, one culture”. Aside from minor differences in aesthetics and the local language, this part of Spain is virtually indistinguishable from Portugal. Its towns exhibit similar architecture, and its countryside is just as full of ancient sites, noisy farm animals, and encouraging locals. All the charms of the first country have carried through to the second as if there were no border.       The trail into Santiago winds for a long time through the modern outskirts and then suddenly pierces the heart of the city, the Old Town, where ornate stone buildings reach for the heavens. After procuring my accommodations for the night and resting for a few hours, I went to a beautiful Mass in the Cathedral. Simply viewing this magnificent structure, which is so grand yet so detailed, fel