Pilgrims still come to honor St. James in Santiago de Compostela

In the square in front of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, school kids listen to a rock band that was part of a rally to promote use of the Galician language.

We’re in Santiago de Compostela, a pilgrimage mecca for over 1,000 years and the center of the autonomous region of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It still attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year, who pay homage to Santiago, or St. James, one of the 12 apostles, whose remains are supposed to be in the cathedral here.

Copacabana

The town square in Copacabana has a lovely garden that reflects the resources brought by heavy tourism. This is the principal ferry connection to the popular Isla del Sol 90 minutes away, and there are lots of hotels, restaurants and local artesan work in textiles, clay and wood.

To get to Copacabana, you have to cross the straits of Tiquina, which are about a half-mile wide. For 20 cents, you and two dozen other brave souls get to share a small boat that lists about 5 degrees to starboard and might be piloted by the 12-year-old who conducted us across. No life preservers in sight. I perched on the side, ready to jump clear if it capsized.
The cathedral in Copacabana is built in a moorish style and is quite lovely. The altarpiece is breathtaking for its enormity and the amount of gold on display.
The name Copacabana is a corruption of Aymara words that mean view of the lake. It refers to high hills on either side of the town that offer quite a panorama. This is the market area in front of the church. Local motorists come twice a day to have their vehicles blessed by the priest.