Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia, Spain’s northern autonomous region. Galician people are the most polite and serviceable people I came across in my short stay in Spain. Galicia receives a lot of rain throughout the year so its flora is very green, especially when compared with Madrid, which tends to be hot and dry. In my few days in Santiago, the skies were overcast and the climate was comfortably cool. Santiago is mostly that: tranquil, peaceful, comforting.
Away from the busy, touristy area of old town Santiago, is a small café. It was closed at the moment I came across it as you can see from the shut umbrellas on the tables, but I did arrive just in time to catch this lady grab a chair and lounge for a moment. There’s no dynamism in this shot; it’s lazy, relaxed, and even passive. That’s exactly the Santiago de Compostela I came to know, an easy-going town, of three-hour lunches, and letting a cigarette drag on for minutes without taking a puff. Just grab a chair, sip on a cortadito, take a bite of your churro, and watch the people walk by.
I can’t really explain what it is about this location here (above), except that I wanted to remember it forever; it’s historic, exotic, beautiful, distant, enchanting, isolated, and that is why I will always be standing in that same exact place, in my mind.
This is, perhaps, the most popular place to take a photograph. Part of it is due to the fact that the cathedral is located right across this building. The corridor’s arches serve as the perfect framing for the church. IN THE PHOTO ABOVE: You can see two photographers attempting to capture a shot of the cathedral. BELOW: My stab at the bloody thing!
There are about seven churches that surround the Cathedral; each one displays the artistry of Spanish architecture. The idea in the photograph above is to demonstrate the diversity of styles and motifs on this façade alone. Let your eyes wander throughout the photo and notice the geometric figures, straight and curved lines and texture of the surface. This façade is vibrant and full of artistic history.
This is, perhaps, my favorite photo of Santiago. After I finally managed to escape the tour group and left to discover the town alone, I came across this quiet street. Life is still in this photo, but there is some evidence of life as suggested by the bicycle leaning on the pole and the open window shutters in the house to the right. The darkening of the street between the two buildings generates a sense of mystery that I really enjoy.