Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Santiago de Compostela in Galicia is the  terminus city of the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail. Pilgrims have traveled here on foot from various points in Europe for over one thousand years. The final few kilometers consist of narrow cobbled streets that lead to the final goal in the heart of old town: the Saint James Cathedral. Tradition maintains that this eleventh century cathedral houses the remains of James, one of Jesus Christ's apostles.

As Brian and I meandered our way through the winding streets, we kept a lookout for the symbol of the scallop shell, a marker showing pilgrims they are on the right track to the cathedral. We noticed scallop shells on several ancient buildings, including inside the cathedral, which was under renovation at the time of our visit in January 2020. We were especially struck by the pilgrims who sat down in the middle of the plaza, resting against their backpacks in seeming reflection. After a potentially long and tiring journey on foot, I expect they had much to contemplate.