Santiago de Compostela, Spain

This past weekend a couple of my friends and I took a weekend trip to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Santiago is in the province of Spain known as Galicia. Galicia is in the northern part of spain near the coast. For any of you who do not know about Santiago de Compostela, the cathedral there is the final destination for all those completing the Camino de Santiago, a really long hike all across the northern parts of Spain and France. Unfortunately, while we were in Santiago, the cathedral was under a lot of construction so none of these pictures of the front of the cathedral make it look very pretty because of the scaffolding.

St. Santiago is actually the patron saint of Spain. (Santiago is somehow translated into St. James) St. James is also known as the "el matamoro" or "the moor killer." So Saint James/ Santiago became the patron saint of Spain mostly due to the moral support that Spain needed during the requisition to kick some ass and stay a Christian country. The city was really beautiful, and very old. I hope that you like the pictures!

Ayuntamiento de Santiago de Compostela (Government Building)

Entrance to the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela (under some serious renovations)

This was the first church I have ever seen that had chandeliers in it

second (outside) level of the cathedral

The cathedral in Santiago is famous for their pilgrims mass where they swing this huge thurible inside the chrurh back and forth to spread incense. This isn't the big daddy but I thought it was still a pretty cool pic.

Everything in Santiago has this shell thing in all it's designs. We found out that it's because the pilgrims, while on their hike, used to use shells to drink water out of rivers and stuff.

Additional church behind the cathedral. At it's other entrance there is a school of social work

Bad ass hotel for pilgrims to stay in

We took a tour that was on top of the cathedral. This is jus ta view of the clock tower that's part of the cathedral and the city of Santiago

St. Santiago (from the rooftop)

strong selfie game on top of the Cathedral de Santiago

Plaza de Santiago (rooftop view)

The entrance to a cloistered monastery across from the Catedral de Santiago

I had never actually seen confessionals like these (expect in Jesus Christ Super Star) until this trip. 

Techo de capilla de virgen del Pilar

Super secret St. Santiago holy door; the door only gets opened when the feast of St. Santiago falls on a Sunday 

Escuela de Trabajo Social

Ridiculous altar inside the church behind la Catedral de Santiago 

Yes, it's really that big

Ceiling view from behind the main altar (en el coro) where the choir sings

Another altar which I don't remember the name of; the pictures never do these justice

Cork, Ireland and Malaga, Spain

This past weekend Sara and I spent our long weekend in Cork, Ireland. Our friend Ana who is studying abroad in Granada for a year has family friends who moved to Cork Ireland about 3 months ago. The husband, Patrick, was born and raised in Indiana and his wife, Clina, was born in Dublin Ireland. Patrick was an emergency room nurse at Community North and his wife, Clina, is an engineer of some sort. So, when Clina didn't get the promotion she had hoped for back in Indy, the opportunity to relocate back to Ireland became available. Soo.. they all jumped ship and now there is a whole household of Hoosiers living in Passage West (Cork) Ireland!! I am so grateful that we got to stay with them. As for Ireland itself, the pictures are all I can say about it and that I will definitely be going back sometime soon.

On our way back we also spent a little time in Malaga, the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. We toured his childhood home, but we weren't allowed to take pictures. The museum filled with his artwork was closed because this past Monday was a national holiday in Spain.

The Myer's backyard (the people we stayed with in Cork)

Downtown Cork

The River Lee in downtown Cork

Houses on River Lee in Cork

My first beer in Ireland. I couldn't do a Guinness

Downtown Kinsale, a small fisherman town near Cork

View of Kinsale from Fort Charles

View through Fort Charles out to the Ocean

View from St. Charles

Fort Charles

Entrance into Fort Charles

View of Kinsale with the tide

Red door in Kinsale

Another view of Kinsale from Fort Charles

My selfie game was so on that day in my natural habitat of fall weather, redheaded people, and green grass

Another selfie from top of Fort Charles in Kinsale, Ireland

Right outside Fort Charles

St. Fin Barre's Cathedral

Cute kneeling pillow in St. Finn Barre's Cathedral

Main aisle in St. Finn Barre's Cathedral

St. Finn Barre's Cathedral has all the original stained glass windows. None of them have been restored in any way since the day it was built.

St. Finn Barre's Cathedral

View from this little health food shop that we ate lunch ate

Original Irish pub sign

This house was built for me. 

Pablo Picasso Museum, which we didn't get to go into

Me sitting with Pablo Picasso

We finally made it to the Mediterranean 

Selfie on the beach with the Mediterranean 

Artsy rock picture. The water was super blue