20.03.2010: santiago-online.com
A bit like the work going on in "Santiago offline" the changes to santiago-online.com took a little longer than expected. However, contrary to the construction of the Culture City ("Ciudad de la Cultura"), the restauration of the cathedral's Pórtico de la Gloria, the new airport terminal or the arrival of the high speed train "Ave" in Santiago, the new version of these pages is ready for the Holy Year 2010 as planned ;-)
25.01.2010: Construction on the Plaza de la Quintana
Locals and visitors alike have noted with astonishment the repair work taking place on the heavy stones that form the surface of Santiago's Plaza de la Quintana. Considering that the cathedral's Holy Door had been closed for five years between Holy Years 2004 and 2010, more than one passerby has shaken his head at the moment of the repairs: just a few weeks after the Holy Door was opened.
December 31, 2009: Holy Year 2010
On the evening before January 1, 2010, the first day of Holy Year, the archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Julián Barrio, opened the cathedral's Holy Door ("Puerta Santa") in a solemn ceremony. The spectators who had held out on the Plaza de la Quintana in the pouring rain, together with represantatives of the Spanish and the Galician regional government ("Xunta de Galicia"), saw the sun come out right at the moment the door was opened.
April 28, 2009: santiago-online.com
I replaced the photo of the northern facade of the cathedral with a nicer one.
April 19, 2009: Inauguration of the new President of Galicia
In the elections to the Galician regional parliament last march the Partido Popular, lead by Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, reclaimed victory after a little less than four years of a socialist-nationalist government. Having been voted the new president of the regional government (Xunta de Galicia), Feijoo held the traditional speech at the Obradoiro square between the cathedral, town hall and the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos. The photo shows him with the Spanish and Galician flags and with the traditional Galician bagpipe players (gaiteiros).
April 17, 2009: santiago-online.com!
The article about the Botafumeiro had deserved better photos of both the censer and the "alcachofa". So I've replaced them with much nicer ones.
April 13, 2009: santiago-online.com - now also in English
Welcome to santiago-online.com! In order to make the content of santiago-online.com available to a larger audience the site will be bilingual from today on. I hope you'll find some interesting and useful information. Any suggestion on how to improve these pages will be more than welcome.
February 24, 2009: Carnival in Galicia
The most famous towns of Galica, as far as carnival is concerned, can be found in the southeastern of the four provinces, Orense. Especially the cities of Xinzo de Limia, Verín and Laza are well known for their splendid masks and costumes. The photo shows the mask of a "Cigarrón" in Verín during this year's "antroido" or "entroido" as the carnival is called in Galician depending on the region.