After my own 2018 Portuguese Camino de Santiago, I stayed on in Santiago for an extra couple of days to celebrate the feast day of St James (25th July). On the night before the feast day, I spent the evening with fellow pilgrims on a Tapas run, enjoying the fabulous cuisine of Northern Spain.
At the end of the evening, we took a stroll through the Praza do Obradoiro, the square in front of the Cathedral. It was a very special night as we were in for a treat! Santiago puts on an amazing light show to celebrate the feast day and they were testing the show to an empty square before the main event the next evening. We had the show all to ourselves.
So, I found myself walking through the empty streets of Santiago a little later than expected, around 3.00 am, making my way back to my lodgings and a peaceful night’s sleep.
Cities are very special places during the early morning hours. With no one else in sight, the streets were mine – silent and peaceful. Santiago showed itself to me in a very different light.
As I came out of the old town, close to Alameda Park, I suddenly became aware of two figures beckoning me in the distance. The tranquil feel of Santiago was punctured by an eerie feeling – who were these people and what did they want?
As I took a few steps forward, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s the two bloody Marys”, I said. The bronze statues that grace the entrance to the park – I´d forgotten all about them even though I spent time in the city following my 2016 Camino Frances.
The two Marys were legends in Santiago in the ’50s and ’60s. Dressed in flamboyant clothes and heavy makeup, they would walk through the city around Alamada Park, usually around 2.00 pm, galavanting and flirting with students (which was definitely frowned upon – women didn’t behave in that way back then). Called the Dos Marias (Two Marys) or The Two O´Clockers, they became so well known that the writer Xosé Rivadulla Corcón made a documentary about them.
In 1994, the city honoured the sisters and their story by laying bronze statues in the entrance to the Park. Even in death, they continue to bring mirth to the city of Santiago. The legend of the Two Marys lives on.
If you plan to walk the Camino de Santiago and need a little helping hand preparing for your journey, why not let me take care of the mundane, leaving you to enjoy the magic? I offer Camino Itinerary Planning on all Camino de Santiago routes.
Want to learn more about the Camino de Santiago? Check out my book, A Wild Woman’s Guide To The Camino de Santiago. I share everything you need to know before you begin your Camino. Read at A Wild Woman’s Guide To The Camino De Santiago or click the link below.
(c) Samantha Wilson 2019. All Rights Reserved.
