This is a story that moves inside the cathedral, and you do not need to step in to enjoy it. Listen to it, and decide whether to step in. Remember the giant censer I promised you? Its name is the Botafumeiro, and it is one of the largest swinging incense burners anywhere in the world. It hangs on a long rope from high in the cathedral ceiling. On big feast days, eight men in red robes haul on that rope and set it flying, a huge arc of smoke and fire sweeping across the whole width of the church, up toward the roof and back, fast enough to make you gasp. Its official job was to perfume the church. Its unofficial job, and locals will happily tell you this, was to cover the smell of a few hundred pilgrims who had walked for a month without a proper wash. Whether that is the true reason or just a very good story, it makes the point about this city. Even the incense was about hospitality. Now for the promised drama. More than five centuries ago, on Saint James's Day, a special Mass was held for a visiting princess, Catherine of Aragon, who was passing through on her way to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales, the eldest son and heir of King Henry the Seventh. Mid-Mass, with the Botafumeiro at full swing, the fastening gave way. The whole flaming censer tore loose and shot straight out through one of the cathedral's great doors. Miraculously, no one was hurt. Sadly for Catherine, the marriage lasted less than five months. Arthur died at just fifteen, leaving her a teenage widow. She maintained that their marriage had never been consummated, a claim that became crucial when she married Arthur’s younger brother, Henry the Eighth. Years later, he sought to end their marriage, calling for annulment, due to the lack of an heir, and went on to marry five more women. Over the years, historians have linked this dramatic mishap to her turbulent future, though that’s just speculation. The ropes are said to have failed on one or two other occasions over the centuries too, which is worth remembering if you ever find yourself sitting directly underneath. A fair warning. The Botafumeiro does not fly at every service, only on certain feast days and when someone pays for it, so do not count on catching it. A quick search online can give you a glimpse of this whole ritual. Before moving to the next stop, let me tell you about the last ritual to complete the pilgrimage. Behind the high altar, worn smooth by a thousand years of hands, is a jewelled statue of Saint James, and the tradition is to climb the steps behind it and embrace him from behind. It is the quiet moment every pilgrim walks all that way for—a handshake, at the finish line, with the man himself. And then there’s the crypt, the final destination of the pilgrim. This is where the relics of Saint James are said to be kept, along with those of his two disciples. When you are ready, follow the map to the smaller building tucked against the cathedral's flank, and I will introduce you to the man who made all of this possible.