Walking the Camino de Santiago
The interior of the basilica in Ponferrada is actually quite lovely, though it’s difficult to tell from this dark and slightly blurry photo. The attention to detail is evident, from the images hung throughout the church to the medallions in the vaulting to the low altar – which unlike many I’ve seen, actually matches and complements the high altar behind […]
» Read more
When we walked in 2016, it was a jubilee year. Many of the larger (and sometimes not so large) churches had holy doors. The Basílica Nuestra Señora de la Encina was one of these, and it was one of the more obvious and well-marked ones of the whole Camino. Nicely done! Here Francine leads Rebecca and I through. Date: 23 […]
» Read more
After a lunch that included a cup of goopy chocolate and some churros, we proceeded to the basilica. Enshrined within is an image of Virgin and Child that reportedly came from Jerusalem in the fifth century and is now honoured throughout El Bierzo. It was hidden during the Islamic conquest – so well, in fact, that it was lost for […]
» Read more
Happy Mothers Day! I wish I had a better photo of this. The Casa de los Escudos is between the castle and the basilica, and here in April, its famous wisteria was in its early bloom. I can only imagine what it must be like a little later in the season! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a wisteria quite […]
» Read more
As we made our way through central Ponferrada towards the basilica, our attention was drawn by two things: the gorgeous wisteria on the side of a building, and the café on the corner directly ahead. While the bees may have been drawn to the flowers, we were drawn to the café. Who would we see inside but Stijn! He was […]
» Read more
The Camino runs through Ponferrada with the Castillo Templario on the left, and a series of cafés, bars, and shops on the right. Ahead we see the bell tower of the Basílica Nuestra Señora de la Encina, our next stop. Well, our next stop after lunch. Date: 23 April 2016 Place: Ponferrada (Castilla y León, Spain) Today’s maps! Since Ponferrada […]
» Read more
The first clear sight of the medieval city center of Ponferrada is the Templar castle. It is revealed in dramatic fashion. The Camino winds its way through narrow streets fronted with tall buildings, then turns a corner, and this is the sudden view. Back in 2013 we took a tour through the castle and spent several hours exploring its riches. […]
» Read more
The Camino crosses the Rio Boeza at this stone bridge. Beyond lay the old center of Ponferrada – you can see the tower of the basilica in the background. What you can’t quite make out (yet) is the Templar castle that dominates the town center. Date: 23 April 2016 Place: Ponferrada (Castilla y León, Spain) Today’s maps! Since Ponferrada is […]
» Read more
Thanks to suburbanization, Campo bleeds seamlessly into the large town of Ponferrada. We walked with Billy for a bit, but he uncharacteristically fell behind and by the time of this photo, we had lost him. Note the various places listed on the sign include Castillo de los Templarios – that’s one of the few surviving castles of the Knights Templar […]
» Read more
Lovely coat of arms on the side of a house in Campo. I love this tradition of arms on old houses, which we have seen in villages and towns throughout the Spanish Camino. I would love to have something like this on Pistachio House, but every time I raise the idea, Francine quickly changes the subject… Date: 23 April 2016 […]
» Read more