Author: Thom

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know I’m fascinated by the various ways that communities mark their little slice of the Camino. This marker is set into the sidewalk somewhere in Nájera. It’s elegant, and I think it makes a quiet statement about the steady light of pilgrimage in the darkness and confusion of the […]

Having already filled you in, dear reader, on the wonder that is the hambugesa, it won’t surprise you to learn that here, in the heart of the La Rioja wine country, I had beer with lunch. Nevertheless, the wines of La Rioja (and Navarra, too!) are among my favourites. This evocative poster hangs in the bar/café where we had our […]

This is a portion of the colourful, if cartoonish, mural on the side of the bar/café where we had our late lunch in Nájera. We were so exhausted when we arrived that we weren’t thinking particularly straight, and we couldn’t come to any sort of rational decision about what to have for lunch. So we ordered something called “hamburgesas”. These […]

Welcome to Nájera! Centuries ago, this bustling town was the royal capital of the Kingdom of Navarra. Indeed, many of Navarra’s kings and queens are buried here. Nowadays, thanks to twentieth-century politics and war, it’s not even in Navarra. When we arrived in Nájera, it had been cold and rainy, we were tired, we hadn’t had lunch yet, and it […]

No map, no guidebook, and no sign on the Camino give the same distance between points. I remember comparing the distance between two towns in three different sources – two books and a map – and getting three different numbers. And the signs on the Camino are different again. Apparently, I’m not the only person who has noticed this. At […]

The giant Ferragut and the paladin Roland (or Roldán) loom large in the legends along this stretch of the Camino. The story goes that Ferragut, a Syrian giant descended from Goliath and stronger than him, fought and overcame the best warriors of Charlemagne. Then came Roland, who fought him in an epic battle that ranged from Roncesvalles to this very […]

Just past Ventosa, in the vast rolling vineyards of La Rioja, you will find this memorial marker. Markers of this type, commemorating pilgrims who had died on Camino, will be found up and down the length of the route in Spain. Often, passing pilgrims will pile stones around (or on top of) these markers as a way of remembrance. Date: […]

This is the rather whimsical but oddly specific and detailed sign for the place we ended up having our second breakfast. This metal pilgrim cut-out technique is not uncommon on the Camino, becoming more and more prevalent as we approach the Meseta. I’m reasonably certain that we ate dinner at the same place three years ago. Date: 08 April 2016 […]

Second breakfast awaits us in the village of Ventosa! It is built up the side of the hill, with the village church at the very top. This time, we didn’t climb the hill, but three years ago Eamon and I spent some time exploring the tiny and rustic church. The village lives up to its name – both times I’ve […]

Some signs on the Camino are more obvious than others. In my first Camino, we stopped for the night in Ventosa and had a memorable experience with good friends and much wine. Dirt cheap (the people who run the albergue own a winery) and so very tasty. This time around, Francine and I had our second breakfast in the village. […]