Walking the Camino de Santiago
Our first major stop of the day is at the medieval monastery in Irache, which stands next to the last functioning wine fountain on the Camino. More about that tomorrow. This is not it. This is the gate to La Forja de Ayegui, a modern-day forge and smithy. Sadly, it appeared to be closed as we passed by. In their […]
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The most usual sign for the Camino is the ubiquitous yellow arrow. In some places, the local government has set up signage, ranging from stone markers to street signs. And of course, sometimes a private organization or citizen will put up their own. This person covers all the bases. Date: 05 April 2016 Place: Estella or possibly Irache (Navarra, Spain) […]
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So here I am, having climbed the steps, standing frustrated at the locked door of the church of San Pedro de la Rúa in Estella. This photo is looking vaguely towards the Río Ega. I note that none of my companions were dumb enough to climb up with me. If you look carefully, you can see the three of them […]
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The Iglesia de San Pedro de la Rúa is a fortified medieval church in Estella. Weirdly, it houses the tomb of a thirteenth century Bishop of Patras in Greece. Apparently he was walking the Camino incognito and died in his sleep at the nearby albergue of San Nicolás. When he was buried in the pilgrim cemetery in San Pedro’s cloister, […]
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Here we see our happy band of pilgrims climbing the weirdly steep bridge over the Río Ega in Estella as the dawn tries to break through the gathering stormclouds. In Estella, even the bridges have steps! Across the river, you can see the looming cliffs and a few steeples of the churches built on high ground. Date: 05 April 2016 […]
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This is the back side of the Iglesia San Miguel where Katy and I attended Mass the evening before. This is a pretty vivid reminder of Estella’s very vertical geography. Date: 05 April 2016 Place: Estella (Navarra, Spain) The Day’s Map:
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The town of Estella is built into a narrow ravine on either side of the Río Ega. Consequently, there are churches and other important medieval buildings built much higher up than the districts closer to the river, but also on steep rock outcroppings right in the middle of town. If you want to see some of these places, there are […]
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Just after dawn on April 5th, we get our gear situated for another day on the Camino! Despite my best efforts, my shoes were still damp from the day before. We set out about 8 AM and spent a little time – far too little time – exploring Estella. Date: 05 April 2016 Place: Estella (Navarra, Spain) The Day’s Map:
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Following the Mass, the priest gave us the pilgrim’s blessing and we set off to explore the church. Here Katy stands next to the baptismal font at the Iglesia San Miguel in Estella, located in a proper Baptistry. During the course of the Camino, I took many photos of 21st century pilgrims juxtaposed with medieval art and architecture, but I […]
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This is the high altar of the Iglesia San Miguel in Estella. As one would expect, Saint Michael the Archangel takes center stage. This church also has a number of beautiful side altars and an astonishing collection of relics. These include relics of the True Cross, Saint Peter, Saint Blaise, and Saint Barbara. Liturgy geeks will note the Benedictine arrangement […]
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