Walking the Camino de Santiago
This morning, Francine and I received the pilgrims’ blessing from Rev. David Mulholland at Saint Patrick Church, where I was baptized and we were married. It is a beautiful and ancient rite. In its current form it appears the Missal of Vich Cathedral, Barcelona, Spain, dated to AD 1078. In addition to blessing the pilgrims themselves, the packs (“rucksacks”), sticks (“staves”), and […]
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May the second looms large in my life. On this day in 2013, Francine and I walked into Santiago de Compostela for the first time, at the end of our first Camino. At this point, Francine had been walking for almost two weeks, and me for more than a month. I can’t describe the joy of that day. Arrival in […]
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After Foncebadón we come to Cruz de Ferro – the Iron Cross – the highest elevation on the Spanish portion of the Camino Francés. This is a place of importance for those pilgrims walking this route. It’s easy to explain, but the experience of it is something else again. At Cruz de Ferro there is an old tradition. Although I’ve […]
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These last few ruins of Foncebadón were our last view of the village. Looking at the current Google map and images, it appears that these ruins may now be rebuilt, though it’s difficult to say. Certainly, the rough road of previous images is now paved; perhaps this portion is as well. Date: 22 April 2013Place: Foncebadón (Province of León, Castilla […]
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This is the center of the village of Foncebadón. Even here, the area is mostly ruins with only the albergue and a couple of houses having been rebuilt. Not pictured (just off to the right) is the other large intact building in town, the church. In the years since, I am given to understand that the village now has seven […]
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Apologies! I was out of town for work, and the dodgy hotel Internet did not provide an opportunity to post. Welcome to the village of Foncebadón, population 18. This village was an abandoned ghost town in the 1990s after the last elderly inhabitant died. It has seen a resurgence due to the increasing popularity of the Camino, and now features […]
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It turns out that Rabanal is only halfway up the slope. Here Francine walks up, up, up towards the village of Foncebadón, and just beyond that, one of the great markers and moments of the Camino Francés. Date: 22 April 2013Place: between Rabanal del Camino and Foncebadón (Province of León, Castilla y León, Spain)Today started: Rabanal del Camino (Province of […]
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Fun fact: on this day back in 2016, Francine and I arrived in Rabanal. Today’s photo, however, is a look back at the village under the rising sun as we leave, heading for points farther west. Always, we journey to the West, but it’s important that you turn, from time to time, and reflect on where you’ve been and your […]
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Francine stands in front ofthe tiny Benedictine monastery in Rabanal. Here, with four monks, you can pray Vespers, Compline, and the Mass, often on the same day. From my journal of the previous day: … we’d hoped to find a Mass at Rabanal, as we had been told of a 7PM Mass, but in the event it proved to be […]
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Early the next morning, we bid our hospitaleros at Refugio Gaucelmo farewell and prepare to head in search of an iron cross. The morning was cold, and we were only going to climb in altitude through the day. Date: 22 April 2013Place: Rabanal del Camino (Province of León, Castilla y León, Spain)Today started: Rabanal del Camino (Province of León, Castilla […]
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