Walking the Camino de Santiago
On the way into Santiago, the Camino crosses over a busy highway. This sign appears at the highway entrance ramp. I get that they don’t want anybody walking or biking on the highway. The prohibition on tractors also makes sense, particularly since Galicia has extensive rural landscapes. But I’m a little puzzled that they’d need to prohibit a horse and […]
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As we approach the city of Santiago de Compostella, even the manhole covers reflect the Camino. Date: 02 May 2013 Place: between Lavacolla and Monte do Gozo (Province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain) Today started: O Pedrouzo (a.k.a. Arca) (Province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain)
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I’m pretty sure that the top of this gate was salvaged from the wheel of an old cart – more on those tomorrow – and that’s perhaps much of the charm of this rustic construction. The latch is of a kind that we saw throughout Galicia, but my attempts to procure one have so far failed. Date: 01 May 2013 […]
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This is the main entrance to the little Igrexa de Santa María do Leboreiro in the village of the same name. I have passed this church three times over the past decade, and as far as I can remember, it has never been open. If the tympanum is anything to go by, it should be pretty spectacular. Date: 30 April 2013 […]
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This is a close-up of the Romanesque window of the little church from yesterday. As I said yesterday, I find this little window absolutely exquisite. It seems to be the only remnant of the original decorative elements prior to the many renovations and restructurings of this church. I wonder what happened to the rest of the stonework? Date: 30 April […]
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Is it a window? A short door? An entryway for animals? Who knows? And how long has it been abandoned? It’s the sort of liminal space that makes you stop and ponder, anyway. Or is that just me? Date: 30 April 2013 Place: between Palas de Rei and San Xulián (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain) Today started: Palas de Rei […]
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Just a window we passed in one of the Galician villages on the Camino. It’s a common enough sight in Spain, but this one particularly struck me as looking like a 19th century painting. Date: 29 April 2013 Place: probably Ligonde (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain) Today started: Portomarín (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)
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In the tiny village of Ventas de Narón, we find a door that reminds us, yet again, that Galicia is a Catholic country. The three carved images are the shell of Saint James, the Eucharist, and the Cross. Date: 29 April 2013 Place: Ventas de Narón (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain) Today started: Portomarín (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)
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There’s just something about a cloister that invites contemplation – and photos. They are, after all, meant to evoke Eden. This is the cloister of the Monasterio de la Magdelena, now an albergue rather than a monastery. Spain’s government seized all Spanish churches and monasteries in the 19th century in their own version of what Henry VIII did in Britain. […]
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After circumnavigating about 75% of the great Royal Monastery of Samos, we finally arrived at the albergue! It would probably have been shorter if we’d gone the other way, although I suspect that we might have run into some trouble with the course of the river. We were so happy to finally find it! Time for a shower. Date: 26 […]
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