Category: Photo of the Day 2016

In the past, I’ve compared Navarra to Tuscany. I mean, it’s not, but it has the same sorts of terrain and picturesque hill towns. In the Tuscany Look-Alike Sweepstakes, the valley of El Bierzo is also clearly in the running. I mean, how can you imagine a more idyllic image than the stately home on the hill, shaded by trees […]

Once we got out into the countryside of El Bierzo, there was a lot of hill walking. Up and down. And down and up. And up. What through-hikers sometimes call “PUD walking” (Pointless Up and Down). Absolutely gorgeous day for it, though. And what could be better than walking through vineyards? Date: 24 April 2016 Place: Between Pieros and Villafranca […]

Deep within the vineyards of El Bierzo, the Camino passes a large field filled with sculpture. This photo only shows a small corner of it. Why this sculptor’s studio is literally on a Camino hillside far away from town is a mystery to me, but clearly it does save him on warehouse space. For those interested in his wares, bonus […]

Morning walk along a roadway and we were starting to get warm, so we found a bench where we could take off our packs a moment and shed some layers. Nearby this sign warned motorists to keep an eye out for us. Date: 24 April 2016 Place: Leaving Cacabelos (Castilla y León, Spain) Today’s map, part 1:

This is (to give its full name) the albergue de peregrinos municipal Santuario de la Quinta Angustia de Cacabelos. It consists of a semi-circle of cabins facing the central Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias. The church is most famous for containing an image that shows the baby Jesus playing cards. We stayed here back in 2013, and it […]

No, I can’t explain it either. This bit of wall art in Cacabelos is just past the church as the Camino heads down a narrow medieval street. Perhaps it is meant to be a bit of syncretism? Or a progression either in time or in truth? Saint James leading the pagans? Who knows? Date: 24 April 2016 Place: Cacabelos (Castilla […]

I took any number of photos in the rustic and charming parish church in Cacabelos (which you can see on my Flickr), but this is the most important. In the church, we ran into Anita again, and there was a reunion of the scattered pilgrims! This is one of my favourite photos of either Camino, and a copy of it […]

The street winds through town, and we approach the parish church. Although I was unable to actually find a name for this church anywhere, the fact that its address is Number 1 Calle Santa María leads me to presume that it is the Iglesia Santa María something or another. Although it’s difficult to tell, the street is lined with small […]

Across the street from Number 41, we saw our first pulpería of the Camino. And what, you may ask, is a pulpería? Why, it’s a place that serves pulpo, Galician-style boiled octopus tentacles snipped into bite-sized pieces and drizzled with oil and Spanish paprika. Normally, this is served with a cup bowl of chilled Ribeiro wine. It’s absolutely amazing. Once […]