Walking the Camino de Santiago
Cola Cao is a ubiquitous high-octane chocolate drink mix in Spain. It seems to be mostly for breakfast, but Spaniards will drink it at almost any time. On our first Camino, our friend Eamon (from New Zealand) positively fell in love with the stuff and drank it almost every day. It is definitely an acquired taste – and here Francine […]
» Read more
Numerous old houses in the villages of Navarra and La Rioja display the arms of their owners – or at least their one-time owners. This fine example in Azofra particularly struck me as we passed by looking for dinner. Afterward, it was back to the Municipal Albergue for a well-deserved sleep. Tomorrow awaits! Date: 08 April 2016 Place: Azofra (La […]
» Read more
I‘ve mentioned before my love of doors – their mystery and their promise of endless possibilities. Here are two doors of ordinary homes in the town of Azofra, one much older than the other. Both, though, give evidence to a pride of place and a deep respect for history and culture. Who knows what lies behind them? Date: 08 April […]
» Read more
Given that it’s a pilgrimage route, I’m kind of astonished by the number of churches on the Camino that are only open during very restricted hours. I understand that for many of these village churches, there is a cost associated with keeping them open, but I’ve seen a number of clever ways of mitigating this. Some have albergues attached to […]
» Read more
This sign is posted in the common room of the Municipal Albergue in Azofra. You will see or hear variations of this phrase all along the Camino. It’s not only a good explanation of the difference between a pilgrim and a tourist when you travel, it’s a pretty good rule of thumb for life. Particularly when you recall the words […]
» Read more
Azofra is not what you would call one of those quaint medieval villages, although the rain probably helped. Nevertheless, the municipal Albergue is modern, spacious and features small, two-person private rooms. No bunk beds! It also has washers and dryers and working Wi-Fi. All this for €7? Yes, please. Date: 08 April 2016 Place: Azofra (La Rioja, Spain) Here’s a […]
» Read more
Here we are coming up to the town of Azofra during one of the intermittent squalls that plagued us this day. As I recall, this degenerated into a steady rain when we finally got to town. Today was a good, strong walk despite the weather. The terrain was generally gently rolling hills: nothing too steep but varied enough to be […]
» Read more
I‘m not sure what possessed me to take this photo of a well and irrigation system in La Rioja. They are ubiquitous throughout the eastern parts of La Rioja and throughout Castilla, and they are not small – that’s my hiking pole you see leaning against it for scale. The reason I’m posting it is this: in a week or […]
» Read more
As I indicated in a previous post, most of the distance signs of the Camino seem to be pure guesswork – though at least a few are just maliciously wrong. On the road from Nájera to Azofra, you will see these particular signs very kilometer or so. Three years ago, they were brand new, and at the time we swore […]
» Read more
The immediate path of the Camino out of Nájera is through a narrow gorge of the same red stone that you see in the nearby cliffs. When we walked, vultures circled overhead. Nothing creepy about that. Occasionally, the gauntlet widens briefly into the vineyards for which La Rioja is famous, as you see here. Dark clouds loomed, and we were […]
» Read more