Pilgrims on the Way

Cirueña’s seemingly endless housing developments stand empty. We are here surrounded by empty apartments, and we are walking towards a street of empty townhouses. Hardly anybody lives here. The whole place is eerie. The only people you see on the streets are pilgrims passing through. Spooky. Date: 09 April 2013Place: Cirueña (La Rioja, Spain)Today started: in Ventosa (La Rioja, Spain)

This brand of steel art is endemic along this portion of the Camino. On the other side of the village, the pilgrim cut out from this piece stands on his own. A neat trick: two sculptures for the price of one. This village and the nearby village of Ciriñuela were the site of an enormous housing development that stands nearly […]

When we returned to the Camino three years later, this sign had been changed out. Or possibly we found a different sign. In any case, you have to admire the directness of Spain. Date: 09 April 2013Place: between Azofra and Santo Domingo de la Calzada (La Rioja, Spain)Today started: in Ventosa (La Rioja, Spain)

We all met up again at at the top of a hill in an open area with benches and water. Here’s Petra trying to fill her water bottle. Did I mention that it was windy? Although I took quite a number of photos that afternoon trying to demonstrate the wind we were walking against, this is probably the most illustrative. […]

Here we see Patrick walking into not-quite-gale-force winds. We were fortunate that the terrain was so easy and the scenery so beautiful, because this was a day where Patrick, Viola, and I were tested to the limit. We began to babble to each other about the mythical town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The more we walked, the more […]

Although it was an insanely windy walk that afternoon, when I think of the Camino, when I think of Spain, this is the landscape that leaps to mind. In many ways, in my imagination this is the Camino. Is it typical terrain on a typical day? Not really. But there you go. Date: 09 April 2013Place: between Azofra and Santo […]

Maybe you can tell from the bent grass or, better yet, some of the trees in the distance. It’s windy. We’re walking into a headwind here that was officially listed at 30 to 40 kph. Patrick from Florida, though, thought they were much stronger, comparing them to the kind of wind you get in a full-on tropical storm. Today we […]

After a lovely lunch, consisting of a bocadillo and a beer, we set off again along the Way. And we quickly ran into the mother of all headwinds. Still, a beautiful afternoon for it. That’s Petra and Eamon ahead. Date: 09 April 2013Place: Azofra (La Rioja, Spain)Today started: in Ventosa (La Rioja, Spain)

Lunch! It looks like this place has all the bases covered. Certainly, while we were in Azofra, we all popped in and grabbed something to eat here. I recall the same in 2016. Here, Viola and Eamon lead the pack. Date: 09 April 2013Place: Azofra (La Rioja, Spain)Today started: in Ventosa (La Rioja, Spain)

Here we see Patrick and Petra walking through the village. We’re looking for lunch. Azofra is not large; the Calle Mayor is the Camino itself, and there are only a handful of other streets at all. It almost looks like a Hollywood set, but there’s something very homey and lived-in about the place. Date: 09 April 2013Place: Azofra (La Rioja, […]