Walking the Camino de Santiago
In the cloisters behind the Iglesia de Santa María de Los Arcos we find life-sized floats, stored for Holy Week. Many Spanish towns and villages have processions through the streets and even between towns during the days leading up to Easter. The men who maintain and carry these floats are members of confraternities, which are sometimes centuries old. I’ve heard […]
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Among the many altars and statues found in the Iglesia de Santa María de Los Arcos is this striking Santiago. There’s just something about the eyes, particularly in the gloom of the church at night. If you spent some days photographing every square inch of this church, you could probably put together a book. Date: 06 April 2013Place: Los Arcos […]
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As I mentioned yesterday, Santa María de Los Arcos is a warren of small chapels and side altars. Here we see a baroque, or possibly rococo, altar through a much earlier decorated romanesque archway. I simply love this level of decorative detail, as well as the historical style mashup that you get in these old churches. In them, you can […]
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The reredos of the high altar of the Iglesia de Santa María de Los Arcos are a cavalcade of baroque gold three stories tall. It was practically impossible to get the whole thing in the frame of a photo. I counted nine altars in the church, but I certainly missed some. Following Mass, the priest gave us the pilgrims’ blessing. […]
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Once we had checked into our albergue and showered, we do what all good pilgrims do: we head to the local and grab some dinner. Here, Petra the Bavarian is well pleased with her Spanish beer. In truth, the Spanish make some fantastic wine. Beer? Not so much. Serviceable, clearly, after a full day’s walk, but not something I’d seek […]
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A door lock in Los Arcos. Unfortunately, I cannot now remember if this was on the church or some other building. I suppose I’ll just have to go back and find out. I just love these ornate and fiddly little details, and I mourn that so much beauty and craftsmanship is so easily discarded or ignored these days. Date: 06 […]
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The four of us ducked into the long porch of the Iglesia de Santa María de Los Arcos to regroup and figure out which of the town’s albergues looked the most promising. Of course, I snapped a photo of the church’s magnificent entrance. In the end, we chose the albergue with the longest name. Date: 06 April 2013Place: Los Arcos […]
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Although it’s one of the largest churches in Navarra, Santa María de Los Arcos is squeezed into a tiny plaza fronted with shops, bars, and restaurants. It’s so crowded in that it’s difficult to get a decent photo of the church. We have arrived towards the end of the Spanish siesta, so the café tables in the plaza are empty. […]
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The three hour stretch between Villamayor de Monjardín and Los Arcos is an excercise in patience. The vast majority of the land is kilometer after kilometer of vineyards on gently rolling hills. As you crest or come around each hill, before you lays more of the same to the horizon. Although the land is peaceful and idyllic, it seems endless; […]
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I’ve mentioned the ubiquitous zombie hands coming out of the ground before – and here’s a closeup! These are, of course, grape vines pruned back for winter. In just a few weeks, we’ll see these start to bud and eventually vine out. But for now, they’re fascinating and just plain creepy. Date: 06 April 2013Place: between Villamayor de Monjardín and […]
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