Walking the Camino de Santiago
This rather dramatic archway leads out of town and over the bridge for which the town is named: the Bridge of the Queen. For me, this is one of the great, magical images of the Camino, as it practically demands that you follow the yellow arrow and see where the Way will lead you. I believe that this was once […]
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These damaged statues fascinated me, and I took some closeup photos. Here’s the Pope from above the false door. I’ve no idea who he might be, and I’m curious as to how the damage was done. It’s pretty clearly deliberate, and I think there are some marks that are obviously bullet holes on the surrounding putti, and possibly the Pope’s […]
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Complimenting yesterday’s “not a door“, here we come to the actual door next door. As with the mysterious Pope statue, all of these statues are damaged in a way that indicates (to me at least) that somebody was taking pot-shots at them at some point. Who are these statues meant to represent? Well the church across the street is dedicated […]
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As we walk down the narrow streets of Puente la Reina, with Calle de Crucifijo rapidly transitioning into Calle Major, the Camino passes the church of Santiago y San Pedro on the right. On the left, directly across from it, is a building that I suppose was once a parish office or monastery or rectory. What it is now, I […]
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Once again, I’ve been noodling about going on Camino. The Camino has been calling to me. First quietly but persistently, and now louder and insistently. Previously, we’ve walked the Camino Francés, starting in various places: Roncesvalles in 2013 (León for Francine), Saint Jean Pied de Port in 2016, and O Cebreiro in 2018. The Camino Francés Obviously, there are a […]
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Our little Camino family finally gets underway, following the Camino through the town of Puente la Reina. The name means “bridge of the queen”, and while the bridge is easily identified – we’ll cross it in just a few minutes – the queen in question remains a subject of intense debate. But more on that another day. Apologies for the […]
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This is a Camino family photo. While some of us are pressing on, Ali and Cliff are staying behind to deal with their injuries. We’re standing in front of last night’s albergue. It’s seven in the morning, and we hope to reach Estella at a reasonable hour. From left to right: Charlie from the UK, me, Ali from France, Cliff […]
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For a late dinner, we found ourselves in a local place called Bar Cervecería Very. We ordered the dinner, and were well rewarded for the hardships of the day. I post vanishingly few food photos here, but this was a particularly memorable meal, beginning with mussels in a spicy tomato sauce, moving on to a lamb shank, and crowned with […]
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We finally arrive at our destination, the town of Puente la Reina, at about 6:45. It’s been a long day. I’m such a zombie that I have no decent photos between Obanos and Puente la Reina. We stop at the second albergue we come to – in the process bypassing a motel – which faces this seminary across the parking […]
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We made it through the archway on the Plaza de los Fueros de Obanos and stopped to assess the situation. We try to be cheerful, but the healthiest among us are staggering like zombies. Cliff is struggling with blisters. Ali is having an allergic reaction to her sock liners. Charlie is leaning heavily on one of Petra’s hiking poles. It’s […]
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