Pilgrims on the Way

Not all art on the Camino is great. Some of it, like this wide-eyed Santiago Peregrino seems utterly out of place. And that’s kind of what makes it great, that in the midst of this tableau of old stone construction and rusty signs probably dating from the Franco era we have this piece of Spanish anime. Date: 23 April 2016 […]

After a short walk through bare spring vineyards of the El Bierzo countryside, we come upon the Iglesia de San Esteban de Columbrianos. This is pretty much our first sight of the village of Columbrianos – really more of a suburb of Ponferrada. The church, in its garden-like setting, provides us a place to rest and rehydrate in the shade […]

This has my vote for the oddest way-sign on the Camino. I mean, it’s hard to miss – I’ll give you that. But, really. Could it be any more cartoony and silly? And what’s the deal with those nails, anyway? Date: 23 April 2016 Place: Compostilla (Castilla y León, Spain) Two! Two maps for the price of one!

This charming little statue of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary stands behind the Iglesia Santa María de Compostilla. It was a lovely little reminder of home in a land far away. Now to some more suburban trekking through the afternoon to get to our evening’s stopping point. We intended to stay in Fuentas Nuevas… Date: 23 April 2016 Place: […]

Another bit of wall art from the Iglesia Santa María de Compostilla. This is a lovely image of the Nativity, with the Blessed Virgin, Saint Joseph dressed as a friar, and the traditional ox and ass. I’m not entirely certain why Jesus is on the ground, rather than in the manger, but there you go. The music appears to be […]

We spent some time looking for a cash machine for Rebecca. The Camino outside of the cities and some of the larger towns is purely a cash economy. When you start running short on cash, it can be a serious problem, so you have to stock up when you can. Afterwards, we rejoined the Camino and walked through the village […]

Walking the Camino is pretty easy. You follow the markers. Usually, these are painted yellow arrows. Some localities have special Camino logos on signs that mark the Way through their territory. Usually, they’re pretty hard to miss. But even when they are, you become an expert at finding them, no matter how small or obscure or out-of-the-way they are. This […]

As we exit the bustling town of Ponferrada, and on the verge of the farmlands to the north, we turn back towards the town for one last farewell. From here, it’s easy to see how this place dominated the surrounding countryside. Date: 23 April 2016 Place: leaving Ponferrada (Castilla y León, Spain) Today’s maps! Since Ponferrada is not our stopping […]

The Camino through Ponferrada takes us through some serious modern urbanization. Even for all of that, however, this fountain with its statues of king and bishop reminds us that we are, after all, still walking through Spain – even if the street behind them is the Avenida de América. History is ever-present and living. Date: 23 April 2016 Place: Ponferrada […]