Walking the Camino de Santiago
The town of Estella is built into a narrow ravine on either side of the Río Ega. Consequently, there are churches and other important medieval buildings built much higher up than the districts closer to the river, but also on steep rock outcroppings right in the middle of town. If you want to see some of these places, there are […]
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Just after dawn on April 5th, we get our gear situated for another day on the Camino! Despite my best efforts, my shoes were still damp from the day before. We set out about 8 AM and spent a little time – far too little time – exploring Estella. Date: 05 April 2016 Place: Estella (Navarra, Spain) The Day’s Map:
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Following the Mass, the priest gave us the pilgrim’s blessing and we set off to explore the church. Here Katy stands next to the baptismal font at the Iglesia San Miguel in Estella, located in a proper Baptistry. During the course of the Camino, I took many photos of 21st century pilgrims juxtaposed with medieval art and architecture, but I […]
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This is the high altar of the Iglesia San Miguel in Estella. As one would expect, Saint Michael the Archangel takes center stage. This church also has a number of beautiful side altars and an astonishing collection of relics. These include relics of the True Cross, Saint Peter, Saint Blaise, and Saint Barbara. Liturgy geeks will note the Benedictine arrangement […]
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All along the Camino, I took photos of numerous doors. There’s just something about liminal spaces that draws me in, and nobody does them quite like Romanesque architects. This particular door is to the Iglesia San Miguel in Estella, where Katy and I went to evening Mass for the Solemnity of the Annunciation. Although I took quite a number of […]
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At the end of a wet and muddy day, we arrive at the Albergue de peregrinos parroquial San Miguel de Estella with legs made of rubber. Our shoes were soaked through, and despite our best efforts were not entirely dry the next morning. This was a night of particular note in several ways. Later that night, the Feast of the […]
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This fountain may be found at the entrance to the town of Estella. In English, the inscription reads something like “good bread, excellent water and wine, meat and fish, full of happiness”. This is, I think, the description of the town found in the Codex Calixtinus. It’s certainly still true today. Date: 04 April 2016 Place: Estella (Navarra, Spain) Map […]
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You never know who you’re going to meet on the Camino. On this particular rainy afternoon, we met a pair of lost donkeys wandering the trail. They seemed friendly enough, but we had no clue where they might have wandered from. The younger one was braying up a storm, perhaps frightened and lost – or maybe it was just calling […]
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The Ermita de San Miguel is located just after the village of Villatuerta. Largely abandoned now, the interior is filled with notes and messages left by pilgrims. Some are prayers, some remembrances, some just shouts into the void. Eamon, Petra, and I visited in 2013 and spent some time reading and contemplating the words of those who had gone before […]
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After lunch in Lorca, we continued on in the rain and through the mud. Take a look at the road! This rain-bedraggled look is something we would perfect over the next days and weeks. By this point, my shoes were soaked through. My companions, meanwhile, were trying to make a German flag with their ponchos… Date: 04 April 2016 Place: […]
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