Pilgrims on the Way

When he lived in Pamplona, Ernest Hemingway hung out at a little bar inside Café Iruña. When he left, the bartender retired Hemingway’s barstool and eventually commissioned a statue of him sitting in his usual spot. Three years ago, I came here to see the Hemingway statue, but unfortunately the bar was closed for repairs. Finally, I was finally able […]

It’s difficult to get a good idea of the size of Pamplona’s Renaissance-era walls from a photo. They tower above those walking in their shadow. Here we see (from left to right) Lauren, Francesca, and Francine walking the Camino path along the walls towards the Magdalene Gate into the city. This area is famously where St. Ignatius of Loyola was […]

During our trek through Villava, we once again ran into the sisters from Colorado, Lauren and Francesca. Together, we crossed the medieval Puente de la Magdalena (Magdalene bridge) over the Rio Arga and into Pamplona, the ancient capital of Navarra. Those large structures in the background are the city walls. Charlemagne knocked down the originals in AD 778. They’ve been […]

As you walk through Villava towards Pamplona, just as the cathedral becomes visible in the distance, there is a street off to the left with decorated houses. The designs are realized in shells and stones in concrete, and they range from the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Navarra (seen here on the building on the right) to religious […]

The initial view of Villava betrays its medieval origin, even if most of the construction you see here is modern. This main street would have been a highway in the day. After a while of this sort of terrain, it becomes a modern city proper with modern asphalt streets. I like this sort of thing much better. Date: 01 April […]

After you cross the stone bridge over the narrow Rio Ulzama, the Basilica de la Santísima Trinidad de Arre is to the right, and the Camino continues to the left. Just a little ways on, we came to a sign welcoming us to the Pamplonan suburb of Villava, founded in AD 1184. Just a reminder that in Spain, even the […]

All of the statues in the basilica are naturalistic, and every one of them is in the same style and colour scheme. Where other statues of the saints looked pleading, I found the one of the Blessed Virgin Mary almost serene in her beauty. Date: 01 April 2016 Place: Arre / Villava (Navarra, Spain) Our current position may be found […]

The interior of the Basilica de la Santísima Trinidad de Arre is painted yellow and orange, with architectural details in a cream colour and moldings and other details in crimson. It is one of the more interesting church colour schemes I’ve seen in Spain. The altar and all other furnishings are in a deep, dark wood with gilded detail, also […]