Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
(from my journal) Sarria 27 April Some highway walking, followed by a beautiful walk in the forests of Galicia. Lots of rain. Francine, having had very little sleep due to a drunken Englishman snoring and occasionally shouting in his sleep,… Read more → (Originally posted to Pilgrims on the Way.)
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(from my journal) Royal Monastery of Samos 26 April 2013 Francine and I had a shorter walk today to Samos through beautiful Galician misty farmland and woods with Anja. During second breakfast, who should come ’round the bend but Eamon! Lunched in Triacastela and the mist finally more or less lifted. Arrived in Samos with Eamon and Francine and booked […]
» Read more(from my journal) Fonfría 25 April 2013 First Breakfast in Vega Today we traveled, on and off, with Iain, Anja, and a lovely Korean lady named Isabel (or, as I like to call her, Bob). The climb to O’Cebreiro was steep and rough, quite the toughest climb so far… but one. Cows with Cowbells. Francine was so enchanted with the […]
» Read more(from my journal) Vega de Valcarce 24 April 2013 On the Road Again! Where’s the Coffee? Fun hiking day in the morning, walking off and on with Smith and Tara, Santiago, and Stella and Diego. A Beautiful Morning! WHERE. IS. COFFEE?? Looking Like a Painting Aaaah. Coffeeeeee. Sculptor’s Studio just outside of Cacabelos In Villafranca del Bierzo, I mailed a […]
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(from my journal) Cacabelos 23 April 2013 On paper, this should have been our easiest day. Unfortunately, it was 27° C. We arrived in Ponferrada in good shape and only slightly behind schedule. But there was the Castle. We waited almost an hour for it to open at 11AM(ish), and we then spent over an hour exploring the structure and […]
» Read more(from my journal) Molinaseca 22 April 2013 Saying Goodbye to our Hospitaleros at Refugio Gaucelmo in Rabanal Too tired to think properly. Spectacular climb to Cruz de Ferro, Francine, Mark, and I. Saw some peregrinos there we had prviously met in Rabanal. Saw a forest fire in the hills – two helicopters put it out. Lord, may this stone, a […]
» Read more(from my journal) Rabanal del Camino 21 April – Sunday! Bishop’s Palace in Astorga, by Gaudi. The Bishop never moved in, and it’s a Museum now. Cathedral in Astorga – Apparently Closed on Sunday Mornings. What is this? Francine’s second day, and the Benedictine connection continues. It was a rough day, and we only reached El Ganso – our intended […]
» Read more(from my journal) Astorga 20 April Breakfasted in the Benedictine hotel with Francine. We walked to the bus station – maybe 1.5 km – and caught the 9:30 bus to Hospital de Órbigo. Walked across town to Puente de Órbigo and walked across (and back across) the astonishing medieval bridge there. Saint Benedict, Pray for Us! My late, lamented hiking […]
» Read more(from my journal) León 19 April In León after a relatively easy 18km walk, made only slightly more difficult by the fact of walking on sidewalks for much of it. This is a fantastic city! It’s probably my favourite so far – other than Pamplona of course. Narrow, crooked streets, bursting with life and commerce. A Lion in León! Plaza […]
» Read more(from my journal) Mansilla de las Mulas 18 April Another long Meseta trek. Breakfast in El Burgo Ranero. Met a cat outside the bar who begged for food. Power-walked after El Burgo Ranero – not sure why the energy. Met back up with Eamon at rest area about 5km before Reliegos where we lunched. Second half of lunch in Reliegos, […]
» Read more(from my journal) Bercianos del Real Camino 17 April Francine is in flight! Meanwhile, today was another introspective Meseta day – bleak, virtually unchanging scenery pushing thoughts deep within with little distraction. Entered the Province of León. Just before arriving in the town of Sahagún, at a little place called Ermita de la Virgen del Puente, I crossed the halfway […]
» Read more(from my journal) Terradillos de los Templarios 16 April / St. Bernadette Leaving Carrión de los Condes Ruined Church Overlooking Carrión de los Condes Monasterio de San Zoilo, just outside Carrión de los Condes Today started out with 17.5 km of nothing. It didn’t get much better as the day went on. Lots of time to think, about what comes […]
» Read more(from my journal) Carrión de los Condes 15 April A record-breaking 34km day. The walk to Frómista along the Canal de Castilla was very pleasant. It was not yet hot – we left at 7:30 – and a cool breeze blew through the trees beside the canal as Eamon, Mia, and I walked in the morning light. Lunch in Frómista, […]
» Read more(from my journal) Itero de la Vega Third Sunday of Easter Hot. Dry. Sunny. The Meseta – at least what we’ve seen of it so far – has not, however, lived up to its reputation for “flat”. We had two trying climbs today, one before lunch, one after. We left San Bol early, partly with the idea of getting to […]
» Read more(from my journal) Arroyo San Bol 13 April Burgos Cathedral this morning. We spent about two hours wandering around through this – superlatives fail me – magnificent? glorious? fantastical? – Gothic marvel. I was a little disturbed by the decision to turn most of it into a museum, seemingly to include virtually all of the little chapels radiating out from […]
» Read more(from my journal) The standing stones of Atapuerca, at a place called Fin de Rey.This is where the armies of two brothers – King Garcia of Navarra and King Ferdinand of Castile – met in battle. King Garcia’s defeat and death here paved the way for Castillian dominance of Spain, and pretty much marked the end of the road for […]
» Read more(from my journal) Iglesia San Juan de Ortega 11 April 4:20PM Felt much better after a good sleep and three boxes of orange juice. We left Belorado in good form and breakfasted in Tosantos. It was a sunny, if breezy, walk through the countryside we’ve come to expect – brilliant green farm fields in bowl-shaped valleys. Belorado Ermita de Nuestra […]
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