Author: Thom

This is the sign for the village of Pereje. Like many signs in the area, it has been altered from the Spanish spelling to the Galician spelling. This area, though it is not within the borders of the modern region of Galicia, is well within the bounds of both the medieval Kingdom of Galicia and the Galician-speaking area of Spain. […]

It was bright and warm that afternoon in April, and we took some time to rest and rehydrate in the shade of an old tree. As you can see, Francine and Rebecca were happy to be out of the direct sunlight, if only for a couple of minutes. Date: 24 April 2016 Place: Between Villafranca del Bierzo and Pereje (Castilla […]

The Camino passes over this lovely little farm in the river valley below. Given the heat of the day – I very nearly zipped off the legs of my hiking pants – we elected to take the shorter of two options towards Trabadelo. The good news is that it was shorter. The not so good news was that it more […]

As we leave Villafranca, the Camino crosses the Río Burbia. This was the site of a famous medieval battle in the year 791 between the troops of the Christian Kingdom of Asturias and the Islamic Emirate of Córdoba. Although the battle was an Islamic victory, it forced the Christians to retrench and reorganise, and they emerged stronger and more united. […]

The street the Camino follows out of Villafranca rather suddenly turns into a staircase. There are a number of places on the Camino where this is true, and it never ceases to fascinate me. In the U.S., where the majority of streets and roads were built with the automobile in mind, this would almost never happen. I don’t say absolutely […]

The sun shifted quickly, and we soon lost our shady spot. After lunch, we headed out of Villafranca. In some future Camino, I’d like to stay here and explore the town and its old churches and castle further. The whole El Bierzo valley is pleasant, but this little town is a gem. Date: 24 April 2016 Place: Villafranca del Bierzo […]

Here we are, arriving at the bar across the street from yesterday’s small castle. It’s sunny here, but around the corner there were some tables in the shade. Francine, Rebecca, Anita, and several other pilgrims and I enjoyed some lovely bocadillos and the local wine here. The wine was chilled and perfect for a hot day. In my journal I […]

After passing several Romanesque and Gothic churches, including of course an Iglesia de Santiago, we came to this: the Castle of the Marquises of Peña Ramiro, built in the 16th century. In Spanish, it has the rather grander name of el castillo-palacio de los Marqueses de Peñarramiro de Villafranca del Bierzo. While under other circumstances we might try to tour […]

Welcome to Villafranca del Bierzo – this time for sure! This was our first real view of the town, which sits below the main Camino road in a valley within a valley. The Camino runs down into the town, of course, past two churches and a castle. As for us, we’re looking for lunch! Date: 24 April 2016 Place: Entering […]