Walking the Camino de Santiago
I‘ve often said that Spain, or at least the northern part we visited, isn’t a country so much as several different countries jammed up together. Each has its own geography and climate, its own food, its own culture, and even its own language. Here are a couple of funky things that let you know that you’re probably in Castilla rather […]
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Castildelgado has a population of perhaps 60, but for a thousand years, it has done a bustling trade with the pilgrims who pass through. This is the major religious site, the Iglesia de San Pedro. It holds the remains of the village’s most illustrious son: Don Francisco Delgado, Archbishop of Burgos. Fun history bit: some say it was he who […]
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We had our second breakfast in the village of Castildelgado in a place called “Restaurante El Chocolatero“. Because why wouldn’t you? It’s apparently also a hostel, but it might be a wee bit too dangerous for me to stay there. Date: 10 April 2016 Place: Castildelgado (Castilla y León, Spain) Maps!
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After just another half hour or so, we come to the rambling village of Castildelgado. On our left, we see this. Whatever this was part of, and wherever it led, now it guards a field. I’ve often remarked here about my fascination for doors and gates, but even if you don’t share that fascination I hope that you see the […]
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This is the entrance to the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de La Calle (Church of Our Lady of the Road) in Redicilla del Camino. The “Calle” of course is the Camino in this case. I love doors (as you know), but I particularly enjoy these benches, which are found all over this section of the Way. The white paint on […]
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The Spaniards love their heraldry, and the village of Redecilla del Camino is no exception. There were several such carved arms up on the sides of older houses, but this was pretty much the most spectacular. The Way so far this morning has been relatively flat and easy, but Francine was a little out of it – I described it […]
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We quickly come to our first Castillian village, Redecilla del Camino. Here we see our second sign welcoming us to Castilla y León. It’s a bit more modest than the previous one. We also see our first Castillian town sign, complete with map. Every village, every town, every city has one of these. Some are more helpful than others. The […]
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With this gigantic sign in the middle of nowhere, we leave La Rioja and enter Castilla y León. We are now entering the second Kingdom of our Camino, having left Navarra far behind. Even with this photo, it’s difficult to get a handle on how truly immense this sign is, made even more so by its isolation from any other […]
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We are still in the long shadow of Grañón just after sunrise. Soon, the sun will burn away the mist, but for now, we are still in the cool shadow of the oncoming storm. The steeple you see is the parish church where we stayed the night. The stormy skies are a portent of the days to come. Date: 10 […]
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That shadow you see across the valley is the shadow of the town of Grañón. The sun is barely above the horizon. The sky seems poised to break into storm at any minute, and far below in the shadow of nature and civilization both, Francine roars her defiance and joy. Or, it’s just possible that she’s singing show tunes. Date: […]
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