Author: Thom

This statue of King Alfonso IX of Galicia and León (1171-1230) sits in central Sarria. This well-loved king founded the University of Salamanca and convened the Cortes of León in 1188, a parliament that had a wider representation of his people than any other European parliament at the time. He was also the last king of an independent Galicia and […]

Just one quick photo of the interior of the Iglesia Santa Mariña de Sarria. I was fascinated by the images of Santa Mariña flanked by the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. While the architecture of reredos reminded me of my then-parish church of Holy Rosary, the impact of seeing this wood stained (as opposed to being […]

Francine and I spent several hours exploring the central portions of Sarria, a district seemingly populated entirely by pilgrims and those working in pilgrim-related businesses. At the center of this area stands the Iglesia Santa Mariña de Sarria. While there has been a church here since at least the 12th century, the currently structure mostly dates to 1885. Santa Mariña […]

About three hours have elapsed between the previous photo and this one. Those hours included a shower and nap, and so Francine was up and alert and wanting to explore central Sarria. She was most keen to find some Internet access. Back in 2013 when this photo was taken, that was rarer than hens’ teeth along the Camino, especially outside […]

This is probably one of the most iconic photos I took on our first Camino. It’s about two in the afternoon. We made it to the top of the stairs in Sarria. We stopped in the little café there for a late lunch. And Francine, still suffering from fatigue and sleep deprivation thanks to Mad Mike from Manchester, just sort […]

After navigating through the outskirts of the city,we come at last to the iconic steps that lead up into the older portion of Sarria. They may not seem like much, but after walking all morning, they’re not the best sight. Eamon tackles them first. Francine is seriously lagging by this point, as the lack of sleep is catching up to […]

We’ve reached the outskirts of Vigo de Sarria, the last village – suburb, really – before we get to Sarria, our intended lunching stop. Perhaps to make up for the recent sticking-out-of-the-tongue, Francine makes a smoochie face for the camera. In the photo, you can just see Eamon on the far left walking down the trail. We’re about a kilometer […]

Here, Francine sticks out her tongue at me. I’m probably being impossibly positive and chirpy, and she’s having a terrible day. She didn’t get very much sleep at all, thanks to Mad Mike from Manchester, so she’s tired and grumpy, and now it’s raining. Again. It’s hard to tell here, but she’s at her absolute limit, on what would otherwise […]

As I mentioned a few days ago, there are a maze of paths and roads from Samos to Sarria, many with Camino signs and markings, and we weren’t entirely sure which route we were on. This sign, which in theory gives us the name of the village and the distance to Santiago, is actually no help whatsoever. I defy you […]