Walking the Camino de Santiago
The Way out of Monistrol d’Allier was up and up and up. It was wicked steep up out of the river valley, and the temperature was climbing quickly as well. One consolation was that much of it was under tree cover. Along the way, I passed through this narrow gorge separating two gargantuan boulders. Although I’m sure they were deeply […]
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The village of Monistrol-d’Allier straddles the Allier river. The bridge over the river was designed by Gustave Eiffel, whose slightly more famous tower was constructed the following year in Paris. The climb down was steep, but it was nothing compared to the ascent on the other side. First, though, some food and a quick look around the village. Date: 19 […]
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And here’s what it looks like from the outside. This is the west façade of Le Puy Cathedral. It was originally built in the 12th century and reinforced several times over the centuries. In the mid 19th century, the entire structure was disassembled and carefully rebuilt with new interior buttressing and supports. From here, I walked down into the “downtown” […]
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This is one of my favourite photos from any of my pilgrimages – the view out of the main entrance of Le Puy Cathedral. You can see the town below, practically glowing in the sunlight. The street that proceeds from the Cathedral entrance down the hill is also the beginning of the route of the Via Podiensis that only ends […]
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Throughout the course of my pilgrimage in France, the gîtes communal – that is, dormitory style accommodations provided by the village or town – have always been my last option. I much prefer the personal touch and warmth that you feel in a private gîte. Obviously, I’ve stayed in my fair share of gîtes communal regardless. You take what you […]
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For today’s feast of the Apostle, it seems fitting that we post a photo of the sign over the entrance to his crypt. This passageway descends under the cathedral sanctuary, and the silver casket that contains his bones as well as those of his two disciples, Saints Theodore and Athanasius, is directly below the high altar. Date: 02 May 2013 […]
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On the way into Santiago, the Camino crosses over a busy highway. This sign appears at the highway entrance ramp. I get that they don’t want anybody walking or biking on the highway. The prohibition on tractors also makes sense, particularly since Galicia has extensive rural landscapes. But I’m a little puzzled that they’d need to prohibit a horse and […]
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As we approach the city of Santiago de Compostella, even the manhole covers reflect the Camino. Date: 02 May 2013 Place: between Lavacolla and Monte do Gozo (Province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain) Today started: O Pedrouzo (a.k.a. Arca) (Province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain)
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I’m pretty sure that the top of this gate was salvaged from the wheel of an old cart – more on those tomorrow – and that’s perhaps much of the charm of this rustic construction. The latch is of a kind that we saw throughout Galicia, but my attempts to procure one have so far failed. Date: 01 May 2013 […]
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This is the main entrance to the little Igrexa de Santa María do Leboreiro in the village of the same name. I have passed this church three times over the past decade, and as far as I can remember, it has never been open. If the tympanum is anything to go by, it should be pretty spectacular. Date: 30 April 2013 […]
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