Category: Liminal Space

In the grassy yard surrounding the Iglesia de la Asunción de Villatuerta, we found this medieval baptismal font. I’m not entirely clear why it was here rather than in the church, but it is truly massive. If you had a step-stool, you could probably use it for full immersion baptisms. After this, the Camino continued through Villatuerta for a short […]

This is the parish church, one of four in Mañeru, is la Iglesia de San Pedro de Mañeru. The Pope depicted in stone above the entrance is, in fact, Saint Peter himself. What I find most curious is the shadowy sundial. I wonder if the clock on the bell tower displaced it from its sunnier and more logical placement. Date: […]

This rather dramatic archway leads out of town and over the bridge for which the town is named: the Bridge of the Queen. For me, this is one of the great, magical images of the Camino, as it practically demands that you follow the yellow arrow and see where the Way will lead you. I believe that this was once […]

Complimenting yesterday’s “not a door“, here we come to the actual door next door. As with the mysterious Pope statue, all of these statues are damaged in a way that indicates (to me at least) that somebody was taking pot-shots at them at some point. Who are these statues meant to represent? Well the church across the street is dedicated […]

As we walk down the narrow streets of Puente la Reina, with Calle de Crucifijo rapidly transitioning into Calle Major, the Camino passes the church of Santiago y San Pedro on the right. On the left, directly across from it, is a building that I suppose was once a parish office or monastery or rectory. What it is now, I […]

Our little Camino family finally gets underway, following the Camino through the town of Puente la Reina. The name means “bridge of the queen”, and while the bridge is easily identified – we’ll cross it in just a few minutes – the queen in question remains a subject of intense debate. But more on that another day. Apologies for the […]

The church of Santa María de Eunate is a wonder, no mistake. Leaving aside a moment its octagonal floorplan, one is struck by the surrounding colonnade of pillars and arches. These have no roof and seemingly no purpose at all. Those who have studied this church say they were almost certainly repurposed from an earlier cloister. Unfortunately for the theory, […]

You can see these kinds of door plates and knockers all over Navarra, a testament to the Catholic faith that runs deep through this land. Many, like this one, are old and worn as the countryside these villages inhabit. They speak to tradition and permanence. Others, however, still have their crisp edges and shine – a reminder that the faith […]

We saw several homes for sale in Uterga. They tended to be run down and probably simply abandoned due to the flight to the cities that happened over the last generation. Here, however, is a lovely little home on the Calle Major that exudes all of the homey charm of Navarran village life. I mean, I’d live there! Date: 04 […]

On the way out of Pamplona, the Camino passes the Portal de San Nicolás, a seventeenth century Baroque gate into the city. Just before reaching this point, I spent some time lost for the third and final time on our way out of Pamplona. It was only because some locals started waving at me and wildly gesticulating towards the proper […]