Walking the Camino de Santiago
After walking through a long, tree-lined lane in an urban park, we discovered that we had been walking through the grounds of an old seminary. I am unclear if it is still in operation. This gate is at the end of the park and seems to be the formal entrance into the seminary grounds. We’re essentially walking out through the […]
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To help give you a sense of scale, here Francine stops for a moment before we enter Burgos Cathedral through the Puerta Sacramental, or Sacramental Door. This is by no means the main entrance to the Cathedral, but more of a side entrance leading into the south transept. This particular entrance is one of the older surviving parts of the […]
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Through this gate, we enter the city centre of Burgos, once the capital of the Kingdom of Castilla. Obviously, the gate has had some renovations since medieval times – those statues look 15th century or so. At the very top, we of course have Madonna and Child, and then below that an angel holding a model of the city. The […]
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This is the entrance to the main church in Belorado. I love the tufts of greenery growing out of the portico. The church has been rebuilt or restored quite a few times, most recently in 1910, though the present plan of the building dates from the 16th Century. The interior has four side altars, including the Immaculate Conception and Our […]
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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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From a nearby sign, we read “Since 1968, this house has been used as a hostel for pilgrims and as the headquarters of the oldest religious brotherhood to assist pilgrims on the route to Santiago which was founded by Santo Domingo de la Calzada in the 11th century. … In the courtyard the chickens are kept which are used to […]
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I‘ve mentioned before my love of doors – their mystery and their promise of endless possibilities. Here are two doors of ordinary homes in the town of Azofra, one much older than the other. Both, though, give evidence to a pride of place and a deep respect for history and culture. Who knows what lies behind them? Date: 08 April […]
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As I mentioned yesterday, when we arrived at the doors of the royal monastery of Santa María la Real, they were closed tight for the siesta. Francine graciously waited a moment as I gave voice to my frustration. For a moment, I even considered suggesting we stop in Nájera for the night so we would be here when the doors […]
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For Ash Wednesday, I give you the middle of three doors to the Convent of Santa Elena in Nájera. The convent was founded in the 16th Century by Aldonza Manrique de Lara, daughter of the Duke of Nájera. It is still inhabited by a cloistered community of Franciscan Clarists. Although the community is cloistered, the attached Baroque chapel is open […]
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