Walking the Camino de Santiago
As we leave Villafranca, the Camino crosses the Río Burbia. This was the site of a famous medieval battle in the year 791 between the troops of the Christian Kingdom of Asturias and the Islamic Emirate of Córdoba. Although the battle was an Islamic victory, it forced the Christians to retrench and reorganise, and they emerged stronger and more united. […]
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The street the Camino follows out of Villafranca rather suddenly turns into a staircase. There are a number of places on the Camino where this is true, and it never ceases to fascinate me. In the U.S., where the majority of streets and roads were built with the automobile in mind, this would almost never happen. I don’t say absolutely […]
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There’s a story behind this door. Probably several. How many times has this entrance been reduced in size? And for what reasons? Date: 24 April 2016 Place: Villafranca del Bierzo (Castilla y León, Spain) Since Villafranca is midway through our day, two maps are required.
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The sun shifted quickly, and we soon lost our shady spot. After lunch, we headed out of Villafranca. In some future Camino, I’d like to stay here and explore the town and its old churches and castle further. The whole El Bierzo valley is pleasant, but this little town is a gem. Date: 24 April 2016 Place: Villafranca del Bierzo […]
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Here we are, arriving at the bar across the street from yesterday’s small castle. It’s sunny here, but around the corner there were some tables in the shade. Francine, Rebecca, Anita, and several other pilgrims and I enjoyed some lovely bocadillos and the local wine here. The wine was chilled and perfect for a hot day. In my journal I […]
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After passing several Romanesque and Gothic churches, including of course an Iglesia de Santiago, we came to this: the Castle of the Marquises of Peña Ramiro, built in the 16th century. In Spanish, it has the rather grander name of el castillo-palacio de los Marqueses de Peñarramiro de Villafranca del Bierzo. While under other circumstances we might try to tour […]
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Welcome to Villafranca del Bierzo – this time for sure! This was our first real view of the town, which sits below the main Camino road in a valley within a valley. The Camino runs down into the town, of course, past two churches and a castle. As for us, we’re looking for lunch! Date: 24 April 2016 Place: Entering […]
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Welcome to Villafranca del Bierzo! I mean, you can’t really see much of the town as yet, but surely this sign isn’t a lie? Perhaps it is simply an exaggeration? Or perhaps the official bounds of the town are considerably larger than the area taken up by its buildings? Wait! What’s that I see at the top of the next […]
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As we approach the town of Villafranca del Bierzo, we pass through an old farmstead that includes this building. I want to say something about this, because while it is an extreme example, you see this sort of thing all over the Camino. Indeed, in a sense you see this wherever humans live. Was the original wall medieval, or was […]
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In the past, I’ve compared Navarra to Tuscany. I mean, it’s not, but it has the same sorts of terrain and picturesque hill towns. In the Tuscany Look-Alike Sweepstakes, the valley of El Bierzo is also clearly in the running. I mean, how can you imagine a more idyllic image than the stately home on the hill, shaded by trees […]
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