Category: Photo of the Day 2016

The Camino eventually exhausts the urban jungle and ducks in and out and under highways for a bit, passing near the odd quasi-suburban housing development. Occasionally, you get a lovely view, such as this footbridge over the stream. Date: 13 April 2016 Place: Burgos (Castilla y León, Spain)

We continued our urban slog out of Burgos. I often say that a kilometer on concrete is worth two kilometers walking anything else. As we got farther and farther from the old medieval center, Burgos became more and more modern. I cordially dislike modern architecture, but at least this building was an interesting colour. We managed to get our breakfast […]

Just a reminder as we walk through the streets of Burgos seeking breakfast that parts of Spain are still extremely Catholic. This niche statue of Saint Benedict is above a doorway with a simple plaque identifying the building as a monastery of Benedictine nuns. Date: 13 April 2016 Place: Burgos (Castilla y León, Spain)

We left our albergue before dawn. The dim streetlight made for blurry photos, particularly since I had to hustle to keep up with Francine, who was bound and determined to find us some breakfast. A tricky proposition, since nothing was open yet. Still, Burgos is a big city. Date: 13 April 2016 Place: Burgos (Castilla y León, Spain)

This is a lovely example of a Spanish street (alley, really) with steps. You will find these pre-automobile streets everywhere on the Camino where a town or city has a serious elevation gain. And since most medieval towns were built on or next to easily defensible hills, that’s a lot. Date: 12 April 2016 Place: Burgos (Castilla y León, Spain)

I confess that, what with all of the mazy, crooked streets and endless courtyards in the medieval center of Burgos, I may have gotten slightly lost in my exploring. Of course, with no clear destination to my wandering, I suppose I wasn’t technically lost. I’d just misplaced myself temporarily. In any case, once I spotted the Cathedral, I was found. […]

These statues are another feature of life in urban northern Spain. Some of them are quite delightful, others puzzling. I enjoy this elderly couple just relaxing on the plaza. I’m somewhat curious about the gentleman’s hat, as it seems more Basque than Castillian. Date: 12 April 2016 Place: Burgos (Castilla y León, Spain)

Like many medieval cities, Burgos is full of these lovely hidden courtyards, sometimes accessible only through covered archways. This one is by no means atypical, though I did find it particularly pretty. The streets are a bit of a labyrinth, particularly when the buildings are tall enough and close enough that you cannot orient yourself on the Cathedral. Date: 12 […]