Walking the Camino de Santiago
After seeing no less than three signs advertising it, we sought out the Albergue Jacques de Molay in the little village of Terradillos de los Templarios. Apologies for the quality of the photo. This is the dining room of the albergue, and it’s a warm, comfy, and most welcoming space with a fireplace and assorted mementos of the Camino and […]
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The little village of Terradillos de los Templarios is proud of its history and association with the Knights Templar. Their albergue is even named after the last Grand Master of the Order. There are Templar churches and fortresses all along the Camino Francés, because in the 12th century the Pope asked the Templars to secure this Camino route from bandits, […]
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We spotted this cute little fellow about a half hour past Ledigos. There’s a lot of graffiti on the Camino, much of it words of encouragement. Then there’s this, a whimsical delight. I don’t remember seeing this on our 2016 Camino, so Mr. Whimsey has apparently moved on. Date: 16 April 2013Place: between Ledigos and Terradillos de los Templarios (Province of […]
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The Camino enters the village of Ledigos through what could charitably be described as an alley. For a closeup, check out the photo from our rainy 2016 pilgrimage. The church on the right is the Iglesia de Santiago. We didn’t drop in, though, as we pretty much just walked straight through this village. Three years later, we would spend the […]
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Just two walking minutes past Eamon’s “halfway through tree“, I spotted this graffiti. I dashed across the highway to take a proper photo, and I spotted the town of Ledigos in the distance. The graffiti message is certainly well-placed and well-said, considering it’s location almost exactly halfway between Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Santiago de Compostela. Date: 16 April 2013Place: approaching Ledigos (Province […]
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My friend Eamon from New Zealand started walking his Camino in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. He knew that at some point today he would cross the halfway point from there to Santiago de Compostela. While there is a “halfway monument” just before Sahagún for those (like me) who started in Roncesvalles, there’s nothing for those who started on the other side of the […]
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Although the photo is grainy and looks like it came from a camera built in the 1970s, it’s a lovely representation of the feel of this portion of the Meseta. When we passed this spot in 2016, the picnic tables were under the waters of the hundred-year floods. In most years, though, it’s a great spot for a packed lunch. […]
» Read moreSometime in the last month or so, my blog software began quietly failing to display comments. Oh, they’re still in the database – I can see them from the backend just fine – but they’re not appearing on the actual posts. I’m working on fixing this. My apologies to those folks who have commented and wondered where their comments have […]
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This might be the flattest part of the flat plateau known as the Meseta. Here’s the truth of it: everyone who walks the Meseta walks alone in their thoughts, which naturally turn to the infinite, to the divine. Eventually, you may find yourself speaking aloud in a land where a hemisphere of blue sky meets a hemisphere of green grass. […]
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After leaving Calzadilla de la Cueza, the Camino spends some time next to the N-120 highway. In the distance, you can see what appear to be Hobbit holes. These are bodegas, underground storage most often used as wine cellars. Although they are ubiquitous on the Meseta, these are the first major ones we sighted. Date: 16 April 2013Place: Between Calzadilla de […]
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