Pilgrims on the Way

These signs may be found at the Refugio de Manjarín, described in the guidebooks as an albergue with “basic” facilities. And by basic, they mean that there aren’t really any facilities whatsoever. One person described it as “like a garden shed with no plumbing”. And the proprietor fancies himself as a member of the Knights Templar. You are far better […]

This is, more or less, the entire village of Manjarín. If Foncebadón was mostly in ruins, Manjarín takes that one step farther. This “building” is the only one still standing in the village. It is an eclectic albergue operated by hippies. The folks you see in the orange jackets are Guardia Civil, the Spanish national police force. Because of the […]

There are a number of places on the Camino where the path is treacherous, particularly when wet. Although this portion a little past Cruz de Ferro is rock – punishing on the feet – and it had been raining, at least it isn’t also downhill. That was still to come… Date: 22 April 2016 Place: Between Cruz de Ferro and […]

Having laid down our stones and prayed, Francine and I prepare to bid adieu to Cruz de Ferro. You can perhaps get an idea of the size of the pile of stones by the people around it. Every year, the local government hauls away as many as half the stones (and all the other detritus) to keep the mound manageable. […]

At Cruz de Ferro, the highest elevation on the Spanish Camino, there is an old tradition. Although I’ve heard several stories about how it got started in the Medieval era, I don’t know that any of them are true. You will have noticed in the previous photo, that surrounding the cross is a large pile of stones. Pilgrims have been […]

Through cloud and rain and mud we walked up the side of a mountain to the highest spot on the Spanish Camino. Thanks to the mist, we didn’t spot the Cruz de Ferro until we were practically on top of it. It may not look like much, but this is a place of particular importance for pilgrims. This, I will […]

After Foncebadón, the Camino continues its upward trajectory into the hills, eventually peaking at the highest altitude on the Spanish Camino. We walked up into a cloud. These horses – practically pegasi, it seems to me – appear quite content in their misty home. This was two years ago today. Date: 22 April 2016 Place: Between Foncebadón and Cruz de […]

Foncebadón’s eclectic albergue is famous up and down the length of the Camino. Hopefully, it will be the core of something good in this village of ruins. Might be my favourite sign on the Camino. Happy Easter to all! Date: 22 April 2016 Place: Foncebadón (Castilla y León, Spain) Today’s map! (Though we won’t be trying to make is so […]

Most of the buildings in Foncebadón look something like this. There are a few still standing or which have been restored, but by and large the village is in ruins. I’m given to understand that twenty years ago, the nearby village of Rabanal del Camino (which I call the “Disneyland of the Camino“) looked very much like this. That village, […]

Upon entering the village of Foncebadón, we are greeted by a cross in the Maragato style so common to this region. It seemed appropriate to post this particular photo for Good Friday. Most of Foncebadón is in ruins, with only a couple of buildings restored. Virtually all of them are in this photo. One of these is the very peculiar […]