Walking the Camino de Santiago
In order to make up for our lost day, we decided to bus ahead to Burgos. Here we are at the last bus stop on the Camino before Burgos in Villafranca Montes de Oca, just down the street from our hotel. There were maybe a dozen pilgrims here. Next stop: Burgos! Date: 12 April 2016 Place: Villafranca Montes de Oca […]
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Before heading for the bus stop, we had our first breakfast in the Hotel San Antón Abad in Villafranca Montes de Oca. It was in a different dining room from the one where we had dinner the night before, but no less surreal. Date: 12 April 2016 Place: Villafranca Montes de Oca (Castilla y León, Spain)
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The Hotel San Antón Abad in Villafranca Montes de Oca is swanky – of that there is no doubt. I believe the building itself is a “dissolved” monastery, and the current owners have built it into a brand-spanking new luxury hotel. While we stayed there it was almost entirely bereft of guests, leading to scenes like this, where we are […]
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With Francine asleep in the room, I set out to explore the village of Villafranca Montes de Oca. There is nothing here of particular interest except perhaps the church, which is only open on Sundays. So by noon I had returned here to the hotel “Cafeteria”, and I spent most of the afternoon drinking with a pair of little old […]
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The expression on Francine’s face says it all. Like a day on our last Camino, she was done for the day. It was perhaps 10 AM. We went into this “Cafeteria” for pilgrims attached to the swanky Hotel San Antón Abad. We never left that day. After hemming and hawing, I could see that we were not walking any further […]
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We arrive in the village of Villafranca Montes de Oca in intermittent rain storms. This place is typical of many in Castilla: the church was locked up tight. In fact, a local I asked about it very firmly gave me the impression that I was an idiot for even asking. Why would the church be open? It isn’t Sunday! Francine […]
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Francine, as you can see, is not thrilled to be crossing this wet wooden bridge in the rain. I think this might have been the exact moment she decided that she was quitting for the day. Date: 11 April 2016 Place: Entering Villafranca Montes de Oca (Castilla y León, Spain) Map of the day:
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That bare ruin to Francine’s right is all that remains of the once mighty Monasterio de San Felices de Oca. What is today something between a pile of stones and a deteriorated hut was once part of a venerable Mozarabic church and monastery, built in the ninth century and dedicated to the hermit San Felices of Bilibio. According to tradition, […]
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Somewhere past Espinosa del Camino the rain began in earnest. This, combined with a long day yesterday, seriously sapped Francine’s strength and, more importantly, her will to carry on. Weirdly, it energized me. This would become our first major point of conflict on this Camino in just a few hours… Date: 11 April 2016 Place: Between Espinosa del Camino and […]
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We quickly hurried through the village of Espinosa del Camino. If there was any place for breakfast here, it was not open. The little church was not open. Nothing, in fact, was open. But there were some fun medieval-style houses. Not sure about the flag though. Any ideas? Date: 11 April 2016 Place: Espinosa del Camino (Castilla y León, Spain) […]
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