Walking the Camino de Santiago
We meet a fellow pilgrim in Belorado. He’s the strong, silent type, but he prefers colourful gear. Francine leans on him awhile in the shade. I secretly think he might be Tom Bombadil in disguise. Date: 10 April 2016 Place: Belorado (Castilla y León, Spain) Maps!
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I don’t know what to call the previous repast – third breakfast? First lunch? Anyhow, this is the one after that: raciónes in Belorado. It’s a lot like tapas, only the plates are bigger. And don’t get me started on pintxos. There’s a pretty good guide to the different sizes and such of the various Spanish plates here. And it’s […]
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The town of Belorado is famous for its murals. They come in all styles, from primitive graffiti to cartoons to heroic paintings to some with the quality of Romanesque icons. Here we pass some crusaders on the way to finding our tapas. And beer. Something cold, at any rate. Date: 10 April 2016 Place: Belorado (Castilla y León, Spain) Maps!
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Here’s a wider shot of Santa María de Belorado, where you can clearly see the stork nests. The afternoon had turned warm, as you might be able to tell from this photo. By this time, we were on the hunt for tapas and a place out of the sun. Date: 10 April 2016 Place: Belorado (Castilla y León, Spain) Maps!
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This is the entrance to the main church in Belorado. I love the tufts of greenery growing out of the portico. The church has been rebuilt or restored quite a few times, most recently in 1910, though the present plan of the building dates from the 16th Century. The interior has four side altars, including the Immaculate Conception and Our […]
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Belorado is just a hop past Villamayor del Río. Our small lunch didn’t really satisfy, so we stopped for tapas here. This particularly colourful neighbourhood is the old Jewish Barrio el Corro, more than a thousand years old. The town itself is even older, dating back to Roman times. In any case, the tapas is great. This is the town […]
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Simply delightful. There’s just something about this home in Villamayor del Río that caught my attention. It might be the gorgeous blue colour of the crumbling plaster, faded in time to a rustic patina. It might be the potted garden out front or the large central dutch door that leads directly into the kitchen. Or perhaps it’s the combination that […]
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We stopped for lunch in Villamayor del Río at a restaurant called Casa Léon. It’s a bit off the Camino and just a little swankier than your normal pilgrim place. This lady was hanging on the wall in a corridor. I’d love to know who the artist is and what the name of this piece might be. Date: 10 April […]
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The Camino follows the N-120 highway for a bit. We are approaching the prosperous town of Villamayor del Río. The inhabitants of the town are known as “the people of the three lies” since the town is neither a Villa, nor Mayor, nor has Río. Nevertheless, it was originally founded in the year 598, and that should count for something. […]
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This is, undoubtedly, one of the more famous signs on the Camino. I’m willing to bet that nearly all passing pilgrims stop a moment to look. Most will photograph it. What does it mean? I’ve no idea. It is located after Viloria de Rioja just as the Camino approaches the N-120 Highway (again). Date: 10 April 2016 Place: Between Viloria […]
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