Pilgrims on the Way

It’s difficult sometimes to capture a moment as it happens. It might not look like much, but this was our first view of the Cathedral. You can just see one of the spires in the distance between the closer buildings. I was so excited I didn’t even properly frame the shot – on the left edge of the photo you […]

We have now walked into Santiago four times, and each time we’ve felt compelled to imitate this bit of public art in the way you see Francine doing so here. Why? Maybe we’re delirious. Maybe it’s just fun. In any case, this was the first of many times we have adopted some variation of this pose here. By now, it’s […]

Here we see Francine walking down from Monte do Gozo and into the outskirts of Santiago. It’s an unfortunate fact that the last several hours of walking on the Camino Francés is through the urban sprawl of the city. Pretty soon there will be major highways to cross and a thoroughly urban landscape. Date: 02 May 2013 Place: leaving Monte […]

This grand, if unlovely, monument graced the hill overlooking the city of Santiago. On a clear day, from exactly the right spot here you can see the spires of the Cathedral for the first time. It is for this reason that the hill is called Monte do Gozo – Hill of Joy. The monument was erected to celebrate the visit […]

This sign is reminiscent of a style seen in the early days of the Camino, back in Navarra, but now long vanished from the Way. Suddenly, however, in these last few kilometers, it makes a comeback, echoing the beginning here at the end. I note that it contains the Galician spelling “Camiño” rather than the Spanish “Camino”. Date: 02 May […]

The village of Lavacolla is now basically a suburb of Santiago – in fact, it’s where the airport is located. In earlier days, however, this stream was considered the last place before the end of the pilgrimage to wash up before the cathedral. Supposedly the name of the village comes from lavar (to wash) and cuello (neck), meaning “to wash […]

Hórreos were made primarily to store grain and hay and such. They’re up on stilts to help prevent rats and other critters from getting at the goodies. You will find hórreos in both wood and stone all over rural Galicia. These days, they’re just as likely to be a general storage shed or a tiny home as they are to […]