Walking the Camino de Santiago
The interior of the monastery albergue in Samos is covered in pseudo-medieval illustrations like this. I’m particularly taken with a series of vignettes that follow the months of the calendar around the crypt-like great room like a mural version of a book of hours. Next week we’re likely to have some additional scenes posted. Date: 26 April 2013Place: Samos (Province […]
» Read more
After circumnavigating about 75% of the great Royal Monastery of Samos, we finally arrived at the albergue! It would probably have been shorter if we’d gone the other way, although I suspect that we might have run into some trouble with the course of the river. We were so happy to finally find it! Time for a shower. Date: 26 […]
» Read more
As we continued circumnavigating the great Royal Monastery of Samos, we eventually passed the main entrance. It faces on to a long, curving road with a steep, walled embankment. Although the entrance is quite grand, it’s actually impossible to see it unless you’re right in front of it, as we are here. For the record, the small door to the […]
» Read more
Samos is a tidy little town, and I particularly enjoy the little details. As an example, this railing above the river bank is made of pilgrim shells. In this photo, we’re still wandering around looking for the entrance to the monastery albergue. It’s 4pm, and a glass of vino tinto wouldn’t go amiss, either. Date: 26 April 2013Place: Samos (Province […]
» Read more
Happy new year! As we entered into the central portion of the town of Samos, this was our first close-up view of the magnificent Real Monasterio de San Julián de Samos – the Royal Monastery of Saint Julian in Samos. It was slightly overwhelming, and our plan was to stay in the albergue located within the monastery itself. If we […]
» Read more
Yesterday, amid a drenching rain, the Puerta Santa, or Holy Doors, of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela were closed. These doors are open only during the Jacobean Holy Year or a Jubilee Year declared by the Pope. So what is a Jacobean Holy Year? Simply, it’s any year when the Feast of Saint James, 25 July, occurs on a […]
» Read more
As we trundle our way towards the New Year, it’s perhaps appropriate that we end with a view of trundling downhill into the town of Samos. Years later in 2018 we again visited Samos, but I think that the route into town may have been adjusted a bit, as I don’t remember this part then. May you have a happy […]
» Read more
On our way into the town of Samos, the Camino passed by these towering walls. I suspect they are more modern than medieval, but they very much give the impression of ancient structures overcome by time. Date: 26 April 2013Place: approaching Samos (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)Today started: Fonfría (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)
» Read more
This was our first view of the Monasterio de San Julián de Samos. This ancient abbey was founded in the 6th century. Thanks to the vagaries of history, including a Moslem invasion and occupation in the 8th century, forced secularization by the Spanish government in the 19th century, and several devastating fires throughout the centuries, it was abandoned and restored […]
» Read more
When you see hay bales in the distant fields, it’s sometimes difficult to get a sense for how large they actually are. They’re this big. Date: 26 April 2013Place: somewhere between Triacastela and Samos (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)Today started: Fonfría (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)
» Read more