Walking the Camino de Santiago
Welcome to Burgos cathedral! The photo is a little blurry, but perhaps it conveys the overwhelming magnificence and grandeur that flood upon you when you enter. It’s too much to take in all at once, and this is just the barest view from the narthex into the great aisle surrounding the nave, from which radiates something like twelve chapels, with […]
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We return at last to the cathedral! This tympanum over the South Portal of the Cathedral is a masterpiece of 13th century stonework. The central portion shown in the photograph depicts Christ Pantocrator, surrounded by the four evangelists busy writing at their desks, as well as by their traditional symbols. Above, arches of angels and saints surround the central image. […]
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Why do I love Burgos so much? This photo begins to give the answer. Sure, the cathedral is glorious, the history is fascinating, the architecture sublime, and the food is great. But here, in the winding streets of the old city, we find the barest hint of the complex personality of this great city. We’re on our way back to […]
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We ran into this fellow during our exploration of the central part of the city of Burgos. Not sure what he was reading, but I aimed to find out. He’s taller than me, so I had to get a bit of a boost. Date: 13 April 2013Place: Burgos (Province of Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain)Today started: Burgos (Province of Burgos, […]
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We continued our exploration of the central part of the city of Burgos in Plaza Mayor, where we came upon city hall. The neoclassical La Casa Consistorial de Burgos was built primarily in the late 17th century, with some small improvements since. Before they got their building here on what used to be the primary market square for the city, […]
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After breakfast we explored the central part of the city of Burgos, waiting for the Cathedral to open. Along the way, we saw this young lady up on a wall. She is, I believe, Saint Catherine of Alexandria (not to be confused with Saint Catherine of Siena, whose feast is this week). In the early fourth century, at the age […]
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Here, Eamon takes a moment to contemplate his breakfast churros. After waiting around for the place to open, it did not disappoint. I have a distinct memory of the first time I ate churros in Spain, and how utterly delightful they were, warm and dipped in chocolate. I’m not entirely certain if it was here or a little later on […]
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This relief is one of thousands of images on the exterior of the Gothic masterpiece that is the Cathedral of Burgos. I found this particular one haunting. Despite the wear and ruin of centuries, you can still see the character in the face. This is a person, not some iconic image. You could see this person on the streets today […]
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This might just be one of my favourite gargoyles ever, located on the façade of Burgos Cathedral. It certainly provided for some silly humour on a cold morning. Date: 13 April 2013Place: Burgos (Province of Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain)Today started: Burgos (Province of Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain)
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This fountain, with its statue of the Blessed Virgin with Child, stands in the center of Plaza Santa María just in front of Burgos Cathedral, which is also dedicated to her. The full name of the church is the Santa Iglesia Basílica Catedral Metropolitana de Santa María de Burgos. That’s quite a mouthful, and probably the reason most everybody just […]
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