Pilgrims on the Way

Since nothing was open in Columbrianos except for a small pastry shop, we pushed on. At about a quarter after three, we found an open bar in the village of Fuentes Nuevas and stopped in for a tasty cold beverage. In Spain, the local bars and cafés typically only carry one kind of beer, so you don’t say “cerveza” to […]

By the time I took this photo in Columbrianos, it was two in the afternoon, it was ridiculously hot outside, and we were desperate for some shade and a drink. Our pace, never speedy to begin with, had slowed to the point that we were discussing cutting our day short. We had hoped to make it to Villafranca, but that […]

We walked for a brief while through vineyards before spotting the village of Columbrianos. Records of this place date to the early tenth century, and it was a prosperous town for a long time. During the medieval era, at one point its official border was partway into what is now the city of Ponferrada. These days it’s a sleepy farming […]

After Compostilla, the suburban sprawl of Ponferrada, such as it is, thins out pretty quickly. Soon we’ll be back to villages in the countryside. Date: 23 April 2013Place: between Compostilla and Columbrianos (Region of El Bierzo, Province of León, Castilla y León, Spain)Today started: Molinaseca (Region of El Bierzo, Province of León, Castilla y León, Spain)

This is just one of the brilliant murals adorning the campus of the lovely little church of Santa María de Compostilla. Although I can’t remember for sure, I don’t think this one was actually on the church building proper, but rather on another building nearby. I’ll have to go back and check. In any case, it was ’round the back […]

This is just one of the brilliant murals adorning the outside of the lovely little church of Santa María de Compostilla. The archangel Gabriel greets the Virgin with the words from the Gospel of Saint Luke, which form the first part of the Hail Mary (Ave Maria) prayer. I believe the chant is Hodie nobis caelorum Rex, one of the […]

The Camino meanders through the suburbs of Ponferrada and past the lovely little church of Santa María de Compostilla. Both times I’ve passed this place, I took a plethora of photos, none of which even together can really sum up the feeling of the place. Surrounded by parkland and garden, it exudes a lovely serenity. The outside walls are covered […]

The Camino through Ponferrada takes us through some surprising urban density. Cities can be exhausting, and it’s so easy to get distracted. Sometimes it’s best to keep your eyes looking for the Camino markers that will lead you onward to your rest. I very much like this marker. Date: 23 April 2013Place: Ponferrada (Region of El Bierzo, Province of León, […]

While in Ponferrada, we stopped in a Farmacia, where we saw this display. And what are they selling here? Compeed is a sovereign remedy for blisters. This is clearly marketed to pilgrims – although it’s difficult to make out, that’s a medieval-style pilgrim hat there at the top, the sort you often see on statues or images of Santiago. Date: […]