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They look like Spanish Mastiff dogs. I really like these big dogs.CF September 2013: Leaving Hospital de Orbigo and after sunrise I met these friendly fellows.
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Magic.
Apparently, it was the Normans, at least French-speaking aristocracy, who wanted to distinguish themselves from the Anglo-Saxon peasantry. Speaking as an Anglo-Saxon peasant myself, who can blame them? But they invented all these collective nouns (murder of crows etc) as a kind of in-talk or code that the peasants wouldn't know.
Yes, Spanish mastiffs. Beautiful dogs, very good guard dogs but gentle when house trained. There was a lovely old fellow at the albergue at Guemes, who greeted pilgrims.CF September 2013: Leaving Hospital de Orbigo and after sunrise I met these friendly fellows.
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A very beautiful photo @Aspi !
I am sitting here, drooling all over the keyboard.
Twenty years ago I had a six month spell in Porugalete. Rather hilly, and windy, and wet! I loved it. I learned a lot about what the mamas were cooking, had cooked, were going to cook, as I walked alongside them...
VN,
You can now walk either side of the river. We followed the east side so came across the bridge, which is still functioning, by the way. Has it changed much? I suspect in some ways. Probably nowhere near as industrial and working class, but still a living community but maybe more of a Bilbao suburb - there is a metro line passing through. I know what you mean about a change of class, we used to walk along and stare at those mansions built in the heady nouveau riche days of the late 19th early 20th century. Maybe when the lockdown is over we can all get together and swap memories. In the meantime: -
Phoenix,
I remember being warmly welcomed by one of the Marist fathers in September 2012 and spent a peaceful late afternoon in the beautiful garden of this wonderful albergue.
Thx for the update.Phoenix,
Your handsome door shot in 2014 has changed a bit.
See it here thru this Google map link and photos.
It is now part of Talleres Montejurra
Talleres Montejurra · C. Carlos VII, 33, 31200 Estella, Navarra, Spain
★★★★☆ · Auto machine shopmaps.app.goo.gl
You are a determined and resourceful pilgrim! Thankfully we had a very calm day!
I am intrigued. And I have plenty of time on my hands. Now you have piqued our curiosity, the least you can do is give us the bare bones to gnaw on (metaphorically speaking, that is).
Okay, give me time type it up best I can. Then I’ll paste it. Curious minds what to know eh?So...?
Please, tell us more.
We can take it.
You betcha! Besides, the bait was there and we chomped it down. Now you can reel us all in.
Yes, we walked this way too, really in order to experience the bridge. It's fabulous!
I know and love this place. You're right, the cafe con letche is wonderful.
Indeed it is iconic. Existing since 1873 the old-fashioned decor (upgraded with WiFi) reminded me of the old Algonquin in NYC. At the end of each winter camino I often sat in the Cafe Casino for hours nursing a drink watching the world go by.
Funny. My one experience there was disappointing, in spite of the grand surroundings - stale churros and so-so chocolate. So I've never gone back. Maybe I should try it again.
www.bruzz.be
Haha! I did take the road on the right, just to see what it was like
I regretted it!!! 
Travelling, many years ago, in South America, we learnt the hard way about some of the tricks of pickpockets. You have to admire them - they are very good at what they do and (in some countries) never use violence. They rarely work alone, there will be at least one to act as a decoy or distractor, and they can be very persistent - we were once only saved from being robbed by the fact that a copy of 'War and Peace' got lodged over the slash in the bag they had made - we couldn't work out why people kept bumping into us. There is the 'Is that your $5 note you've just dropped' trick, and the old lady who falls over in front of you, you rush to help but then she gets up and walks away but where is your bag? Or the 'Can you watch my bags while I go to the toilet? There are so many thieves around here. Thank you, shall I watch your bags now?' My first experience of Bilbao was a weary, futile trudge looking for a camera shop. But we have stayed and enjoyed it a lot since then. Even located a fantastic camera shop.Okay for all you curious minds, here's my long story, short.
Approaching Bilbao past the large Church, I followed the arrows to this tiny church that lead me to this statue. I notice two really old looking/dirty backpacks leaning against the building near the door which was clearly locked. There was no one around in this small area except a man (Spanish) standing 15 feet or so on the other side of the statue. He appeared to be on his phone. Wondering where the owners to the backpacks were I proceeded to take a few pictures of this beautiful statue, then off I went.
Further into the town (I'm sorry I don't know how to explain where I was exactly) I was in a large open area like a square that lead into a street with a lot of people. As I approached the street, an elderly (mid 50's/60's) gray haired man got up from a bench where many were sitting and started walking straight towards me. Mind you he was quite a distance from me when he got off the bench. He had a daypack and spoke in English asking me if I new where a hotel was. As he unfolded a paper map of the city he proceeded to tell me he couldn't find the hotel where his wife was waiting for him. I asked if he had a phone and he said the battery was dead or something to that nature. I got the feeling he was not a pilgrim.
I stopped to help him look at the map, but I was just as confused as he was. He said, I think it's this way, the direction I was headed. As we walked further into the crowded street, him in front of me, I noticed through the refection in the windows to my right that two men were following very close behind me. Nearly touching me. We were moving at a fast pace. Then a man came rushing towards us from across the street and when he got just in front of me he dropped a lit cigarette. As he bent down to pick it up I had to stop suddenly so not to bump into him. I stopped and turned my back against the building so the man/men behind me couldn't try anything all the while keeping my hand over the pocket I had my cell phone in. HIGH ALERT!!
I managed to get past this. The elderly man was waiting for me. I said to him, "Did you see what those men just did? He said "Oh don't worry about them." We walked a little further when he said, I think it's up that way, so off he went. A little further down the street here he comes out again from the opposite side and started walking with me again. Then a block or so down he did the same thing, I think it's up here he said, then off he went. I kept on my way looking for the Bilbao alburgue where I had a reservation. I saw a pilgrim I knew from the Markina day, he was waiting at a light to cross the street. He was so happy to see me, he thought for sure I had died that day on the trail. He said, "Oh you're alive" with great enthusiasm. LOL
As the pilgrim and I talked here came the elderly man again from across the street. After my conversation with the pilgrim I stopped again to help this man but this time I had my phone out. I know the man had a phone but I don't recall the details of why he couldn't use it. Anyhow, I started thinking that he may be trying to steal my info from my phone so I closed my phone and wished him good luck as I went to find the alburgue. Come to fine out I wasn't far from it.
I decided not to stay in the alburgue. I went up to sign in but it was too early. I looked around, but got a really bad vibe, I didn't like the way it was set up and there were a few men in there that gave me the creeps. Needless to say I had to forgo my deposit and move on. At the Guggenheim, I went for a snack across from the big dog. I sat on the bench outside the shop when a man came, sat down next to me. I had my phone out trying to figure out how much further I would have to walk. The man pulled out two phones and was doing something on both. I closed my phone, got up and walked away.
My intuition tells me: The man at the statue gave my description (a solo female pilgrim) to the man on the bench. I believe they were working together and had targeted me for something. Bilbao has bad juju for me. I walked to Portugalete that day a total distance of 30.5 k's for the day. WHEW!!
www.realspanish.eu
Fascinating. We assumed that giving it the feminine grammatical gender rather than masculine was just a local idiosyncrasy. Thank you.It is indeed pension la Mar.
And someone explained me once that it is " el " Mar but " la " can be used also , in certain conditions?
Don't know if this source is reputable?
«El mar» or «la mar»? - Real Spanish
This poem by Rafael Alberti will help us to better understand the use of "the sea" and "the sea". We also explain the importance of the sea in the language.
I did know about a difference between un rio and una ria, and it does not surprise me therefore that la mar is also in use. Isn't language fascinating?It is indeed pension la Mar.
And someone explained me once that it is " el " Mar but " la " can be used also , in certain conditions?
Don't know if this source is reputable?
«El mar» or «la mar»? - Real Spanish
This poem by Rafael Alberti will help us to better understand the use of "the sea" and "the sea". We also explain the importance of the sea in the language.
".
Yes, I was taught about all the tricks of the pickpockets during my many travels through Europe. I never thought I would become an intentional target. Thank God for intuition. I don’t admire them, not in the least.
And the group of kids with the newspaper in Paris.
Phoenix,
An easy way is to attach the file and then choose the thumbnail option when clicking on your image.
Thanks! I think I’ll need to use the laptop I didn’t see options on my phone
It works on my android. But sometimes it takes a while for the options to come up on the screen once the photo has uploaded.
Faced with a sign like this, my knee-jerk reaction is usually to be happy I'm not in a car speeding past everything I'm walking through. Unless it's pouring rain. Then I have exactly the same thought, preceded by "This is crazy..."There is always a point on every Camino where I think : " Hmm, if I would travel by car I would already have arrived....
The view is of the bridge enroute to Padron, looking back to Pontecesures, over the river Ulla. I would guess near the Cafe Bar Obradoiro.
They are beautiful and graceful trees, in the right environment. They grow well in Spain so have been popular with economically-minded (i.e. money-minded) landowners, but are ecologically very bad news outside their native habitat. Sorry to be a downer but that's the sad truth. If you want to see eucalyptus trees, come to Australia.
No, we ate them all!
Mastiff de Leon, last open bar for cafe con leache leaving Leon. Sometimes you have to stop to pet the puppies
They wanted to walk the Camino with me. I had to literally shoo them back.
Maybe they could sense the Magdalenas in your pocket?CF August 9, 2021: Have you ever seen the animated movie “Chicken Run”? Here’s a live version.
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Whatever it takes to get some company during those high kilometer days.
“Who let the dogs out? 
Who, who, who, who, who. Who let the dogs out?”
Ok fine. This has finally kicked The Proclaimers “I could walk 500 miles” out of my head (thanks @Paul Wilson ). Unfortunately this has taken its place.CF Aug 11, 2019 not long after leaving Belarado.
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I dunno, but Mr. Fox is making himself scarce and would like a word with them, whoever they are (Frances after Espinal, March 2015).“Who let the dogs out?
