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On the Camino: One Day at a Time, one Photo at a Time 4.0.

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east of Villafranca del Bierzo
photo taken November 27, 2013




Where exactly is this?

The photo was taken as I walked on a dirt road crossing vineyards east of Villafranca del Bierzo. Wine by the glass was offered in the small building with a sign posted nearby.

Can someone please identify this location and cite the latitude/longitude ?
Thanks in advance for any help.
 
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April 18, 2019 - Foncebadón to Ponferrada - Meditation theme: Curiosity
Today was a difficult descent (for me anyway) of about 1,000 meters over the course of the day. We left Foncebadón around 8:00 am and checked in to our albergue in Ponferrada at 4:00 pm. In the early morning mist, we paused at the Cruz de Ferro with its huge pile of stones that represent the cast-off cares and worries of countless pilgrims. Soon after that we were greeted by some joyful spring flowers on the hillsides. I hope this short panoramic video from today’s walk “with my head in the clouds” evokes fond memories for those of you who have walked this section of the CF, just before the descent into Molinaseca. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HOe7FnvReC8e_YMOUKn6jxPgLagBSdYh/view?usp=sharing

 
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Thank you for your lovely photographs, @mspath

They brought back wonderful memories.

We stayed there in 2009; it was my favourite albuerge ... and Simone and Manuel were our favourite hospitaleros ... unforgettable!!!!
 
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Villamayor de Monjardin, tomato
photo taken October 25, 2014



Local color and kindness

West from Estella grew several lush beds of giant salsify and ripe tomatoes; how tasty they looked in the golden sunlight of October.

When I asked about lunch possibilities the friendly hospitalero in then new Villamayor de Monjardin private albergue offered me this splendid tomato still warm with sun from his father's nearby fields. When cut and drizzled with fresh olive oil it was perfect.

All these years later I remember the delicious taste of that tomato and the kindness of his simple act.
 
Three photos today but of the one place! Albergue Witericus is a beautiful hidden gem in the forest just a short way of the Camino del Norte near Carballedo.
The owner Helena (pictured) and her daughter were very kind and hospitable. Only four of us ( two dutch ladies whom we had met along the way and walked with) stayed the night we were there, it only accommodates nine. We had been walking in rain and it was raining quite heavily while we were there, so we were all glad to have found such a quiet cosy place to stay.
 
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mspath said:
Perhaps it is one of those crossings on stones after Melide ? Boenté?
Click to expand...
I have not got clear information, but your guess is more or less in the area, on the final stretch towards Santiago. Sorry I can't be more precise.
 
April 19, 2019 - Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo - Meditation theme: Duty
This day was Good Friday. As we left Ponferrada in the early morning, we passed right by the Castillo de los Templarios, where we came upon this scene of El Real Hermandad de Jesus Nazareno preparing for their Good Friday procession and services, as the ‘cofradia’ has done annually for about 400 years.

 
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kirkie said:
View attachment 98127
I am sure there will be similar photos of these shells in many albums.
Click to expand...
Kirkie,
Walking into Pamplona I often passed a small house decorated with many shells on the Camino Burlada near the puente de la Magdelina. It was great folkart.
 
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"near" Ledigos, sign
photo taken November 6, 2010




Where and what?

This sign is a folkart delight. My notes, (not GPS) locate it "near" Ledigos. However the church in Ledigos has one tower, not two.

Thus, can someone please identify the location of this sign citing latitude/longitude and perhaps identify what church it depicts?

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
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The main meal of the day in the albergue municipal in Azofra. CF 2011.
The kind of pasta that you only seem to make on a Camino.
Tomatopassata, can of tuna , a red bell pepper and some basic herbs. Forget the garlic / onion because that means too much chopping after a long walking day...
Will not win a cookery prize but my fellow pilgrim for the first 19 days and I enjoyed it.
 
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Ponferrada, May 5, 2018. Spring Fair on the street in front of the Aldi Hotel where I was staying. It was exactly what I needed when I was starting to feel low again (my first breakdown was in Astorga, and I was close to #2 this day). I wasn't sure what I had experienced that night, but found an article about it after I was home: https://www.infobierzo.com/el-rebuj...de-la-avenida-la-puebla-de-ponferrada/392301/

 
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April 20, 2019 - Villafranca del Bierzo to La Faba - Meditation theme: Reliability
In the Iglesia San Andrés, next to the albergue in the very small pueblo of La Faba (pop. 25), this side altar seems to be designated to receive notes of thanks and prayer requests from pilgrims. One of the hospitaleras told us that during some past repairs and renovations, a few graves were discovered and excavated near the church. The graves contained remains from hundreds of years ago, and although nameless now, some were identified as pilgrims because of the scallop shell artefacts found interred with them.

 
RENSHAW said:
View attachment 98214
The location is a few hundred metres out of Bercianos. I am wondering if it is a fantasy depiction of the Santiago Cathedral or even that of Leon?
Click to expand...
Thanks Renshaw. Can you mark your photo on a map to get long./lat. ? By "out of" do you mean before or after?
 
Tasty and hot it would have been delicious!
 
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I am sorry, name and place are both lost in the mists of time. This is 2 photos after the previous one I posted with the shells, and we are on the final leg to Santiago. I think. I hope!
(I wish I could do that CF again, but I cannot.
I might do it another time, but it would not be the same CF.)

 
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mspath said:
Thanks Renshaw. Can you mark your photo on a map to get long./lat. ? By "out of" do you mean before or after?
Click to expand...
Margret , I am so useless at this , the sign is on the left of Calle Major , opposite a fairly modern building . You need to emulate the photo by using the poplar trees. It is there. This is exiting town. There is nothing similar to the painting in the following town.
 

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Thanks again Renshaw. I will try to plot it and send you that info. Carpe diem.
M.
 
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Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I chose this one as iconic for me of the Camino. Here’s the story...the woman on the right is the subject of the story and her daughter is on the left. I’m not sure how it began but the woman on the right and I spent a whole morning walking together. She’s from Brazil and speaks only Portuguese. I’m from the US and am just learning Spanish. Believe it or not without a common language we shared a significant conversation during those hours we walked together. We shared the joys of our families and some very painful bits of our lives. At one point we stopped as she wept. She said several times that she felt that our conversation was the reason she had come to walk the Camino. She looked forward to the arrival 3 days later of her daughter who would walk the rest of the way with her. We split up at the lunch stop and I didn’t see her again until we ran into each other a week later and I snapped this photo. We exchanged contact info but somehow that slip of paper got lost. Our moment of deep sharing was to be just that morning. It was a gift I will always treasure.
 
Beautiful photo! I’m curious what rain gear did you purchase that you are happy with?
 
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Monastery of Santa Maria de Sobrado. Originally built in 952, when it was dedicated to San Salvador. By the 12thC it was abandoned, before the Cistercians began monastic life there.
After a period of decline, in 1498 Sobrado was the first abbey in Galicia to join the Castilian Cistercian Congregation.
The monumental new Baroque abbey church was dedicated in 1708. Most of the conventual buildings were also rebuilt at this time.
The dissolution of the monasteries enforced by the government of Mendizabal in 1835 put an end to the abbey, and the abandoned buildings fell into decay.
In 1954 the Cistercian ( Trappist) monks of Viaceli Abbey in Cobreces, west of Santander, began reconstruction, having already refounded and restored Huerta Abbey in 1929, and were able to resettle the monastery with a new community in 1966.
We were lucky to be there for an evening concert of three Galician choirs including a children's choir.
 
April 21, 2019 - La Faba to Triacastela - Meditation theme: Trust
This day was Easter Sunday. When we reached O’Cebreiro, one of the highest points on the Camino Francés, we decided to rest a while. Thomas, our Danish companion, went exploring the small pueblo, but soon he came rushing over to me in an aura of excitement saying, “Come quickly to the church!” I will be forever thankful that I followed his urging. Could I ever have imagined such a beautiful Easter Morning sight, with the sunlight piercing the smoke wafting around the altar with its crucifix, and the pungent aroma of frankincense to tickle our noses!

 
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Thanks for sharing your evocative photos. March 2007 I detoured from Arzua to Sobrado and attended Vespers with one other 'outsider'.
It was a true privilege to share such a timeless ambiance.
 

Bercianos ,
Posted a while back , note the small bodegas directly below the church tower. After a very rainy season the roof of the bodegas collapsed and that was the end of the tower which in turn took the entire church with it. Some of the ruins are still to be seen , as well some of the dead tree.
 
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Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
Cofradia del Santo
photos taken February 22, 2006


Historic cold

This post discusses an old albergue space of the local confraternity , Cofradia del Santo.
First established in the 12th c. to help/host pilgrims the confraternity continues today.




Walking 16 km in February from Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada was exhausting. At the Cofradia del Santo headquarters the door on the left was open; a poster inside read "telephone to stay"; I called and was told to wait for the hospitalero.

When the young seminarian/ hospitalero arrived we climbed an historic staircase to this simple albergue space; he tried unsuccessfully to turn on the heater.



Facilities included beds for 20 plus extra blankets, a simple hot plate, kettle and one shower/ toilet combo.

An Irish guy arrived; shivering we shared tea, biscuits and conversation. We chose bunks along the interior partition, not against an exterior wall, since old walls are often uninsulated and frigid; a 'sandwich' for sleeping was made by folding a blanket in half the long way, placing the sleeping bag on top of the bottom half and pulling the top half over all.

Nevertheless at dawn the albergue was truly freezing; I could see my white breath. Leaving when the famous garden coop chickens crowed, I was relatively warm in a nearby cafe eating a hot breakfast.

If you stay at the multi-story 211 bed extremely comfortable Cofradia albergue which opened 2013 adjacent to the medieval headquarters do recollect how simple their facility once was.
 
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O Cebreiro. CF 2011.
I only started in Vega de Valcarce that day and arrived rather early. I overestimated the steepness of the climb and could have walked further but there is something nice to have a lazy afternoon on a Camino.
I stayed in the Xunta albergue and I found it more than ok ( I read regularly that people do not like the setup ).
 
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April 22, 2019 -Triacastela to Morgade - Meditation theme: Courage
We are enjoying some spectacular vistas descending this section of the Cantabrian Mountains as the sun comes up over the hills behind us. Today is “Milestone Monday” because we passed the one million step milestone on our Camino! Here is a photo of our room at the Casa Morgade albergue that evening. Do you notice anything unusual? No bunk beds! Hallelujah!!! That is a rarity! And look at the size of those beds! This was one of the best albergues I experienced on the Camino. It is run by 4 ladies who do a tremendous job.

 
mspath said:
Thanks for sharing your evocative photos. March 2007 I detoured from Arzua to Sobrado and attended Vespers with one other 'outsider'.
It was a true privilege to share such a timeless ambiance.
Click to expand...
We were also very fortunate to go to Vespers, we ducked out of the concert before it finished so we could do this and it was a very meaningful experience. There were only a few of the pilgrims staying that night who attended Vespers, we felt very privileged to have this experience.
 
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Zordmot said:
Beautiful photo! I’m curious what rain gear did you purchase that you are happy with?
Click to expand...
I purchased Mountain Hardware rain pants as we had been walking with only rain jackets and got soaked to the skin on the Portugues (18) and Vasco (19). I found them on sale and we are very happy with them even though we had to wait almost a year to use them. Light weight and with ankle zippers so they can be pulled on quickly over my very wide Altras. I believe they are similar to these: https://www.sierra.com/mountain-hardwear-exponent-2-rain-pants-waterproof-for-men~p~706gh/
 
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The good , the bad & the ugly.
Camino Ingles out of Ferrol.
That is a Camino also.

In the ugly part ( or less pretty ! ) is the commercial/ industrial part of Ferrol. Spot the McDonalds and another big supermarket sign ( Lidl ). Perfect if you want to have a toiletbreak.

I don' t mind these areas when walking. It makes me even more aware and grateful that I'm able to take off time from work when other people take care of their shops/ go to the factory.
I alwys try to give a quick wave or a greeting.
 
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April 23, 2019 - Morgade to Portos - Meditation theme: Self-confidence
As we trekked through Portomarin, we stopped in a restaurant for a late breakfast. I asked our server if there was any Tarta de Santiago (I developed quite a liking for that cake!). She told us it had just arrived from the bakery. As she opened the box, I asked if I could please take a picture … so here is the Tarta de Santiago just before we got at it! A traditional local cake made with almond flour, and it is simply sumptuous with café con leche, muy caliente! Why not look up a recipe? Later, we reached Portos and stayed at the albergue Paso de Formiga, with its sculptures of giant ants in the yard. Portos was the smallest pueblo in which we stayed. Rory’s guidebook indicated it had a population of 2!

 

That tarta looks delicious. The next time you are in Portos take a short stroll north to Vilar de Donas. It is a very peaceful spot.
 
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Interesting view of Burgos Cathedral taken during Festival of San Pedro and San Pablo end of June. I was hoping to meet up with some others and asked a bar person what time they closed as friends were late. After some deliberation the answer was 4am or 5am. the Spanish love their fiestas !! Needless to say an extra day was spent there !
 
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mspath said:
Kirkie,
Walking into Pamplona I often passed a small house decorated with many shells on the Camino Burlada near the puente de la Magdelina. It was great folkart.
Click to expand...
Margaret, I believe this is the house you speak of in Pamplona, shortly before arriving at the city gates.
 
Camino Chrissy said:
Margaret, I believe this is the house you speak of in Pamplona, shortly before arriving at the city gates.
View attachment 98508
Click to expand...
Camino Chrissy,
Bingo! How nice it is to see it again; is it still there or has has it gone with new urbanization? Thanks for finding it.
 
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mspath said:
Camino Chrissy,
Bingo! How nice it is to see it again; is it still there or has has it gone with new urbanization? Thanks for finding it.
Click to expand...
I've seen it twice...both in April in 2015 and 2017. It looked no worse for the wear so my bet it is still standing tall and lovely!
 
Camino Frances,
between Erro and Zubiri
Barn ?

photo taken February 8, 2007




When using my Canon digital IXUS camera (without GPS )
I scribbled "after Erro" and "medieval albergue ? " in notes.

This building might be located on the camino after Alto del Erro; never on any future camino did I pass this spot again.

By chance have you seen it? If so please do let me know where it is located ie with a longitude/ latitude reference.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
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My mom and I stayed there August, 2001. Your pic brings back nice memories.

She would bus from town to town. Our fitness levels were too disparate for her to walk. She also refused to carry a backpack.

I can remember entering Santo Domingo and seeing her waiting for me in the middle of the street. She had already gotten bunks for us at this albergue.

Again, thanks for pic.
 
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Glad to read that you had a happy stay with your mom; did the chickens crow at dawn?
 
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April 24, 2019 - Portos to Ribadiso - Meditation theme: Relationships
When we reached Ribadiso and registered in an albergue, we found it was crowded with two classes of noisy high school students. But I was fine with that, in fact, I wish I could have had such an experience during my own high school years. Kudos to the escuelas that include a Camino in their curricula! In the restaurant near the albergue was an attractive poster with photos of several unique and picturesque bridges found along the Camino Francés. The first was from St. Jean Pied-de-Port, and the last was from Ribadiso … as a matter of fact, here it is, right beside the albergue on the little Rio Iso.

 
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mspath said:
Glad to read that you had a happy stay with your mom; did the chickens crow at dawn?
Click to expand...
The chickens probably crowed at dawn but I was out cold.

Only since 2017 or so am I awake before dawn.

Back then I was fast asleep until 7 or so in the morning. I usually left albergues right before late risers were asked to exit.
 
Arrival in Vega de Valcarce and preparing for the ascent to O Cebreiro.



What Goes Up…

What now seems like A Very Long Time Ago, I pulled on my rucksack, laced up my Timberlands, took a deep breath and began my Camino by following Napoleon’s route from France into Spain by clam…
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