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On the Camino: One Day at a Time, one Photo at a Time 7.0

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Last time we walked the camino, we left booking a flight to the UK to the last minute (or week), only to discover there were no flights from Santiago to the UK. Hasty google search revealed the fact that A Coruña has an international airport, with cheap flights to Heathrow. The train from Santiago takes about half an hour and it turns out A Coruña is a happening city, very Galician and very foodie. A good place to wind down and re-orientate yourself post-camino. Plus you can do a walk along the cliffs and check out the start of the Inglés. This is sitting at a street café under the spectacular galerías overlooking the harbour.

 
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 walked one stage of the Inglés; I wanted to start in A Coruña, and rather than the church of Santiago, begin at the statue of King Breogán and the Tower of Hercules (Farum Brigantium) to honor my heritage. The Tower is the best preserved ancient Roman lighthouse and the only one still in use.



While waiting for the lighthouse to open, so I could climb 234 steps to try to see Ireland, I walked around the outdoor statues and seaside. Suddenly the clouds rolled in and the sun was hidden behind them and the lighthouse, while a flock of birds took flight. Not a murmuration, but still pretty cool and I hoped a good omen for my walk that day

 
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You are such a hoot! "could climb 234 steps to try to see Ireland,"
 
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Smallest_Sparrow said:
Not a murmuration, but still pretty cool and I hoped a good omen for my walk that day
Click to expand...
Very cool photo!
I loved the walk from A Coruña, and the only thing I'd change would be to spend the night there before walking. It was more of a happening little city than I knew. Here's the quay.
View media item 8091
 
VNwalking said:
the only thing I'd change would be to spend the night there before walking.
Click to expand...
I spent several nights, it was my “base camp” for walking the first stage of the Inglés as well as a non-Camino walk to San Andres de Teixido (not from A Coruña I took a bus to my starting point). I ate too much while I was there…
 
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Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
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Las Médulas
gold mine

photos taken November 26, 2014



Near Ponferrada, off the CF but on the Camino Invierno, Las Médulas, a magnificent working gold mine dating from Roman times, is a
UNESCO World Heritage site.
This unique area is marked by distinctive red-orange cones, channels, and caves.



From a viewing platform I could look directly onto one huge cone. Within that cone was another viewing platform accessed by
following a visitor path /tunnel.



Although, then trepidacious, in retrospect I am glad I followed the lights in the curved tunnel and took this interior shot as a permanent memento...Ouf!
 
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Smallest_Sparrow said:
I spent several nights, it was my “base camp” for walking the first stage of the Inglés as well as a non-Camino walk to San Andres de Teixido (not from A Coruña I took a bus to my starting point). I ate too much while I was there
Click to expand...
It sounds like a very good idea. Even the eating.
San Andres de Teixido? Wonderful.
 
mspath said:
Near Ponferrada, off the CF but on the Camino Invierno, Las Médulas, a magnificent working gold mine dating from Roman times,
Click to expand...
It is an amazing place. And surprisingly beautiful, given that in Roman times, it was their version of a toxic superfund site. Given the chance, time and nature can heal a lot of wounds.
 
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I forget the name of this place, but one of you will know. It's on the Inglés between Bruma and Sigüiero. I wish I knew the story here, but a local obviously decided that what their village needed was a home-made theme park with dinosaurs and flying tractors. 21 Oct 2018.

 
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It is located by the Cafe Bar Uzal, near O'Castro, south of Meson do Vento. Home of flying tractors and large St James's. They are on trailers and can be moved around. I think that they use them, or used to, at local festivals. Sept 2018.

 
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.
Palmela, Portugal
Pousada/castle complex/1
passage

photo taken December 29, 2011


December 2011 after finishing the CF I walked to Finisterre, per usual, and then down to Tui/Valenca where my husband met me and we slowly drove south to Setubal and Pamela near the northern end of the coastal Rota Vicentina.



The Palmela castle/Pousada complex spans a hilltop; the many structures span historic time.
Included are a medieval church and cloisters from a convent constructed within the earlier castle plus contemporary building.

To visit the castle you need not stay at the Pousada; nevertheless after 56 nights in simple albergues staying at the Pousada was a luxurious treat.

...to be continued
 
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One of the highlights of my walk in 2016 from Santo Domingo de Silos to Covarrubias (on the GR82, not on the Lana) was the view over the dramatic landscape from the ridge above SDdS. It was breathtaking looking east into the rising sun, and I rarely use that word. I recommend this route more than I can express.


It turns out that the mesa in the photo has a ruined (and locally important castle on its summit, the Castillo de San Carlos, or Fortaleza de Carazo.

Fuerte de San Carlos /Fortaleza de Carazo. Un castillo en las nubes.

zaleza.blogspot.com

If I had known, I'd have been temped to take an extra night in SDdS for a day trip to find my way up there.

Chenahusky said:
Home of flying tractors
Click to expand...
How? Did? I? Miss?! The? Flying tractors?!?

(Hyperbolic punctuation for laughs. I probably saw it but don't recall. I was of course way more besotted with the peregrina-eating dinosaur.)
 
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Unbeknown to the Dinosaur, whilst it is eating the Peregrina, The tractor is eating it's tail! June 2018.

 
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Chenahusky said:
Unbeknown to the Dinosaur, whilst it is eating the Peregrina, The tractor is eating it's tail! June 2018.
Click to expand...


I went back and looked at my photos, because this was gnawing at me.
The dino had was in a different place and had his tail in the woodpile.
And I had walked right past the flying tractors.
 
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"The Flying Tractors" - I like it, maybe a post-industrial constructivist circus troupe 'Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the amazing Flying Tractors!'.
 
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Palmela, Portugal
Pousada/castle complex/2

photos taken December 29, 2011



Within the Pousada/castle complex the castle had been occupied by Moors. Reconquered in the 12th c. it was given to the Military Order of Santiago/the Templars and in 1423 became their headquarters.

Wandering through the complex I was surprised to find this church dedicated to Santiago attributed to the Templars. This 2011 view of the church interior features a rather incongruous video player.




However this simple scallop shell on a column base located in the old cloister is more evocative.



Communal recognition of the symbolic scallop shell links all pilgrims. Thus in 2011 I offered silent thanks for the ways that had been travelled while hoping for strength and resilience in the time still to come.

....As I post this now those thoughts remain ever true.
 
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Two well-dressed (and probably well-heeled) locals in the Plaza de Platerías, Santiago, 23 Oct 2018. I love looking out of the camino and into the life going on around all the time. For most Spanish people, most of the time, the camino is very low on the horizon. These two had been to mass and were on their way, I don't know, home? A restaurant for lunch? Life goes on.

 
Cirauqui
Iglesia de San Román
door

photo taken October 22, 2015



Alone in Cirauqui on the CF as I was re-admiring the south door of the Iglesia de San Román two local tots on tricycles and their mom also stopped to look. Mom asked "What makes this door of the church special?" As I pointed to the distinctive poly-globed arch the children smiled and their mother kindly snapped this photo as a memento for me.
 
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Last day in Santiago, sitting in the café on the corner of Plaza Galicia, waiting for the airport bus, 19 Oct 2015. The locals are in there for their morning coffee (and chupito in some cases), and the waiters are dutiful and responsive. We are a little despondent that it is over and wondering if it will happen again. It already has, twice, but I am very interested in finding out for myself if that café is still in business.

 


Oh ! Café Derby. A monument. Unfortunately it closed last year ( read it in La Voz de Galicia ) and here is another article.

Adiós al Derby: cierra el histórico café de Santiago que frecuentó Valle-Inclán en su último año de vida

Una institución de la ciudad, el local baja la persiana después de 91 años y haber sido epicentro cultural y reclamo turístico
www.eldiario.es

BUT : this recent one : Hope for the future!

El local del histórico café Derby será una de las nuevas cervecerías Morriña

Juan R. Rivera, consejero de la empresa de Estrella Galicia, alquiló el inmueble
www.lavozdegalicia.es

Well..let us wait and see..if the soul of the place will not be destroyed too much...
 
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Just read the article. I had no idea it was so iconic. As they say, places have to evolve to survive and I hope some of its character carries over into its new function.
 
dick bird said:
Just read the article. I had no idea it was so iconic. As they say, places have to evolve to survive and I hope some of its character carries over into its new function.
Click to expand...


I always follow these kind of items with great interest. These iconic and timeless places tend to dissapear too often lately ( Covid did not help either of course ).
Like this one in Brussels.

Brussels iconic Taverne Greenwich seeks new tenant-manager

The cafe first opened in 1907, and soon became known as gathering place for chess players. According to reputation, it was possible for any chess player to walk through the door and find someone to play with, at any level.
www.brusselstimes.com
When the " big players " get involved...( well , better get of my soapbox before I get too political ).
 
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Negreira
dawn

photo taken March 30, 2007



Dawn outside the Negreira albergue was very rosy and not a sign of good weather to come.

Indeed it rained all day as I splashed towards Olveiroa. The wet trail meandered through many tiny hamlets and muddy pastures.
Those 33km were exhausting since my comfort level is 22-25km; it was almost as tiring as the first time up to Roncesvalles via Valcarlos in 2004!!
 
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Walking out of Santiago en route to Finisterra and Muxía, 31 May 2015, we stopped, looked around, and there were the towers of the cathedral in the distance. My first camino, the Via de la Plata, eight weeks without wheels. We were never sure we'd make it, but we did. This is my second favourite view of Santiago cathedral. Number one is when we crossed the road on the final day of the Sanabrés and saw the towers nestling under the hills across the old cobbled road.

 
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VNwalking said:
Yes, that's definitely a special moment. It took me completely by surprise.
View attachment 111951
Click to expand...
That's the one. We sat on a little wayside cross to eat our empanadas, walked across the road, turned the corner, and bang, there it was. I suspect we could construct a gallery of shots like these.

 
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Lagos, Portugal
Fishermen's Trail
Praia Camilo/Camilo Beach

photo taken January 2012



Lagos is on the Trilho dos Pescadores/
Fishermen's Trail which leads west to Sagres on the Rota Vicentina. This shot of the Praia Camilo/Camilo Beach is across picturesque cliffs towards central Lagos
 
Theatregal said:
June 7, 2019
Click to expand...
When @Theatregal was exploring the Templar castle, I might have been here, a few days ahead of her on the Invierno, on the way to Quiroga.
This 180 panoramic photo distorts the image but takes in everything, looking back in her direction, at the river below, and ahead to the Castillo de Torrenovaes. It was a superb day of walking. with sun and occasional downpours (a little after this I had to take refuge under the viaduct in Soldon).
 
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If I had to choose a favourite Invierno day, this stretch from A Rua to Quiroga would be it! It's the day that is most vivid in my thoughts.
 
Invierno 9 Oct 2018. Between Chantada and Rodeiro. We expected the café in Peñasillas to be defunct. It was open. We expected the walk up the Alto to be a gruelling slog, it's a hill, not a mountain. When we got to Rodeiro, the restaurants were shut till 9pm so we ordered a pizza in a bar expecting some micro-waved, de-frosted horror, it was home-made, delicious and the size of a wheel. Sometimes, things are like that.
 

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A bird view of Muxía from the top of the hill on May 10, 2019.
I stayed 2 days here, the first day was rainy, the second a wonderful sunny day, Thank God. The last stop of my 2nd CF --- a beautiful ending.

 
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Estella
Calle San Nicolas
San Pedro de la Rúa

photo taken October 24, 2014



A cloister arch frames the huge mass of rock against which San Pedro de la Rúa, an historic monastery/ church, is located. Thus this looming view resembles a frightening image in a bad dream.
 
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east of Los Arcos
photo taken October 26, 2015



From the horizon this fellow walked towards me, wearing a beret and bearing two packs. I said "Hola"; he graciously greeted me and explained that during summer he had walked from Germany to Saint Jean Pied de Port and on to Santiago. Now he was walking towards southern France and ultimately Rome.

After sitting on a rock while sharing a few cookies as well as several camino confidences we shook hands and wished each other Godspeed, Ultreia and Adieu.

..We then moved separately towards our different destinations, but strangers no more.
 
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It has been months since I've been on these Pic-a-day threads but this morning Google sent me a reminder of where I checked in two years ago today in Monzón on my Camino Catalan. I believe I got the last room available in town (a suite). A bit different from a bunk at an albergue. They may have thought they were making a profit off me but I'm sure they changed their minds after I was finished with the breakfast buffet.

 
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Two for the price of one, we're off an a short camping trip (very excited, the first time we've been allowed out of a 5 km radius since July). 30 Oct 2018, the flower market in Santiago and I bet she drives a very hard bargain. And the (no longer used) fireplace in the albergue on Betanzos on the Inglés, a few days earlier. See you all soon. Keep the pics coming.
 
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So happy for you Dick, hope you have a wonderful camping trip. Enjoy your freedom.
Buen Camino.
 
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The basilica of Santa Maria la Mayor is one of the jewels in the crown of Galician Gothic architecture. It is an example of Spanish Elizabethan Gothic. Built in the sixteenth century, by order of the Guild of fishermen. The architects of the building were Joao Noble and Cornelius de Holanda. It was granted the status of small basilica in 1962, by Pope John XXIII. Pontevedra CP May 2019.

 
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Enjoy the freedom, when you get used to the idea...
 
Santiago de Compostela
Cathedral
dome

photo taken December 9, 2012




The day before I had walked into Santiago de Compostela and up the hill to the cathedral thus completing my 8th Camino Frances!
Later when revisiting the cathedral I sat alone in the dim afternoon light for a long time lost in thought offering silent thanks for all that had been which enabled these precious moments.
 
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SabineP said:
View attachment 112247

Leaving Hornillos del Camino. CF 2011.
Click to expand...
I think that is where I found a poster that really took my fancy - am afraid my photos are pretty inaccessible at the moment. The poster showed two big boots... I could of course be misremembering. Isn't it fortunate that in our present day world we have this type of excuse from public figures?

Anyway, when I settle back into finding my photos on one of my thumb drives, I will post the poster! It will be a while before I walk a camino again, but I am not complaining. I love seeing all the choices members make to post their favourite or sequenced photos. Thank you very much.
 
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