• Remove ads on the forum by becoming a donating member. More here.
This is a mobile optimized page that loads fast, if you want to load the real page, click this text.

On the Camino: One day at a time, one photo at a time...

Status
Not open for further replies.
San Juan de la Peña

Back again to the old monastery. I've have a number of favorite photos from here so I'll be slowly giving a tour. The monastery was in use from 920 to 1675 and, although the monastery is mostly of romanesqe architecture there are a number of other styles here.

In the mozarabic original church a romanesque painting from 12th century depicting the martyrdoms of Saints Damian and Cosme.



The coordinates for the old monastery are 42.508,-0.673
 
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.
Looking back at Atienza (its castle is on the hill to the left of the picture) on the way to Retortillo de Soria on the Ruta de la Lana.

The castle was still held by the Moors when el Cid passed by here one night in the 1080s, avoiding it as "una peña muy fuerte", according to the Cantar.

It is close to the border going to Soria province, Spain's most vaciada province, from Guadalajara province, its third least populated one, where the camino crosses from Castilla La Mancha to Castilla y León.

A lonely day's walk, but astonishingly beautiful on a clear autumn day.


 
Camino Ready, Backpacks, Boots etc
3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
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.
San Juan de la Peña

Back again to the old monastery. I've have a number of favorite photos from here so I'll be slowly giving a tour. The monastery was in use from 920 to 1675 and, although the monastery is mostly of romanesqe architecture there are a number of other styles here.

The high church was dedicated in 1094. In front of the apses and above is the rock overhang, it may have once been painted. In the central apse is a replica of the chalice revered as the Holy Grail. It was kept here for protection from the Moors until 1399 and is now at the cathedral in Valencia.



The coordinates for the old monastery are 42.508,-0.673
 
The Teatro Principal in Santiago, built in 1841. As I walked past, a woman in front of the theatre was inviting people in to hear a free afternoon concert by A Banda Municipal de Música de Santiago de Compostela. A wonderful hour in this beautiful little jewel box theatre.

 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Camino Portuguese- 25th, April, 2016. Before entering Azambuja, after walking 6+kms on the very busy N3.
In Azambuja, we met two Portuguese pilgrims from the local Pilgrim Association, who were way marking an alternative to walking on the N3, thank goodness.
We only saw empty storks nests on the Camino Frances in Aug/Sept 2014 but while walking the Portuguese in April/May 2016 we saw many storks nests with lots of storks, it was wonderful. They were in some very interesting spots. There were at least nine in this photo.


 
San Juan de la Peña

Back again to the old monastery. I've have a number of favorite photos from here so I'll be slowly giving a tour. The monastery was in use from 920 to 1675 and, although the monastery is mostly of romanesqe architecture there are a number of other styles here.

18th century neo-classical Royal Pantheon. (I'm not sure how or why this was done when the monastery was not in use but I'm passing on what the handout said.)



The coordinates for the old monastery are 42.508,-0.673
 
More 2024 Camino Guides available
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Via de Bayona, looking back towards the Ermita Nuestra Señora (in the trees) and the dramatic mountain behind it. Walking in the westward direction meant the layers of rock were not obvious, until you looked back. Qué sorpresa!

And then there were the wonderful plants up there as we went a little farther along, veritable carpets of blooming herbs. My patient walking companion had to put up with some geological and botanical excitement and frothing at the mouth. Blahblahblahblah...
 
Camino wristwatch
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
Theatregal said:
Always take a look back
Click to expand...
Great advice. Preferably frequently.

Here is sunrise on the way up to the alto above Rabe de las Calzadas. I'd have missed the amazing sun pillar and the sliver of the moon if I hadn't looked back. The problem was, once I saw this I felt like walking backwards.
 
Best lightweight Camino guides
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
San Juan de la Peña

I'm still at the old monastery. I've have a few more favorite photos from here. The monastery was in use from 920 to 1675 and, although the monastery is mostly of romanesque architecture there are a number of other styles here.

Mozarabic door into the high church with a 12th century inscription, "The door to Heaven is opened through this one to all those faithful who devote themselves to joining faith and God's Commandments".



The coordinates for the old monastery are 42.508,-0.673
 
Promote your Camino Project on the forum
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Camino Ready, Backpacks, Boots etc
3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
Camino wristwatch
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
Camino wristwatch
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
Download free today.
Holoholo automatically captures your footpaths, places, photos, and journals.
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Camino Jewellery
A selection of Camino Jewellery
San Juan de la Peña

12th century romanesque cloister and 17th century Chapel of San Voto, a renaissance transition to baroque building. The informational handout says that the wall outboard of the cloister once extended to the overhanging rock making an indoor courtyard.



By the way, it looks as if reconstruction has taken place in the cloister, I think quite a lot. I'll have to research this. Also, the pillars are made up with from one to four columns.
 
Last edited:
Camino Preparation Guide
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
Promote your Camino Project on the forum
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
AJGuillaume said:
Puente Colgante, Viscaya Bridge, Portugalete, 14 September 2018View attachment 76129
Click to expand...

Camino del Norte- 6th, May, 2018 Also the Viscaya Bridge, Portugalete, but we took the lower option, not in a car! We really enjoyed our walk from Bilbao on a quiet Sunday morning along the east bank of the river and crossing the river on this wonderful bridge.

 

Wow, I have this same picture; the catedral in Santiago from a distance, early in the morning as I left for Finisterre. I bet others do, too. And I had exactly the same feelings you did.
 
Camino Preparation Guide
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
I'm done with my San Juan de la Peña photos for now. I may take the ones I've shown on this thread and some more and add them to a new forum members album for my account in the future. In the meantime, if you are looking for more pictures, use the links below.

See photos at Flickr taken near San Juan de la Peña.

Use this link to visit Google maps' page for San Juan de la Peña; it has 360 degree views, videos and photos. Click on the photograph shown on that page to see what else is available.

You have a choice of maps of the area showing both the old and new monasteries at this link to gpsvisualizer.com. The view is best on a desktop or laptop but it should work okay on a phone. You will have to play with the zoom level though.
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Promote your Camino Project on the forum
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Camino Primitivo, September 2018. From La Mesa to Embalse de Salime. We walked uphill in beautiful sunshine. On our way downhill we met the fog. There had been a forest fire, so many trees were quite black. A special atmosphere.
 
Download free today.
Holoholo automatically captures your footpaths, places, photos, and journals.
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.
Camino Jewellery
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Camino Preparation Guide
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
I actually just opened this thread today, and wondered why I hadn't done it earlier. I have thousands of photos, but this gives me a chance to go through some of them and choose favorites. So here is the first. This is a photo in Antequera on the route from Malaga and is April 22, 2016. I think it is one of the most beautiful cities I've been in.
 
And here is a photo that is a favorite because it makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.

So I'm walking along and I come to this gate.
I'm a farm girl. I should know gates ...
but I guess I was exhausted, because I couldn't figure out how in the HELL I would get over or around it.

I finally took my pack off, tossed it over the fence, and climbed over,
(Macabi skirts are NOT made for climbing fences!)
ONLY to find THIS on the other side!
DOH! ::slapping her forehead:::
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Shortly before Melide, May 2018. The husband drives the tractor his wife follows with a basket of seed. My idea of the good life!
 
Promote your Camino Project on the forum
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Camino Preparation Guide
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
Loose cattle. Please close the gate.



Another of my stupid but favorite photos. Why? Anyone notice the iPhone at the lower right corner? It had to have been there a few days because it was down to 2% battery. It must have belonged to a pilgrim as it was far from town and its boot messages were in Catalan. I cleaned it up and charged it and passed it to another pilgrim, a fast walking Spaniard, to try to connect to albergues ahead of us. I texted him, circumstanctually as he arrived in Santiago, but he hadn't found the owner.
 
Camino Jewellery
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Camino Portuguese- 30th, May, 2016 Santa Maria do Olival, Tomar. This is the Templar Mother church, St Mary in the Olive Grove, which was allegedly connected by secret tunnels to the Templar Castle, on the other side of town. The church contains many hidden symbols of the Order. We were very fortunate to visit it when Dulce a local guide was there, who gave us a fantastic personalised tour of the church, showing us many of the hidden Templar signs and their meanings.


 
Promote your Camino Project on the forum
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
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.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest Camino Photo

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Most read last week in this forum

Similar threads

On the Camino: One Day at a Time, one Photo at a Time 11.0
12 13 14
Replies
1K
Views
59K
mspath
One month post injury on the Camino
Replies
15
Views
1K
Shells
Do you have a favorite Camino tree?
Replies
82
Views
3K
VNwalking
Once upon a time in Ribadesella (as I imagine it)
Replies
0
Views
524
Damien Reynolds
Amazing Storm Clouds on the Camino (Photos)
Replies
4
Views
1K
storiestellr
Menu
Log in
Register