Picture Fun Quest!

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I don't have a clue and from the silence, it looks like I'm not alone. I have an excuse--I've never been on that side of the Picos.
@Smallest_Sparrow??

You look across water from a bridge toward Our Lady of the Angels at San Vicente de la Barquera, but I don't recall the bridge wall like that, and the church would be higher. Besides, there's nothing behind you there, but maybe water. There's an old bridge that you cross after/during (I don't recall) the estuary leaving comillas, and looking at the water there could be the church of santa maria behind you...but neither of these seem right to me for this view. I need to go look at my photos from the norte.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Oh, a thought just came, perhaps wrong...but while looking at photos I'm going to leave my guess to be that I'm at Our Lady of the Angels at San Vicente, so that is what is at my back.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

locking in my answer...Our Lady of the Angeles is behind me, standing in San Vicente de la B arquera

 

[AJ]

This is what is behind me. Where is it?

 

[AJ]

locking in my answer...Our Lady of the Angeles is behind me, standing in San Vicente de la BView attachment 30312 arquera

Very well done!

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

This one is easy
Who is this, and of what is he the patron? Oh, and a little harder, where is this?

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

a hint, before I head off to bed...I'm pretty sure most of the players still in the game went through here (i.e., not one of my less traveled roads)

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I don't know if it is lack of interest, or my picture is too difficult...
so a few hints:
1. this is on the Frances (and by now players know which few parts I've walked)
2. two towns lay claim to him as a native, so a deal has been worked out to 'time share' his relics every five years, alternating between the two. During the procession, stops are made at other places significant in his life.
3. One of those processional stops is at a place on the camino I am sure all walkers know...and legend holds this saint is responsible for why we look forward to the stop

edit: and for everyone wondering if I was lost or following some stray dog or looking for a giant ball of string...maybe, I often was, but google earth confirmed for me that not only is this next to a yellow arrow, but several pilgrims are in the picture taking a picture of this statue

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Saint Cafe, the patron saint of coffee, responsible for many stops on the camino?

 

[SYates]

Looking at his insignia I can add another hint: he was a bishop. But for the rest ... I am drawing a blank ... SY

 

[SYates]

On second thoughts - San Isidro? SY

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Saint Cafe, the patron saint of coffee, responsible for many stops on the camino?

that's St Drogo, but good guess considering I took the picture....

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

On second thoughts - San Isidro? SY

You would think, and an excellent guess for Spain, but this is a saint I didn't know until I took the picture...
you all will kick yourselves for not guessing by my clues (forget the picture)

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Looking at his insignia I can add another hint: he was a bishop. But for the rest ... I am drawing a blank ... SY

I puzzled over the miter and crozier...but I don't see a ring or pectoral cross...and the footwear...

 

[SYates]

The hairstyle indicates Saint Benedikt of Nursia, but he wasn't a bishop, he was an abbot ... SY

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

The hairstyle indicates Saint Benedikt of Nursia, but he wasn't a bishop, he was an abbot ... SY

not St Benedikt...and I don't think this saint was a bishop, either...or at least he is not remembered as one...although he did have wide influence over the area in which he lived

 

[SYates]

...and the footwear...

San Juan de la Cruz???

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

San Juan de la Cruz???

The saint in question was a monk, but not St John of the Cross...much earlier

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

this monk entered the monastery at a very young age, and would sneak food to the poor under his habit. When he was caught, he opened his robes and the food had turned to flowers. (yes, many saints have stories like that...not much help)

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

This one is easy

Yeah, right.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Yeah, right.

what, with your mad computer skills?

 

[VNwalking]

Santo Domingo de la Calzada came to mind, but the bishop's mitre threw me off...
but since no-one else has guessed him, I will.
Whomever this guy was, I missed him. Which probably means it was where it was miserable weather and I was taking refuge under the way-too-big hood of my Altus poncho, contemplating the road a few paces ahead.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Santo Domingo de la Calzada came to mind, but the bishop's mitre threw me off...
but since no-one else has guessed him, I will.
Whomever this guy was, I missed him. Which probably means it was where it was miserable weather and I was taking refuge under the way-too-big hood of my Altus poncho, contemplating the road a few paces ahead.

way too far...and I bet if you stopped where most do, you were anticipating finding a cama for the night when passing through this town...or perhaps looking for an albergue in it!

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I cannot believe no one took a picture...really, there are at least three pilgrim on google earth taking one, and I make four...so at least four of us said "oh, I wonder who that is...."
If no one guesses in the next couple of hours I will post a clue that I KNOW everyone will guess
edit: once again, no one is going to recognize this saint by his statue if you didn't stop to read the base of it. So think about the clues...monk, lived on the camino and had strong influence on the area, gave food to the poor, way earlier than St John of the Cross, located on the camino Frances where I've walked (and there's no snow on the statue)

 

[VNwalking]

perhaps looking for an albergue in it

And D), gee...come on SS, a real clue, please...that applies to almost any town on the Frances these days...
Thinking you mean a Brierley stage town? Hmmm. I tried not to stop at them if I could help it.

 

[VNwalking]

San Anton??????? (!!)

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

And D), gee...come on SS, a real clue, please...that applies to almost any town on the Frances these days...
Thinking you mean a Brierley stage town? Hmmm. I tried not to stop at them if I could help it.

this is not a Brierly stage stop...but near one

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

San Anton??????? (!!)

if San Anton is St Anthony of Pauda, this saint predates him...

 

[VNwalking]

Well, I kind of like Rick's answer.
I don't have any better ideas than that.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

a real clue, please

he was eventually elected Abbot of an important monastery

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

well, I don't know where AJ lives but he plays late in the day, so I will give you a little while to review your photos and him a chance to come online...
in this thread I've mentioned (I think) what parts of the Frances I walked

 

[VNwalking]

All I get when I go looking (cheating!) is San Diego...and a gazillion statue photos, none of which are this one...

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

All I get when I go looking (cheating!) is San Diego...and a gazillion statue photos, none of which are this one...

this is why cheaters never prosper....I was surprised google image did not bring this up, as looking him up in Wikipedia, or looking up the town where this statue is located, shows the statue..
I will be back in a bit less than 2 hours (6pm in california)...for the final how-did-I-not-see-that clue

 

[VNwalking]

I also will be offline for a bit...
Maybe someone will figure it out.
(Don't feel badly, @Smallest_Sparrow. These ones are the fun ones.)

 

[VNwalking]

looking him up in Wikipedia, or looking up the town where this statue is located, shows the statue..

Ah, but when you front-load the data it's more likely to get a hit, right?
Shooting in the dark, all I hit is my own foot.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Ah, but when you front-load the data it's more likely to get a hit, right?
Shooting in the dark, all I hit is my own foot.

well we can't have you limping the camino...
(hopefully) final clue (if this fails, I'm posting the base of the statue):

This saint was known for his piety and devotion to Mary and the poor. He was elected abbot of his monastery at a young age, and became known throughout the area for his tireless work building hospitals and providing food to pilgrims walking the Camino. He was also instrumental in the building of a basilica when a statue of Mary was found by shepherds in a nearby cave, after a shower of stars fell on it one night. But long before all this, he was a young monk who would violate the rules of the monastery by sneaking food to the pilgrims under his habit, and to the delight of thirsty pilgrims caused wine rather than water to flow miraculously from the monastery’s fountains.

I'm changing locations to next door...so guess away, I will be back online soon....

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

San Juan, patron saint of fertility?
San Juan de Ortega.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

San Juan, patron saint of fertility?

nooooo.

 

[VNwalking]

OK I found him...cheating...
If no-one else does, I'll post it.
I was distracted in this town by the camels and lions so missed the less exotic stuff...

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

ok...here is the photo...I obviously choose bad ones...and I announce Viranani the winner. San Veremundo is the patron saint of the Camino de Santiago in Navarra. As a young monk at Irache, he caused the fountain to give wine rather than water to the pilgrims, a tradition carried on today (though no longer by the monks). He was in charge of establishing the basilica for Our Lady of Le Puy in Estella, and built pilgrim hospitals there and at Irache. His statue is in one of the two towns that claim to be his birthplace, Villatuerta, and there are three yellow arrows or shells leading you past this statue in a small church square.

 

[VNwalking]

I found this detail of his life that may be why there are so many more windmills along the way these days:
"A group of pilgrims had arrived in the monastery and Veremundo received them. When he asked where they had came from and what they had seen along the way, they could not answer, since they had not noticed anything. Veremundo, hurt by so much indifference to the wonders that God had created, exclaimed saying "You will see the world!" The pilgrims became windmills, condemned to turn continuously without getting anywhere and not changing their point of view."

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

OK I found him...cheating...
If no-one else does, I'll post it.
I was distracted in this town by the camels and lions so missed the less exotic stuff...

camels? lions? what did I miss?

 

[AJ]

Amazing! I walked past that statue last year. If memory serves I visited the church too.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Amazing! I walked past that statue last year. If memory serves I visited the church too.

oh AJ, I'm sorry we played without you! I was beginning to think I'd imagined the statue...
@Viranani should be posting something soon...

 

[AJ]

oh AJ, I'm sorry we played without you! I was beginning to think I'd imagined the statue...
@Viranani should be posting something soon...

My point here is that I walked past the statue last year and still didn't recognise your photo. There's no problem playing without me.

 

[VNwalking]

camels? lions? what did I miss?

Probably nothing, @Smallest_Sparrow. The circus was in town and they'd tethered the camel not far form the Camino...the lion was roaring off in the background someplace. It was double-take time--pretty surreal.

OK, so back to storks.
This one literally has a birds'-eye view of the Camino.
Where is it?

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

My point here is that I walked past the statue last year and still didn't recognise your photo. There's no problem playing without me.

On the Primitivo picture quest we usually swear we've never seen something, them find a few pictures of it in our files

 

[VNwalking]

Ha ha...I just realized I gave you all a HUGE hint by not changing the name of the file.

The name of the town, specifically, and the name of the hermitage near the nest. With that hint is should not be hard at all...........

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Ermita San Blas y San Roche - I adored the artwork

 

[AJ]

Ermita San Blas Columbrianos

 

[AJ]

Ermita San Blas y San Roche - I adored the artwork

You pipped me at the post: well done!

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Missed the town name though... so it's up to the adjudicator to decide.

No pressure @Viranani

 

[AJ]

Missed the town name though... so it's up to the adjudicator to decide.

No pressure @Viranani

I am happy for you to post.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

I'll wait for confirmation first though I think we just might be right

 

[VNwalking]

You're both right...and I tossed a coin to decide who posts next.
You won, @Wokabaut_Meri Meri--over to you.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Thank you both

This is in a village on the Francés but not directly on the route. Village name is fine but would love to know the story behind this particular wall.

 

[VNwalking]

Uhhhhh...Cañas?

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Further along...

 

[VNwalking]

So...off the Camino in a place pilgrims tend to visit...or just wandering lost and confused off the camino?
In the first category and a little further along is Haro....

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

The Camino definitely goes through this village/town and pilgrims do stay there. The picture is taken very near to where the route passes a church where once the original Ermita stood.

Still further along than Haro

 

[VNwalking]

Ohhhh, now I understand: in a village on the Frances but not directly on the Frances route.
Sorry for get that last guess.
I have no idea, so will hang until it's clear that no-one else does either, and then maybe make further wild guesses.

 

[SYates]

Navarette?

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Not Navarette. Thought this would be easy as you can see the plaza on Google Earth literally around the corner from the Camino.

Another clue: the church is not that old.

 

[VNwalking]

I was thinking to guess Fromista but the church is pretty old. The only place I can think of where the church isn't at least 500 years old is Virgen del Camino.

 

[AJ]

I was thinking to guess Fromista but the church is pretty old. The only place I can think of where the church isn't at least 500 years old is Virgen del Camino.

Virgin del Camino is correct I think.

 

[VNwalking]

A lucky guess, thanks to the clue--I just went on Google Earth and here is a wall that's indeed right there, next to the church at Virgen del Camino.
I never noticed it...being too captivated by the basilica, which I had expected to despise, but really didn't.
Quelle suprise!
I will go dig up a pic and await @Wokabaut_Meri 's confirmation.

 

[VNwalking]

But in case Meri is away...to keep it going, here's the next one...:
This place is famous for something. Where is it and what's its claim to fame?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

This place is famous for something. Where is it and what's its claim to fame?

The canal on the way to Fromista?

 

[VNwalking]

Sorry, Rick. Cold. The claim to fame is older than that.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

A lucky guess, thanks to the clue--I just went on Google Earth and here is a wall that's indeed right there, next to the church at Virgen del Camino.
I never noticed it...being too captivated by the basilica, which I had expected to despise, but really didn't.
Quelle suprise!
I will go dig up a pic and await @Wokabaut_Meri 's confirmation.

Virgen Del Camino it is!

Have been out all day searching for a friend who has just been declared a Missing Person. No news but we're all hoping he is found soon.

 

[VNwalking]

Virgen Del Camino it is!
Have been out all day searching for a friend who has just been declared a Missing Person. No news but we're all hoping he is found soon.

Oh, noooo. Sending many good wishes for a happy outcome of the search.

 

[VNwalking]

Since there are no guesses I will assume a hint is in order. The claim to fame is old but mostly forgotten: this place was famous, or rather, infamous. Not is. Past tense. But we can read about that fame in tales of the road.
I'm going to bed now. Have fu-un....

 

[SYates]

Rio Arga? With its bitter waters that killed horses? SY

 

[VNwalking]

Nope. Try again. Another kind of infamous. Same vintage.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Rio Salado, between Cirauqui and Lorca?

 

[VNwalking]

Not poisonous, just troublesome.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Oh, noooo. Sending many good wishes for a happy outcome of the search.

Thanks. He went out walking to clear his head and has been gone since Thursday in some atrocious weather. Massive police search for him today so hoping for some news before evening.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Thanks. He went out walking to clear his head and has been gone since Thursday in some atrocious weather. Massive police search for him today so hoping for some news before evening.

I am so sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with you, and for his safe return.

 

[VNwalking]

We are praying for his safe return, @Wokabaut_Meri .
(Meanwhile another clue. Think mud. Edit: And sayings about traveling through it.)

 

[VNwalking]

The silence is deafening. But it's not hard, really. You know this. I know you know this.
It's as much a Camino story as the resurrected chickens in SD and the wolves at Hontanas.
Between which two towns.....?

 

[VNwalking]

"From ____ to ____
may God deliver us.
And from ____ to ____,
you will not lack for work."

Just fill in the blanks!

 

[SYates]

"De Rabé a Tardajos, no te faltarán trabajos. De Tardajos a Rabé, libéranos Domine." So the picture was taken between Tardajos and Rabé ;-)

To get more people involved in this quest - I am issuing a

WILDCARD

if I am right - but I am pretty sure I am ;-) Buen Camino, SY

PS Completely unrelated but always makes me smile Rabe=Raven in my native German ;-)

 

[AJ]

SY, you are correct, the river Urbel was notoriously unpredictably swampy.

 

[VNwalking]

Right, of course! I am surprised it took so long.
So @SYates, it's your turn! Or for whomever wants to take up your wildcard. . . . .
Be warned. It is addictive.

 

[SYates]

Yes, please somebody/anybody post a quest photo ;-) The more the merrier! SY

 

[Kanga]

OK - I'm hopeless at guessing but willing to post. This is on the Norte.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

It's the Vilalba cemetery in Galicia?

 

[C clearly]

OK - I'm hopeless at guessing but willing to post. This is on the Norte.
View attachment 30394

I haven't the faintest idea where it is, but nice picture of the skirt and sandals we have read so much about!

 

[VNwalking]

I've never been on the Norte, so I'm hopeless too. But nice pic, @Kanga!

 

[AJ]

Goiriz.

 

[Kanga]

@Peregrinopaul well spotted. Yes, that's it. Sorry it took a while for me to get back. Your turn.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

OK, clues.
Camino Frances.
Al the Optimist will get this if he's looking
The cyclist, (me), is going to have to make a detour.

 

[AJ]

albergue san andres zariquiegui

 

[C clearly]

albergue san andres zariquiegui

I am hopeless at this game, but I thought that looked like Zariquiegui! (Maybe there is hope after all.) I just couldn't confirm any albergue San An...

 

[Peregrinopaul]

albergue san andres zariquiegui

Well done. Got it in one. I thought about cropping the edge of the sign. Ah well.

 

[AJ]

Well done. Got it in one. I thought about cropping the edge of the sign. Ah well.

If you had cropped it I probably wouldn't have got it.

 

[AJ]

This should be easy.

 

[VNwalking]

This should be easy.

Nope.

 

[C clearly]

This should be easy.

Those cloisters all look the same.

 

[C clearly]

Those cloisters all look the same.

And a few years ago, I didn't even know what a cloister was! Now I can recognize one when I see it. Do I win a prize for that?