The Camino into León is so industrial that many pilgrims just opt to take the bus or a taxi on this stage. I walked happily because I love watching small towns in action: the flower shop getting deliveries, local guys catching up outside a car repair place, or the smell of fresh bread from the […]
Tag: littleoldladywalking
Industrial Chic on the Way to León
The Camino into León is so industrial that many pilgrims just opt to take the bus or a taxi on this stage. I walked happily because I love watching small towns in action: the flower shop getting deliveries, local guys catching up outside a car repair place, or the smell of fresh bread from the […]
Eating on Sunday in Mansilla de las Mulas
Forget that I walked into town on Pentecost Sunday and found myself facing their procession from Mass. Forget that I watched women in traditional costumes dance in the street with castanets. Forget too that the sunset over the tower of the church is particularly wonderful. Yes, forget all that because, ham. That was my lunch. […]
Flowers Everywhere in El Burgo Ranero
I heard it was some Spanish federation that planted wild flowers along the Camino. If that’s true, muchísimas gracias! They are lovely.
The Big Sky and Sahagún
There’s really very little to say about this when you’ve got 360 degree sky keeping you company. I walked for nearly 7 hours today and it was the sky that held my attention. And then this: the San Tirso church in Sahagún, the official halfway mark on the Camino Frances. 13th century stone, set against […]
Freezing Rain in Calzadilla de la Cueva
Don’t buy into that “Rain in Spain” nonsense from My Fair Lady. It falls everywhere and when it does, it can be anywhere from, “Look, isn’t that charming,” to “Damn, this has to stop soon, or …!” Today was one of the latter rain events. 42 degrees when we left this morning and I’d bet […]
The Singing Sisters in Carrión de Los Condes
There is a sweet place in Carrión de Los Condes where the sisters will sing with you. They offer Vespers in the Santa Maria church at 5:30 p.m. They prayed for the dead and asked the saints to remember us. And the singing was angel-like and therapeutic. But afterward, in their albergue, they sang and […]
1066 Frómista
Put simply: that’s what the year 1066 looks, well, looked like in Frómista, Spain. Heavy stonework, unadorned walls, popular bible stories in some of the sculpture, others with images of plant life and animals. And beautifully preserved. It’s wonderful that the nice people in this church today were not just interested in a couple quick […]
The Road to Castrojeriz
It starts noticing you, I think, before you notice it. The Convent of San Antón. Impressive, even in ruins. As you approach, you can see the inconvenience of the road vs. the ruin. But the simple solution preserves them both. And the effect is both monumental and a little sad that what the nuns lost, […]
Sights and Sounds in Hornillos
I hate to go all hippy on you here, but once I got away from Burgos, I started noticing birds, and flowers, tiny snails crossing the road in front of me. And the wind. How extraordinary that the wind sounds so different passing through different trees. The way the water rushes under the bridges, the […]
Tumbleweed Pilgrim 