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 […]
Small Kindnesses in Burgos
One of the things I love about the Camino and this area of Spain in general is how often pilgrims are the recipients of small kindnesses. Today, when I got off in Burgos from the bus from Madrid, I just started walking. I had a fairly good idea of where I was going, having been […]
My Walk in Spain
When I checked in last January, I had planned to walk from Oviedo to Finisterre. While that is still very tempting, my itinerary has changed. And that’s fine. Here goes: Burgos to Leon Leon to Oviedo (by bus) Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela Then back to Madrid and home. Here’s what I have learned in […]
Time for a Little Walk
January 2016 It’s been while, I guess. I know it hasn’t been that long, but it seems like a decade has passed since I walked the Camino last – and it was only 12 months ago! So, I’m going back. And this time, I am taking the Camino Primitivo – from Oviedo all the way […]
A New York City Feminist on the Camino de Santiago
All told, I greeted pilgrims from all over Europe, Asia, South Africa, South America, the Middle East, Ireland and the UK, Canada, Mexico, and the US. I went back and forth among my four languages for hours each day: “Buenos días, bonjour, buon giorno, welcome to The Abbey.”
What is Breakfast Like on the Way to The Abbey?
I am spending a week volunteering at the restoration of a 12th century fortress on the Camino de Santiago just outside Pamplona in the magnificent countryside of Navarre. I greet passing pilgrims who walk by while the new owner of the property works on the project. They are on their way to Santiago de Compostela […]
Tumbleweed Pilgrim 