|
|
You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Oct 11, 2018 08:00 PM Through the mountains to Samos Monastery
Heavy wind all the night did not allow me to sleep well. First stage of today's hike was a path down to Triacastella. The village is nothing special with one church, but the is a little shop to buy food. At thd end of the village the pilgrims have two choices - one is to go directly to Sarria.
Second choice - much longer way goes also to Sarria but via Monastery of Samos. I made the second choice.
After Triacastella senda - the pilgrims path inicially goes along the road (like1,5 km) then climbes through the picruresque oak ferests and pastures. Twice I was passing through the little stone villages with old chapels - San Martino was one of them. This was for me the walnut day - there were walnut trees in the few points ad walnuts on the path asking to pick them :)
On approach to Samos Valley there is on the path great view point: leaving the forest you unexpectedly see the monastery down, in front of you - this is the award for the hard walk up and down.
Te Benidictine Monertery of Samos is huge. The settlement around - very tiny and remote. I the outside wall of the monastery there is albergo donativo - hostel for pilgrims run by the pilgrims where for the overnight in the huge dormitory you pay as much as you want - even one euro is acceptable... No working wi-fi in Samos today - so remote area...
|
Oct 10, 2018 08:00 PM To Galicia in the rain...
First serious rain during this voyage. I cannot wait, who knows when it will stop? Fortunately I took with me a kind of waterproof poncho. And I go... Today I crossed the border between Castilia & Leon an Galicia. It was fantastic place: O Cebreiro pass on Camino Santiago, more than 1300 m high offers fantastic panoramas to both sides of the border. O Cebreiro itself is a tiny village made of stone with little church and few tourist shelters. Rain stopped here so I was continuing walk on camino through the little villages, forests untill 6.30 in the evening... Nice, but very tiring day!
|
Oct 09, 2018 08:00 PM Templar's castle in Ponferrada
Today I crossed Leon Mountains. The landscape, very monotonous since few days became much more interesting. I will stay overnight in Ponferrada - university town spread out in the big valley. The highlight of Ponferrada is picturesque medieval castle once ruled by the Templars.
Bingo! Today -in Wednesday the entrance to the castle is free! I saved 6 euro! There is a nice view from the walls of the castle and also interesting exhibitions - I liked most the old manuscripts in the Templar's Library. If you still have enough power at the end of the day you can climb narrow stone steps to the top of the Castillo Viejo - for the better view of basilica church (fortunately no cathedral here to pay next entry fee)
|
Oct 08, 2018 08:00 PM Old stone bridge and Gaudi's palace
Camino took me further west to the little town Hospital de Orbigo. Do not be confused by the name. In the past they used here the world "hospital" to name a hostel for the pilgrims, so the hospital was almost in every village on camino. Orbigo river cuts the town by two and there is a long, medieval stone bridge connecting both sides... It is 204 m long with 20 arches, if I remember well. On the west side in the sleepy streets you will find few contemporary "hospitals" and the old church of St John the Baptist. I like such an atmosphere...
Some 15 kms onward I stop to overnight in the big city of Astorga. Astorga remember Roman Emporium. It has huge cathedral (should I eat my lunch or pay the entry fee to see interior?) but opposite the cathedral you wil find something rare: the former bishop's palace designed by Gaudi (yes, that one from Barcelona!) - see the palace on the picture to have your opinion about)... OK, today Astorga has six chocolate factories, but not - they do not offer tours with free tasting :)
I was lucky to be here on Tuesday - in the Plaza Mayor and around there were weekly market for food, vegies and other goods. Sorry - zero of the folklore on the market...
|
Oct 07, 2018 08:00 PM Leon - mountains on the horizon...
I reached Leon - in the past the capital of the independent Kingdom of Leon. The tombs of the kings are in the crypt of the San Isidro monastery... Now it is neat provincial town where some 120 thousands of the people live. The city hall (see picture) remains little stone palace. - see picture. There is nice Santa Maria cathedral with a beautiful glass works in the windows (entry 6 euro). San Marcos monastery is also worth to see - the interior is under restoration, bo the wide front of thd building has very rich decoration. 24 deg Celsius during the day. I see the mountains on the western horizon - for the pilgrims it means the end of the flat and rather monotonous meseta and bigger daily effort. Good night!
|
Oct 06, 2018 08:00 PM Along Camino de Santiago
There are many towns and villages along Camino Frances - the most popular pilgrim route. Some of the places are definitely worth an overnight stopover, the others lost the pilgrimage atmosphere and should be avoided. Now I know more and I do not recommend Places like Pamplona, Estella, Logrono. They are nowadays crowded, noisy and big cities with the strong presence of industry, so who to stay there? But there are also the places I can recommend. The first one will be Puente la Reina, next Santo Domingo de la Calzada, then Castrojeriz and Carrion de los Condes, which I saw today. Those places has old atmosphere in the labirynth of the narrow streets. The only thing I do not like is that local authorities charge from pilgrims money for the entrance to the churches. You must pay from 1 to 8 euros. If you are doing the Camino de Santiago you have around 50 cathedrals and interesting churches to see on your way. How much are you ready to spend just for the church visits? It is the shame!
|
Oct 05, 2018 08:00 PM Pampeluna - where the bulls are running...
Pampeluna is also on the Camino de Santiago! Every year in July they celebrate here St Firmin festival. The bulls and the people are running the streets of the old part of the town during the festival - this makes Pampeluna famous through the world. I took a walk to the cathedral which seems to be more interesting inside than outside. There are royal tombs in the cathedral - see picture. Then I found Plaza del Toros - the bull fighting arena. No more fightings... Pampeluna Plaza is huge, but dirty. So are the streets in the old town - they are dark and they are asking for paint. So I must say I know nicer places in Spain than Pampeluna... Sorry Pampelunians!
|
Oct 04, 2018 08:00 PM Saint Jean Pied de Port
I am on the French side of the Pyrenees. Since centuries here, in the little, picturesque town of Saint Jean is the beginning of the long pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostella - Camino de Santiago. This little town is very tourist - even now - in October. Herds of walkers are climbing steep, narrow streets. There is citadel overlooking the town, a chain of the old walls with the gates. Nice place! But today we have 28 deg Celsius here - not the best weather for a walk!
|
Oct 03, 2018 08:00 PM By bus to Burgos
Do not trust ALSA bus company! I wanted to buy online the ticket for Santander - Burgos ride and they wanted me to pay some extra fees 17 euro plus. At the bus station it cost me only 13,15...
But their buses are nice - with wi-fi, individual screen so you have a choice of Spanish) movies, but you have to bring your earplugs...
We were driving 3 hours through the mountains, pasing many tunnels and spectacular viaducts.
I disembarked at 11am on Miranda street bus station. My Manjon Hostal was only 15 min walk away. Single room without bath cost here 24 euro. Wi-fi is weak and the only bathroom is located at the reception - 30 m away from my small room. But Manjon has good lacation just on the edge of the old town. Great cathedral could be a pride of the Burgos city. But they charge 7 euro entry fee - can you imagine? Pilgrims with their book pay 4,50... It is worth to climb the hill to the Castillo for the view of the old town. The narrow, old streets are nicely decorated and there are many cafe tables on the cobbled plazas. In the afternoon I took a long walk to the Las Huelgas monastery, where you can see many royal family tombs. Lucky me! On Wed and Thu they offer free guided tour of this huge monastery - to the citizens of EU! It is worth one hour of your time. 30 nuns still live there isolated from the world...
|
Oct 02, 2018 08:00 PM Cantabria -sunny Santander
At 6 am I was already sitting in the wizzair plane. We started soon, but iit was not a pleasant 3,5 hours trip. I have long legs and they offer little space between the rows. Short people are Ok. But why wizz punish me because I am tall?
Santander airport is very small. But there is info office to grab the city map and the city bus waiting just in front to go to the center. They charge already 2,90 euro for that service. Why so much? The ride on city bus costs only 1,30, and it is not so far!
I disembarked at the bus station. In the basement they have baggage lockers - you can leave there your stuff till midnight paying 3 euro.
I did. Then it was the time to enjoy the capital of Cantabria. Almost all attractions are located along the main street. Nice buildings of the banks, the cathedral with an interesting crypt (why they charge 1 euro for entry to the cathedral? I was walking nice coastal promenade to the Maritime Museum and onward - to the Magdalena Palace built on the little peninsula closing Santander Bay. This is very nice place with the cliffy coast on the Atlantic side. The palace was build in 1912 for Spanish royal family. There is nice view of the great Atlantic beaches from the peninsula. But the beaches are almost empty today - it is sunny byt strong wind is blowing from the ocean...
|
Page:
99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
|
|
|
