Today felt like a calmer day. As I started, within a block, I sat to take a rock out of my shoe and saw this sign:
Honestly, it was early, I was just walking and not noticing. I would have missed the sign if I hadn’t sat down. So – I counted my steps and looked back and saw this:
Amazing. Such an intense face. I don’t know who she is or what is being conveyed, but it was striking. The next mural was this:
Refugees? Franco’s regime? Women’s plight the world over? I don’t know.
All along the Camino have been art installations, photos in the fields, hanging from trees, murals with “Art Installe” (I think). Maybe it’s all year, maybe it’s September, I don’t know. But it always adds a note of something more. OK – just found it online for Belorado. Street artists cover Spanish village in murals celebrating local women. “Village of Belorado has a very unique and peculiar tradition – the game of bolo beliforiano, a type of bowling played exclusively by women. And to celebrate that tradition, the local cultural organization decided to paint the facades of eight houses.” This was in 2019, the photos look amazing, I just saw these two.
The terrain has changed and is beautiful in a new way. Here’s the terrain and here’s me walking with the sun coming up behind me.
This tiny town didn’t have anywhere to stop, but I loved the sign on the fountain and the church behind it with a peregrino wind vane.
I walked a lot of the way alone, then had a morning snack with John and then caught up with him and Sue to walk the rest of the way into San Juan de Ortega. Nice to have the chat/distraction for the last couple of miles.
When having the snack before John joined, I started reading Dr. Edith Eva’s book, The Choice recommended by Fiona. Incredible. I told John it was a good thing he came along because I could have just sat there for the next hour. So now I have great books on audio and on Kindle.
On the way, we passed a memorial to the 300 people killed by the Franco regime out of Burgos, 16 miles (as we walk it) from here. One of the highest concentration of murders in Spain during that period.
Near the end when we were getting tired, a guy was playing music, dancing and selling watermelon for whatever anyone wanted to donate, but he was giving it out whether people gave or not. Just as good as that melon from the olive grove a few days back and a really nice pick up to keep you going. Plus he was having so much fun, people would start to walk by and then would stop and sit and just be captivated. And he was probably in his 50’s!
San Juan de Ortega may be the calmest prettiest plaza and church yet. It’s quiet, you can hear the tractor still going, a few murmurs, I’m sitting on a bench in front of the town fountain, water for pilgrims. I also was able to sit for about half the pilgrim mass the priest was giving. He had a great face and was able to get up and down, so doing ok in this tiny town of 18. All the pilgrims went up for communion. I just enjoy the ambience and knowing the comfort the churches in this area have been bringing to at least some of the people for 1000 years.
All one building, this is where we had lunch and dinner. At dinner I tried blood pudding, morcellas (something like that). It was actually really good. But I could only try it. I’m eating everything in front of me and the more I can put in front of me the better. Pork chops and sausage (really? Haven’t had either in years), salad and bread. The ubiquitous bread. Then cheese with honey, a local desert. Pot of cold cheese – really more like yoghurt, but thicker consistency and no sugar then pour honey over.
This plaza is the scene of San Juan’s festival in the spring. He was Santo Domingo’s protege, following his footsteps building bridges, roads and helping pilgrims. He’s the saint for surveyors and architects and they have a festival to celebrate. Think it’s probably more lively than an American group of surveyors and architects. But maybe not!
Here’s the little chapel next to the big church where they had the service. Even little chapels are awfully nice. That’s San Juan’s coffin and relics within (1080-1163). They’ve actually examined them several times, amazing. He lived til he was 83!
Reb's Walks! 