Last night I stayed at LaBarra hotel, simple, clean, owners so nice. It was across from the church, so took this last night walking back from dinner, it really was a massive structure, but how cool to have built in the walk around it – protected from the rain.
These tiny chapels are just wonderful, inviting of just a few to join in practice. Sadly, all of the churches, chapels, and hermitages have been locked with rare exception. We can see into the chapels and hermitages, usually not the churches. This one was just outside of town as I left. I’d love to know the story of why it was built, when it was only about 5 blocks to go to that church. This was Capilla del Carmen, 1700’s.
Such a cool image as I walked up the mountain and back into mist. I love the mist here.
Trying to keep that peregrino in sight since the first few turns weren’t completely clear.
The morning was gorgeous, but the ornaments were the perfect spider webs (sorry, Kaziah). They shimmered in the light, some perfectly speckled with the mist and the ones like below were distinctly different, clearly a pocket.
Capilla de la Esperanza de Malneira, more can gather here, I assume from the town below which consisted of 4 houses that I could see.
I know this looks like two rock piles and that is what they are now, but this is actually a historic park, Castro de Chao Samartin. It was slightly off the Camino, but I had to see after reading a bit about it. Sadly, it was closed and I couldn’t get close to see what the archeologists had uncovered, but this is a bit of the note outside: The Chao Samartin fort was originally established as a fortified settlement towards the end of the Bronze Age (3000 years ago). There was a moat and palisade that was a holy enclosure. A huge building faced it, it kept growing during the Iron Age…I won’t go on, but how cool that they know all this and are seeing it rediscovered!
Ermita de San Lazaro de Padraira, reconstructed in 1689. Amazing.
The Cantabrian Mountains.
Iglesia de Sta. Maria Magdalena de Penafonte, constructed in 1605.
Don’t mess with me. But not on a chain and totally calm, notice the paws…
The photos below just show the variety of paths I encountered over the day.
Galicia! I’ve left Asturia and moved into the “land of the Celts.”
This is the reason that the town of A Fonsagrada exists. This was reputed to have been the site of one of St. James’miracles. It is said that after being approached by an impoverished woman, he turned the water from the fountain into milk for her children.
This is the church behind the fountain, mix of old and new and in the center of the small town.
This is the view behind my hotel, but not from my room. I so appreciate that the towns are concise, closely gathered and then surrounded by mountains.
I just read that tomorrow’s hike is nicknamed the “leg wrecker”, longer and up and down. Really? I thought the hardest day was 2 days ago, but now this one is. Well, they’ve all been beautiful. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, but I have to count myself as SO lucky because it hasn’t rained at all when we’ve been hiking. So – due since this area is known for its rains and mud. Can’t complain about it as I look at the green above.
Reb's Walks! 