Culture Vultures

Charlotte: Here we are in Spain, a Catholic country so we have of course been surrounded at times by ruins, ancient and old ecclesiastical buildings. So we thought we would take the opportunity to visit some as we passed through pueblos, towns and cities. We have spent hours walking around and then around and even around again admiring the architecture, stature, grandure, stonework, carvings and gargoyles - all from the outside as they are always flipping closed!!!! We have managed in total to get into four churches, two Cathedrals which are public museums and two proper churches in small towns, one of which was only open as a wedding party were about to arrive. Once we did manage to get in we had to grope about in the pitch dark to find the offertory candles to light and then use the meager flame to find the box for the donation. We went to a pilgrim mass at Granon where the lights were lit as the service began to reveal Spain´s gold reserves. Blingtastic. We have been told that the churches are all locked because of said bling, but it does seem strange on a pilgrim route. What is evident is the riches the Camino Way has brought to the church over the centuries as even the smallest hamlet has an enormous church and we mean enormous.

 This was an ancient facade on the outside of what was an enormous church which was of course closed. Take note of what happens to sinful people!

Part of the Roccoco section in the enourmous Burgos cathedral, I spent so long looking up, that the next day I was dizzy from either a trapped nerve or a surfiet of piety!

This was a ruin of a convent where in the past bread was left in special alcoves for passing pilgrims.

 Yippee, an open door.

This beautiful church dedicated to the Virgin of the Bridge, it was in the middle of nowhere, beautifully restored but locked.

Leon cathedral is an enormous Gothic edifice, renowned for its beautiful stained glass windows. Jane looked round this as I rested my leg. It involved the largest restoration of a Medieval cathedral anywhere in the world as its light and airy construction made it vulnerable to collapse.

This was an extremely pretty little Church just on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees.  It looks from the picture as if we got inside. Don´t you believe it. Jane had to stick her camera through a hole in the door -


We have met a few Virgins along the way.  They are often enclosed in glass cases and quite hard to take a good picture of. This one was rather special one in Azofra and a small park had been constructed for pilgrims to rest awhile. Me and Jane  were actually having a bit of a laugh as the Christ child looked not unlike a ventriloquist´s dummy with enormous feet facing the wrong way. At this point an old chap approached speaking ten to the dozen in Spanish. He was very pleased we were taking such an interest and from what we could gather this Virgin is the patroness of La Rioja.Maybe that explains the sculptor´s idiosynchratic modelling!

What do you think?

On a less spititual note, we have been so impressed by the investment in every village, small town and, of course city, in state-of-the-art play equipment and exercise machines for children and youngsters. However, in the more than 250 miles we have travelled so far and at whatever time of day we pass by, we have yet to see a child in a park.  Actually we have yet to see a child outside of the city.  We suspect that the Pied Piper is not German but is in fact Spanish and alive well clacking his castenets -- maybe we´ll meet the kids in the Leon hills.

There are lots of children in the cities.  Coincidentally we tend to get to cities at weekends and every Saturday and Sunday little boys get dressed up in white military suits and little girls put on long white frocks and First Holy Communions take place. And is followed by the FHC party (bit like American Bar Mitzvah dos - or so it seems. The whole family is dressed up to the nines.

In terms of the Spanish language we are trying our best with our two phrase books.  There are certain phrases and words that one quickly masters, for example "dos cafe con leche por favor", "vino tinto para mi" (Charlotte), " un vaso di agua para me" (Jane).  However, there are two words/phrases we constantly are corrected on (must be a dialect thing).  Unfortunately they are extremely important words and need to be used everyday. We have yet to get them out of our mouths correctly.  They are: "cerveza" (Charlotte) and "zumo de naranja" (Jane).  We´ll keep practising.

 Charlotte arriving at Leon.

En route to Leon.

By for now.  xxxxx