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| From summer to winter in less than a month. Plus fascist drinking water | From summer to winter in less than a month. Plus fascist drinking water |
| (10 days later) | |
| Heading north from Salamanca moved me into my third season in the past month, as several mornings started with wintery freezing fogs - so late summer in Andalucia, glorious autumn in Extremadura, and finally winter in Castilla-León (and doubtless more to come in Galicia). | Heading north from Salamanca moved me into my third season in the past month, as several mornings started with wintery freezing fogs - so late summer in Andalucia, glorious autumn in Extremadura, and finally winter in Castilla-León (and doubtless more to come in Galicia). |
| At Calzada de Valdunciel, there was a slightly chilling reminder of Spain's not so distant past. The lovely 16th century church of Santa Elena has a more recent baroque porch. Under one of the arches is a marble civil war memorial plaque giving the names of those who were killed "for God and for Spain". As the first name is that of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, the founder of the Falange, one can assume that the others on the list did not die fighting for their elected government. | At Calzada de Valdunciel, there was a slightly chilling reminder of Spain's not so distant past. The lovely 16th century church of Santa Elena has a more recent baroque porch. Under one of the arches is a marble civil war memorial plaque giving the names of those who were killed "for God and for Spain". As the first name is that of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, the founder of the Falange, one can assume that the others on the list did not die fighting for their elected government. |
| Nearby is a fountain dedicated to the 21st anniversary of the Falange, with its sinister emblem carved in stone above the taps. I was thirsty and it was 20km to the next village, so I decided that there is probably no such thing as fascist or democratic water, and I drank and filled up my bottle – the water was deliciously cool and unchlorinated. | Nearby is a fountain dedicated to the 21st anniversary of the Falange, with its sinister emblem carved in stone above the taps. I was thirsty and it was 20km to the next village, so I decided that there is probably no such thing as fascist or democratic water, and I drank and filled up my bottle – the water was deliciously cool and unchlorinated. |
| Zamora is the last significant city until Ourense a few days before Santiago, so it made a sensible place to stop and have another rest day. It's yet another of the places on this route that few English people ever visit, that many have barely heard of, that is packed with amazing things to see. In this case the speciality is romanesque churches. If you don't like the romanesque, then you are really better off skipping Zamora. | Zamora is the last significant city until Ourense a few days before Santiago, so it made a sensible place to stop and have another rest day. It's yet another of the places on this route that few English people ever visit, that many have barely heard of, that is packed with amazing things to see. In this case the speciality is romanesque churches. If you don't like the romanesque, then you are really better off skipping Zamora. |
| The main part of the city centre is surrounded by walls mostly dating from the 12th century. Dominating the city, and visible to the pilgrim for many miles from the south, is the cathedral's tall, austere tower, almost incongruous next to its exuberantly ornate Byzantine cupola, both completed by 1174. There are well over 20 romanesque churches in the city, so it's impossible to mention them all. Pilgrims to Santiago need to see at least some of the more obviously appropriate ones, of course. Outside the walls is the charming, tiny, simple church of Santiago de los Caballeros, where El Cid was knighted. As he died in 1099, he won't have ridden (dead or alive) across the 12th century Puente de Piedra, a rather more modern bridge than many of the ones the camino has crossed. | The main part of the city centre is surrounded by walls mostly dating from the 12th century. Dominating the city, and visible to the pilgrim for many miles from the south, is the cathedral's tall, austere tower, almost incongruous next to its exuberantly ornate Byzantine cupola, both completed by 1174. There are well over 20 romanesque churches in the city, so it's impossible to mention them all. Pilgrims to Santiago need to see at least some of the more obviously appropriate ones, of course. Outside the walls is the charming, tiny, simple church of Santiago de los Caballeros, where El Cid was knighted. As he died in 1099, he won't have ridden (dead or alive) across the 12th century Puente de Piedra, a rather more modern bridge than many of the ones the camino has crossed. |
| Back in walking mode, the camino passes the ruins of Castrotorafe, a once huge fortress of the Order of Santiago, guarding the route to Portugal. It was heavily bashed about by Napoleon's troops, and only a few ramparts remain of the castle, parts of which dated back to Roman times – when Napoleon bashed a place about, it generally stayed bashed. | Back in walking mode, the camino passes the ruins of Castrotorafe, a once huge fortress of the Order of Santiago, guarding the route to Portugal. It was heavily bashed about by Napoleon's troops, and only a few ramparts remain of the castle, parts of which dated back to Roman times – when Napoleon bashed a place about, it generally stayed bashed. |
| Granja de Moreruela was the site of one of Spain's most important monasteries, the Convento de Moreruela, Spain's first Cistercian monastery, set up by Bernard of Clairvaux's at the invitation of his admirer King Alphonso VII. The monastery was the victim of an act of breath-taking vandalism during Spain's lengthy desamortización (their equivalent of our dissolution of the monasteries, when the clergy's lands were confiscated, started in 1798) - the monastery was sold to be used as a stone quarry. | Granja de Moreruela was the site of one of Spain's most important monasteries, the Convento de Moreruela, Spain's first Cistercian monastery, set up by Bernard of Clairvaux's at the invitation of his admirer King Alphonso VII. The monastery was the victim of an act of breath-taking vandalism during Spain's lengthy desamortización (their equivalent of our dissolution of the monasteries, when the clergy's lands were confiscated, started in 1798) - the monastery was sold to be used as a stone quarry. |
| At Granja de Moreruela, a fairly long day's walk out of Zamora, the camino to Santiago splits in two. You can either continue northwards and complete the Via de la Plata, joining the busy Camino Francés at Astorga, or turn westwards and join the quieter Camino Sanabrés, which takes you to Santiago via Pueba de Sanabria and Ourense. I turned left, with about a third of the journey to complete. | At Granja de Moreruela, a fairly long day's walk out of Zamora, the camino to Santiago splits in two. You can either continue northwards and complete the Via de la Plata, joining the busy Camino Francés at Astorga, or turn westwards and join the quieter Camino Sanabrés, which takes you to Santiago via Pueba de Sanabria and Ourense. I turned left, with about a third of the journey to complete. |
| Alan Sykes is the Guardian Northerner's arts expert and much else, including temporary cookery correspondent of The Hotspur parish magazine. He is trekking 1000km to Santiago de Compostela to expiate unknown sins. You can read his earlier reports from the camino here. More to come, and you can meanwhile urge him on with a Tweet: @geltsdale | Alan Sykes is the Guardian Northerner's arts expert and much else, including temporary cookery correspondent of The Hotspur parish magazine. He is trekking 1000km to Santiago de Compostela to expiate unknown sins. You can read his earlier reports from the camino here. More to come, and you can meanwhile urge him on with a Tweet: @geltsdale |
| Here is a map of Alan's route - the Via de la Plata - which is copyright 2010 www.santiago-compostela.net, an excellent website which has lots of information on all the pilgrim routes. As you can see, he's doing well but half the journey still awaits before arrival on Christmas Eve. | Here is a map of Alan's route - the Via de la Plata - which is copyright 2010 www.santiago-compostela.net, an excellent website which has lots of information on all the pilgrim routes. As you can see, he's doing well but half the journey still awaits before arrival on Christmas Eve. |
| Apart from Boney, the photographs are by Alan too. | Apart from Boney, the photographs are by Alan too. |
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