In March/April 2012 Maurice Hickman led a small group of ramblers/pilgrims on this year's leg of the trek to Compostella which began back in 1998. Using the numbering system I have used so far on the website this would be the sixth leg of the pilgrimage. however I discovered when it was too late to unravel the numbering that one of the previous five legs was not actually a Compostelly Camino walk but an "off piste" walk to use up some Eurostar tickets which the pilgrims had earned on a previous trip. So we will call this year's leg "Compostella Leg 2012 Leg 5(1)"
The route followed this year went from Burgos to Ponferradaand it will be noted in the captions below that the overnight stops on this leg were at ""Aubergues" or "Albergues" which I take it means that the pilgrims have now left France behind and are into the Spanish phase of the walk.
Iam following the practice I established in the previous six pages and putting the captions under the photographs and not above as I understand is the norm.
A familiar scene before a walk begins - our pilgrims enjoy a coffee in a cafe in Burgos
The two photographs were taken with a lady they had befriended already on the trip. Obviously the first was taken by Carol and the second by Catherine.
A striking pilgrim statue on the outskirts of Burgos
Photos of Meseta (meaning "high central plateau" as distinct from mountains which make Spain the second most mountainous countries in Europe) between Rabe de las Calzadadas and Hornillos del Camino
Church of San Roman in Hornillos del Camino
Arco de San Anton near Castrojeriz
Castle and Church of Our Lady of the Apple, Castrojeriz
The above two photographs were taken inside the bar at the lunch stop at Castrojeriz
A local display of art at Itero de la Vega
Garden of albergue En Camino at Boadilla del Camino
Picture of Church from garden of albergue En Camino at Boadilla del Camino
Picture of artist Begona in garden of albergue En Camino at Boadilla del Camino
Canal de Castilla between Boadilla and Fromista
Lock Gates at Fromista Canal
Church of San Martin in Fromista
Inside Church of San Martin in Fromista
Building en route to Villalcazar de Sirga
Procession of palms at Church in Villalcazar de Sirga
Maurice sitting by pilgrim at Carrion de los Condes
Hotel San Zoilo - formerly a monastery
Church at Caldilla de la Crueza
Carol and statue of pilgrim at albergue Cluny in Sahagun
Arco San Benito in Sahagun
Marie's favourite picture in dining room at Madres Benedictinas, Sahagun
Museum in Sahagun
Procession in Sahagun
Procession in Sahagun With Crucifix
Wider view of procession in Sahagun With Crucifix
The two shots above are taken inside the Church of San Tirso
River scene in Sahagun
Roman remains at Calzadilla de las Hermanillos
Our pilgrims walk through Mansilla de las Mullas
The two photographs above are different views of the Parador in Leon (I understand that the Spanish Panadores are hotels for luxury accommodation in Castles, Palaces, Fortresses, Convents, Monasteries and other historic buildings)
Inside the Parador in Leon
Cloister of Parador in Leon
Looking up at the Parador in Leon
View of front of the Parador in Leon
Easter Sunday procession in Leon (dress eerily reminiscent of Ku Klux Klan demonstrations in the 1960s (more views below)
Leon Cathedral
Easter Sunday Procession outside Leon Cathedral
Inside Leon Cathedral
Another view inside Leon Cathedral
The square outside the aubergue in Leon
The Gaudi building in Leon
A clearer view of the Gaudi building in Leon
Statue of our great patron St Francis of Assisi in Leon
Three of our pilgrims and two friends wait for a bus to La Virgen del Camino in Leon
Pilgrim statue outside Church in Vilar de Mazerife
Procession entering Church in Vilar de Mazerife
The above two photographs are of Maurice climbing up ladder into boat in garden of aubergue
Anything Maurice can do Catherine can do too!!
Maurice then had a ride on a dragon!!
Puente de Orbigo in Hospital de Orbigo
Inside the Church at Hospital de Orbigo
This is actually a picture on the wall in garden of aubergue in Hospital de Orbigo
View of garden of aubergue in Hospital de Orbigo
Above are two shots of a Pilgrim statue en route to Astorga
Our pilgrims take a rest outside a makeshift cafe in Astorga
Cross on hill above Astorga
View fro aubergue in Astorga
Cathedral and Gaudi building in Astorga
The above four photographs depict Our Lady of Guadalupe in Astorga Cathedral, the first and third regrettably blurred beyond the capacity of Photoshop enhance tool to clarify.
Composite picture below Guadalupe picture of Our Lady
Statue of Virgin in Astorga Cathedral
Gaudi building next to Astorga Cathedral
Inside "Cowboy Bar" in El Ganso
Pilgrim blessing in monastery Church in Rabanal
Cruz de Ferro en route from Rabanal to Acebo. Cruz de Ferro is a huge iron cross atop a large cairn or rockpile. Pilgrims traditionally brought a stone or pebble from their hometown with them to add to the pile but I don't think our pilgrims did so.
Chapel near Cruze Ferro
Caol sitting inside shack in Manjarin (more incurable blurring I'm afraid).
The above two photographs show snow-capped mountains near Acebo
Above are two views of Molinaseca (only 7 km to Ponferrada now!!)
And at last thw castle at Ponferrada comes into view
Catherine enjoys the view from the castle
The castle and Basilica together
Another view of the castle, from the river
The above are two views of the mountains from Ponferrada
Ponferrada clock tower
Inside the albergue chapel, Ponferrada
Pilgrim chores must be done too while at the albergue!!
Chapel at Ponferrada albergue
And finally Ponferrada albergue itself
Ponferrada is 100 miles (160 km) from Conpostella so I suspect the 2013 walk will complete the journey that began back in 2008 and we look forward to seeing the photographs on the website.
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