In April 2011 Maurice led leg 5 of the journey to Compostella, this one taking them from Orthez to Burgos, and here are some happy memories of the trek. Scroll down to view individual photographs and if you happen to have been on the walk with Maurice or have some prior knowledge of the places pictured please let me have any more details that might make our gallery more interesting and/or better informed.

The first three shots were actually taken on a previous leg but I did not not put them up at the time as I do not normally put up photographs of individuals. But I thought these ones were so good that they should be seen. Just to demonstrate the fact that we do not all share the same taste one viewer felt I should not have put them up as at least one of them "seem[s] to be [not] quite right somehow-too full on"!!

 

 

 

 

A most important thing for a pilgrim is to begin the journey refreshed and our pilgrims took their rest on the train from Toulouse to Orthez!!

 

 

Another important piece of pilgrim preparation is to seek the intercession of Our Blessed Lady so on arrival at Orthez they gathered round Her statue.

 

And of course as ardent St Francis ramblers their leader for the pilgrimage had a word with our great patron.

 

 

At stages along the way it is necessary to check where we are on the map!!

 

 

Supper was served at Navareux

 

 

                                                    And they had a look at the town.

 

 

Our pilgrims en route to Arove accompanied by a French couple and their dog

 

 

Olhaiby Church en route to Ostabat

 

 

 

Chapelle de Soyarza en route to Ostabat

 

 

Inside Chapelle de Soyarza

 

 

Inside Morambelz Church also en route to Ostabat

 

 

Inside Gite 1 Km up steep hill on from Ostabat. Not as clear as I would like - a bit of handshake (or perhaps the camera being held by only one hand which is quite common with digital cameras unfortunately). I'm afraid Photoshop could not quite correct the blur in this one.

 

 

Four of our pilgrims (Anna, Carol, Catherine and Marie outside Gite with, second and fourth from left, their hosts.

 

 

And a shot in the same location but this one including Pilgrim Leader Maurice

 

 

A threatening scene but fortunately our pilgrims are protected by sturdy bars!!!

 

 

A view of the Pyrenees

 

 

Outside the entrance to St Jean Pied de Port

 

 

And inside St Jean Pied de Port

 

 

The next three shots show St Jean Pied de Port on the rest day

 

 

 

 

A photo call before saying St Jean Pied de Port

 

 

 

 

And at last, having said goodbye to St Jean Pied de Port, setting out on the Camino again.

 

 

   

 

Gite at Orrison in the Pyrenees

 

 

 

  

 

 

Supper time at the Gite

 

 

 

One of our ladies with the statue of "Our Lady"

 

 

Close up of the statue of Our Lady

 

 

 

Pilgrim Leader with the statue

 

 

The sign for the Roncevaux reservoir

 

 

Only 765 kms to Compostella!! Note the seashell on the milestone - there is a legend that after St James' death, his disciples shipped his body to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried in what is now Santiago. Off the coast of Spain a heavy storm hit the ship, and the body was lost to the ocean. After some time, however, the body washed ashore undamaged, covered in scallops.

 

 

Mass at Roncevaux

 

 

A pilgrim encounter with sheep en route to Zubiri (scenes like this appear

on postcards from Ireland with caption "traffic jam in Ireland"!)

 

 

Statue of bulls and men at Pamplona

 

 

Church at Pamplona

 

 

By the statue at Pamplona

 

 

At the favourite haunt of all pilgrims - the bar (Cafe Iruna) at Pamplona

 

 

Cloister in Pamplona Cathedral (two shots with different exposures)

 

 

Plaza in Pamplona

 

 

Plaza Puenta La Reina

 

 

Rio Arga - Puenta La Reina

 

 

Walking over Rio Arga Bridge, Puenta La Reina

 

 

Estella

 

 

And now a real pilgrim dream - a wine fountain

 

 

And our pilgrim leader patiently waits his turn!!

 

 

St Andre's Church, Villamajior de Monjordin

 

 

Santa Maria Church, Los Argos

 

 

Walking along Logrono Street

 

 

Evening meal inside Logrono Cafe

 

 

Cemetery outside Navarette

 

 

Cafe and Church - Ventosa

 

 

It is clear that our pilgrims spent some time at Santo Domingo and the next

several photographs show their memories of it .

 

This is the Cathedral cloister garden Cloister.

 

 

And this is the Nave

 

 

And the dramatic looking reredos

 

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A bit more detail of the alltar seen in the photograph of the nave above.

 

 

 

A Tomb (we know not whose)in Santo Domingo de la Calzada Cathedral

 

 

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The Cathedral's statue of the ever present St James with his staff.

 

 

Cathedral Garden

 

 

Doorway in Santo Domingo de la Calzada Cathedral

 

 

Birds on the bell tower of the Cathedral

 

 

Exterior view of the Cathedral

 

 

Inside the Church

 

 

 

Main Square Santo Domingo

 

 

Inside Church

 

 

Walking the muddy track

 

 

Street scenes in late evening Santo Domingo

 

 

 

Frontier of Rioja with Castilla y Leon

 

 

 

Evening meal at the Albergue "Cuatro Cantones" Belorado

 

 

 

Breakfast at the Albergue "Cuatro Cantones" Belorado

 

 

 

Church at Villafria (snork's nest on top)

 

 

Wall of Arches

 

 

Three shots of Church at St Juan de Ortega, two close up and one distant

 

 

 

 

Burgos Cathedral

 

 

Plaza in Burgos

 

 

Riverside walk in Burgos

 

 

Arborial promenade in Burgos

 

 

View of St Maria Arch and Cathedral from River

 

 

St Maria Arch Burgos

 

 

 

Inside Cathedral Burgos

 

 

 

Views of Cathedral from River

 

 

 

Spiral Staircase, Burgos Cathedral

 

 

Dome inside Burgos Cathedral

 

 

 

Cathedral Choir

 

 

Cathedral Side Chapel

 

 

St James, Matamoros, in the Cathedral

 

 

View of Cathedral from River

 

 

The Cathedral seen from two different angles

 

 

 

Evening meal at Casa Parroquial (sorry it's so blurred, the best efforts of Photoshop Enhance facility could not correct for the handshake!!

 

 

Two views of the Cathedral and St Maria Arch

 

 

 

Close up of figures above the arch

 

Cricifix inside the Cathedral

 

 

On Santander sea front

 

 

 

Santander Cathedral Circo de Refugio