Pilgrim spotting

When we are in Santiago doña B. and I love to watch pilgrims arriving. Our favourites are the very traditional ones with their donkeys. Not many pilgrims still want to choose for those gentle but often stubborn animals to transport their travel gear through the Pyrenees Mountains and northen Spain. It must be a great experience for pilgrim and donkey alike. They rent them in Puy-en-Velay, get a short Do's and Don't's training and off they go.
A pilgrim's staff too is needed and choosing one that suits you is an art. Avoid those on sale in souvenir shops and look for a specialist staff carver in the Pyrenees. They study with a keen eye the lenght of your limbs, motoric capabilities and even body mass index if needed, to provide you with the ideal walking stick.
But a modern pilgrim goes to his local outdoor shop, that's less complicated. 
www.ot-lepuyenvelay.fr

trekking bike and cell phone instead
of donkey and staff.

www.csj.org.uk

Lissewege, a monumental church for a small village.

Lissewege was a resting place for those pilgrims who came from 
Scandinavia and the Baltic region. The two old inns where they
used to stay are still there. An imposant church was built during
the 13th century but the small village had no budget left when
the tower had to be finished.  
The building is mainly constructed of locally produced bricks and 
is a fine exemple of Schelde-Gothic. Very well preserved, despite
being despoiled in the 16th century, it houses some works of art 
that are certainly worth to be seen. 
There is a very beautiful organ by Walram Romboudt ( 1652 ) and
the " Veneration of St-James " by Jan Maes ( 17th century ).
The church is dedicated to Our lady of the Visitation.
www.lissewege.be
www.flandes.net

Santiago de Compostela, café Iacobus

There is a particular cafeteria in Santiago with
a beautiful, well preserved art deco interior.
It's a place were they serve good coffee and
offer a nice choice of pastries.
Find a moment, when it's not too crowded, and
admire the staircase.
I fell in love with it!








Café Iacobus
Caldereria, 42
Santiago de Compostela
www.iacobuscafe.com
www.santiagoturismo.com

Santiago, old houses

A pilgrim.

It must have been a few years ago when, to my great surprise,
a pilgrim passed me in our village. An elderly man with a grey
beard and complete pilgrim outfit; staff, shell, calebas and
backpack.
You can see them sometimes in Bruges, where bronze
shells, fixed in the sidewalks, indicate the Camino.
But little, forgotten Aartrijke has no connection 
whatsoever with Santiago de Compostela. Anyway, the pilgrim
seemed sure enough about what he was doing, and 
walked firmly into the Aartrijkestraat, which is leading
due south.
I presume he arrived safe and well in Galicia.


www.santiagoturismo.com
turismogalicia.blogspot.com

Santiago de Compostela

People of Galicia III

Santiago de Compostela, frontdoors