"Go west, young man!" I'm not young and dw isn't a man but we continued west anyway. We didn't walk the final three miles into Burgos, rather we caught a city bus in Villafria. The day was hot, dw was tired and foot-sore, and the description of the last bit of trail sounded unappealing. Since we would be taking a bus from Burgos to Leon the little bit into the city didn't matter. It's unlikely we would have been affected but later we heard one woman say some creep grabbed her boobs on that bit of trail, and several others said they really felt unsafe. I have no idea why that bit was so bad. It's the only part of the Camino where anyone reported anything similar. I imagine, at least for awhile, the pleasure in the walk was ruined for those women.
Burgos is a World Heritage City. The medieval old town is well preserved and the cathedral is a giant pile festooned with gargoyles, extra side altars, stairs and doors leading to a blank wall, cloisters stretching every which way, a giant silver "float" carried in religious parades -- pretty much every adornment you can imagine. El Cid and his wife are buried there. The marker on the floor is blocked off so no one can dance on his grave even if they want to. The marker is nondescript, I almost missed it on our first pass through the church. However the city makes up for that with it's statue. Perhaps the beard doesn't make the man, but it doesn't hurt. In the evening I half expected to see Charlton Heston's ghost lurking around, carrying an Uzi and looking noble. Then I realized he doubtless fancied himself as Moses, leading the ignorant and unwashed, so he wouldn't be hanging around Burgos.
There's not much left of the original fortress, apparently the last bunch who conquered it also leveled it. About the only thing left is the foundation which still looks difficult to storm if you're only armed with a pike. In general, we enjoyed our afternoon and evening wandering around the city.
After just one night, we caught a bus to Leon. Riding the bus, the Meseta (the part we skipped) looked hot and shade free -- apparently many peregrinos thought so because the bus was half full when we started and as we progressed more and more got on the bus until it was full when we got to Leon.
Leon is another World Heritage City. It was originally a Roman Legion encampment (29 BC), hence the name. It is another city we enjoyed just wandering around looking at the buildings and assorted curiosities. The cathedral is another wonder -- It's second only to Chartres for the size and splendor of it's stained-glass windows. It's also notable because it took 50 years to build, it started to collapse and it took another 50 years to re-engineer so it wouldn't collapse. There's a Gaudi building, modest and tame for him, a lovely river walk, bits of Roman walls and gates -- in brief, another city where we agreed it would be worth spending a few days.
Two days later (including one 20 mile day) we made it to Astorga which is the best small (12,000) town on the camino. It is a tourist destination for locals as well as peregrinos. A small museum has 12 "floats" carried by 24 or 32 men (a long pole on their shoulders) each with a religious theme (the crucifixion, Madonna col Bambino, Mary on a Joseph-led donkey, etc.) several crosses for individuals to carry, long masts with flags and crosses -- all things to be carried in religious parades. Next to the museum is the remains of a roman house with a large floor mosaic still in situ. In other places are bits of the original roman walls and gates. There's a small plain 11th century church, now used as an art gallery. The main cathedral is built with random colors of stone -- mostly tan, with a red steeple and bits of red and black stone spread around -- it's as if when building it the workmen would run out of tan, and then grab whatever was handy and stick it in, it's very odd.
And the reason we rushed to get here and then spent an evening and morning looking around: the Gaudi designed Bishops Palace. Like most of Gaudi, it's a neo-gothic design replete with unusual details: oddly shaped arches, a pillar directly in front of a window, rain down-spouts that are just groves in a corner. The bishop was a friend of Gaudi's and to his credit he lived in it for only a few months (he thought it was too grand -- he was right) Now it's used as an art museum and the contents, for such a small town, are superb and sometimes unexplainable -- but the building itself is the real attraction.
After dinner and after wandering around looking at the sights during our evening of arrival, we watched a Korean drum corps, led by a shaman (?) as they performed in the main plaza. A totally unexpected pleasure. They were good, they were fun, and they got us pumped for the last stretch.
WORD OF THE DAY: "rechauffe" of food -- reheated, made from leftovers. I always cook for two days: I plan for rechauffe food, that's because I'm not really interested in cooking on a daily basis. Usually it's OK, but sometimes two days are a day-and-a-half too much.
BOOK OF THE DAY: Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Thomas Piketty) I admit it was tough sledding at times and I didn't actually read every word, but I read enough to get what he was saying: Concentration of wealth, such as we have now, is bad for the economy and bad for society. And "trickle-down economy" is a joke (As Will Rogers said: "Water trickles down. Gold stays in the first pocket it comes to.") Unfortunately the people who should read this book won't -- or if they do, they won't care.
JOKE OF THE DAY: Little Willie quatrains were very popular around 1900; they had many authors.
Willie pushed his Aunt Elizer
Off a rock into a geyser.
Now he's feeling quite dejected,
Didn't get the rise expected.
Little Willie hung his sister,
She was dead before we missed her.
Little Willies always up to tricks,
Ain't he cute, he's only six.
Little Willie in one of his bright new sashes,
Fell in the grate and was burnt to ashes.
And now although the room grows chilly,
We haven't the heart to poke up Willie.
And so it goes DJA
There's not much left of the original fortress, apparently the last bunch who conquered it also leveled it. About the only thing left is the foundation which still looks difficult to storm if you're only armed with a pike. In general, we enjoyed our afternoon and evening wandering around the city.
After just one night, we caught a bus to Leon. Riding the bus, the Meseta (the part we skipped) looked hot and shade free -- apparently many peregrinos thought so because the bus was half full when we started and as we progressed more and more got on the bus until it was full when we got to Leon.
Leon is another World Heritage City. It was originally a Roman Legion encampment (29 BC), hence the name. It is another city we enjoyed just wandering around looking at the buildings and assorted curiosities. The cathedral is another wonder -- It's second only to Chartres for the size and splendor of it's stained-glass windows. It's also notable because it took 50 years to build, it started to collapse and it took another 50 years to re-engineer so it wouldn't collapse. There's a Gaudi building, modest and tame for him, a lovely river walk, bits of Roman walls and gates -- in brief, another city where we agreed it would be worth spending a few days. Two days later (including one 20 mile day) we made it to Astorga which is the best small (12,000) town on the camino. It is a tourist destination for locals as well as peregrinos. A small museum has 12 "floats" carried by 24 or 32 men (a long pole on their shoulders) each with a religious theme (the crucifixion, Madonna col Bambino, Mary on a Joseph-led donkey, etc.) several crosses for individuals to carry, long masts with flags and crosses -- all things to be carried in religious parades. Next to the museum is the remains of a roman house with a large floor mosaic still in situ. In other places are bits of the original roman walls and gates. There's a small plain 11th century church, now used as an art gallery. The main cathedral is built with random colors of stone -- mostly tan, with a red steeple and bits of red and black stone spread around -- it's as if when building it the workmen would run out of tan, and then grab whatever was handy and stick it in, it's very odd. After dinner and after wandering around looking at the sights during our evening of arrival, we watched a Korean drum corps, led by a shaman (?) as they performed in the main plaza. A totally unexpected pleasure. They were good, they were fun, and they got us pumped for the last stretch.
WORD OF THE DAY: "rechauffe" of food -- reheated, made from leftovers. I always cook for two days: I plan for rechauffe food, that's because I'm not really interested in cooking on a daily basis. Usually it's OK, but sometimes two days are a day-and-a-half too much.
BOOK OF THE DAY: Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Thomas Piketty) I admit it was tough sledding at times and I didn't actually read every word, but I read enough to get what he was saying: Concentration of wealth, such as we have now, is bad for the economy and bad for society. And "trickle-down economy" is a joke (As Will Rogers said: "Water trickles down. Gold stays in the first pocket it comes to.") Unfortunately the people who should read this book won't -- or if they do, they won't care.
JOKE OF THE DAY: Little Willie quatrains were very popular around 1900; they had many authors.
Willie pushed his Aunt Elizer
Off a rock into a geyser.
Now he's feeling quite dejected,
Didn't get the rise expected.
Little Willie hung his sister,
She was dead before we missed her.
Little Willies always up to tricks,
Ain't he cute, he's only six.
Little Willie in one of his bright new sashes,
Fell in the grate and was burnt to ashes.
And now although the room grows chilly,
We haven't the heart to poke up Willie.
And so it goes DJA
I would like to know the story of the figure with the plateful of breasts. :) Thanks for the 'continuing story' of your travels!
ReplyDeleteLaurie
I wish I knew. There wasn't an explanatory label. If I ever do find out what it's about I'll put it in a comment and send you an email.
DeleteI changed my search parameters and found it: She's St. Agatha, patron of bell-founders, fire, miners, alpine guides and nurses. She refused an offer of marriage from a Roman and was then arrested and tortured. (including slicing of her breasts). -- Alas, with the story the statue is less amusing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the research. I have found the stories of old saints are often less amusing, unfortunately. But how interesting that her saintly depiction a few hundred years later takes that form - a modestly bowed head and a plate of torture. Creepy!
DeleteLaurie