The Fence

On one of the days that I decided to only shoot in B&W with my 50mm, I noticed this fence in a very old village on the mountains of Galicia in Spain.

I loved the texture of the house wall and the wooden fence. Many houses (still inhabited) are built with stone in small villages in this part of Spain. They were probably hundreds of years old, which makes me wonder if any of our new modern "glass buildings" would last half that long.

O Cebreiro Village

On the French route of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, lies a tiny village at the entrance of the Galician province. Sitting on top of a dreaded 1300 meters high mountain pilgrims have to climb (I don't know why.. I enjoyed it!), O Cebreiro, although appearing like a slumbering old village, played quite an important role in the history of the region.

While I was lucky to have a good weather during both my stays (good but freezing), O Cebreiro usually likes to hide under a mysterious foggy blanket. After reaching the Galician border, I felt its presence without seeing it. A faint music was floating all around, transported by the mist. The fog magically disappeared both times I arrived on top of a hill overlooking the old village.
The first thing I noticed was the music. It sounded like Irish music. Celtic to be more precise. Even the architecture of some houses was different with big round stone houses and straw roofs (called pallozas). I later learned that Galicia was of Celtic culture, some even claiming the Irish Celts originated from there.

The main attraction of O Cebreiro however is the pre-Romanesque church of St. Mary, the oldest fully remaining one on the Camino. It played an important part in guiding the pilgrim through the mist with its bell.
The church of St Mary also owes its fame to the miracle which occurred  in the 14th century, as well as the presence of a Holy Grail (not THE Holy Grail).
Tradition has it that a weary priest was celebrating Mass one winter´s day. A peasant from a nearby village, having fought his way to the top of the mountain through a fierce snowstorm in order to hear Mass entered the church just as the priest was performing the consecration. The priest insulted the peasant´s faith and ridiculed him for having come all the way to the top of the mountain in such severe weather in order to witness a non-existent miracle. At that very moment, the bread and the wine on the altar were literally transformed into flesh and blood.
The miracle of O Cebreiro was confirmed in 1487 by Pope Innocent VIII while the particles preserved from the miracle were placed in a silver chalice donated by Queen Isabella the Catholic. The chalice image was later incorporated into the shield of Galicia due to its importance to the region.

Miracle or not, O Cebreiro is undoubtedly a magical place to visit. Don't forget to taste the famous queixo do cebreiro with local honey!

Football's over!

So last week was the final match of the World Cup 2010 between Spain and the Netherlands.
It was an exciting tournament with many surprises and small teams reaching higher than the big old famous ones. I was rooting for the underdogs, preferably African countries (Go Ghana!).

I felt kind of bored seeing the same big billionaire teams winning all the time. Brasil, Italy, France, England, Argentina, Germany (although they played very well).. I wanted to see some change, new teams! Obviously I was happy when Spain won the cup!

So now that a week has passed, the world got back to its routine. Tears have dried, laughters have faded, vuvuzelas were put away and conversation topics have changed except maybe for Spain and S. Africa.

So I'd imagine this is what a football field looks like after some time has passed and people got into other things.
I caught this in Spain (what a coincidence) last year outside a tiny slumbering village. I suppose none of the players ever came from this village!

What about you? What were your thoughts about this World Cup 2010? Excited? Disappointed?

The Canal

Before reaching the province of Leon, right after leaving the small village Carrion de los Condes, is this path following a long canal bordered by trees offering a much needed shade. It is a relaxing walk and interesting place to spot many bird species described on signs located along the path.

This canal is quite a welcomed view after walking about 10 days on the Meseta, a plateau that stretches between Leon and Burgos and considered as the "Spanish desert". The Meseta is where most pilgrims grow tired and feel like quitting. But once Leon is reached, the landscape changes again with green hills and rivers to rest by, enhancing the morals.

I always loved getting up early and start walking before sunrise to experience Nature's awakening.
I wasn't the only one. Many others also started walking at dawn in order to advance before the heat settles in.
Or maybe just to be in their own little bubble, away from the crowd, to be able to exorcise their internal demons..

The Pilgrim Tree

Along the Camino de Santiago, right before reaching Hospital de Orbigo, is a an imposing magnificent old tree known as: The Pilgrim tree.
This tree has seen many pilgrims walk under its shade, nap or have a well deserved break to eat a bocadillo after crossing the hilly area past Leon.
When I reached the tree and put down my backpack, I just wandered around enjoying the peace floating around. It was a place of rest and no aggressive sound disturbed the silence.
I also met the young Australian couple as seen on the photo. They were doing the Camino starting from France with a 18-month old little girl! The baby looked so happy and I've never seen a child smile and giggle as much as her.
I guess they simply proved that anything can be done, even a month long trek with a baby if there is a will to do it.

Landscape Painting?

I like it when the light is diffused. It makes the colors look soft with no harsh shadows. 

It sometimes makes a landscape look like a clichéd painting, like this one from Spain. 

I know there are a lot of broken rules in this photo. The horizon is in the middle, but I felt it was better this way as both the foreground and sky created a nice balance. The trees are out of focus, because of wide aperture, but it gave them this "painted" look. The colors are soft like on a  watercolor painting.

I kind of like the result! What do you think?

O Cebreiro

Although the whole Camino de Santiago was fantastic, one of my secretly favorite places was: O Cebreiro... The second highest peak after the Pyrenees, in Galicia.

The weather was great as I walked through a beautiful forest up a steep mountain. Even though many pilgrims were on the same path, there was a silent and peaceful atmosphere floating all around.
Once I reached the top, magnificent landscapes appeared before me. Looking back, I could trace the whole path I walked all the way from France.. about 700km (430+ miles) and a month of bliss.
As I reached the tiny village with the same name as the mountain, I was first struck by the music I was hearing, Irish sounding music! I had to ask around to understand that Galicia had Celtic culture and some even insisted it was where the Celts originate from.

I loved the village so much that I decided to stay until the next morning. All I did was walk around, take photos, sit in peace watching the landscape and of course.. stuff my face with queixo do cebreiro (cebreiro cheese) served with local honey, pulpo (octopus) and flowing alcohol.
After a great freezing night, I was treated with this fantastic present, an ocean of clouds stretching at my feet across the valley.

Ferns

When I walked for the second time on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, I decided to take my time and  enjoy every step. I had all the time in the world.
One of my pleasures was to slow down in the forests and take macro B&W shots as I loved the strong shadows and the diffused light through the leaves. I had a lot of fun capturing macros of ferns. For this particular photo, I was so concentrated on trying to get a nice focused shot (I focus manually on macros) that I didn't realize I was stepping in poison ivy. Oh the rash!
I noticed that, when I decided to take specific kind of shots for the day (landscape, macro, B&W, portraits, etc..) the mind shifts and the eye filters only what I had wanted to see. If I needed to take landscapes, I would walk with my head high, eyes seeking far ahead. If I wanted to take B&W macro shots, I'd tend to walk slower, with my eyes focusing on the ground around me, trying to seek strong contrasts.

What are your thoughts? Do you sometimes plan "themed shots" per day? Do you see the same way when you do?

Galician Chalet

Galicia is one of my favorite regions in Spain, located on the North-Western part, right above Portugal. Although it's the most rainy region, I find it extremely beautiful with its mountains, forests and Celtic culture.
I took this shot while on the Camino de Santiago, around the last week before arriving to Santiago de Compostella. There is a steep climb on mount Cebreiro with magnificent landscapes.
Who wouldn't want to live in a chalet like this with this beautiful view every morning?

Pyrénées at dawn.

Most people will tell you that the first day of the Camino de Santiago is the hardest day of the walk (starting from St. Jean Pied-de-Port) and I agree.

Waking up at dawn in this old Basque village, at the foot of the Pyrénées mountains, I start my month long journey with much anticipation.
The temperature outside is freezing on this September morning, and yet my pilgrim companions and I manage to remain brave and start the climb towards the Spanish border instead of waiting in a café for sunrise.
St Jean is located at about 200m (660 ft) above sea level. On the first day, most pilgrims climb towards the Spanish border, at the top of the Pyrénées at 1400m high (4600ft) and back down to Roncesvalles at 400m (1300ft). The climb is pretty steep in some parts on the French side but the scenery is spectacular.
Halfway up to the top on the French side, I turn around to have a look at the hilly landscape still blanketed in mist as the sun slowly rises, radiating its warmth on the breathless pilgrims.
I stop and listen to Nature's awakening, savoring the moment, eyes shining with the excitement and expectation of days to come.

I know at this moment it was worth walking a second time.

Nature's awakening

There is a certain bliss in witnessing Nature waking up.

A chill autumn breeze was trying to scatter the thick morning mist. I had started walking before sunrise, my  finely decorated walking stick in hand and heavy backpack on my shoulders, guiding myself with a little headlamp trying to spot the flechas amarillas (yellow arrows) pointing the way to the city of Santiago, in Spain.
I started with a very slow pace to let my body warm up and avoid injuries and cramps. But the main reason was to let other pilgrims go ahead of me so I could enjoy the silence and stillness of the slumbering countryside.
I stopped for a moment next to a collapsed haystack, probably due to the wind and rain from earlier days. Camera in hand, I sat down next to the field, almost holding my breath, experiencing the peace interrupted from time to time by the sound of the shutter.

Nature was waking up..

Hanging Prayers

As I walk past Logroño, heading towards Nájera, I reach a hill called Alto de la Grajera, in Spain.

There, the pilgrim's path is re-routed across the hill to avoid roadside walking along the motorway. Climbing steadily up to a sawmill, the tarmac road for pilgrims overlooks the motorway separated by a wired fence on the right side while a forest on the left offers a longer alternate path to the Camino.

As I get closer to the sawmill, I notice thousands of crosses threaded in the fence by passing pilgrims. They were in all shapes and materials from branches, chipped wood from the sawmill to wires, pipes and clothes. Here and there, messages and prayers were carved on planks of wood hanging on the kilometer long fence. The contrast was strong with the primitive crosses on the foreground and a busy motorway on the background.

I put down my backpack and stop for a while, connecting myself to the spirit of the place. One can almost sense the thousands of pilgrims, slowly threading crosses, whispering prayers to loved or lost ones.
Focusing on the messages and taking photos transports me to a different dimension, where stillness and peace float in the heavy cloudy atmosphere, sometimes broken by a passing truck overloaded with goods on the motorway.
My peaceful world is finally shattered by the sound of two young boys shouting and running around picking up branches to help their mother add a new cross in a small empty corner. I watch them weaving a new prayer in this spiritual cover protecting this place. I politely smile at them, wish them a "Buen Camino" and continue my path.

I sometimes wonder, how did this all start? Who put the first cross on a wired fence along a noisy motorway, followed by thousands of others? I realize later that Alto de la Grajera is a dangerous section where many accidents occur. It probably all started with prayers added in memory of road victims. It just happens to be on a spiritual path, where the smallest prayer is magnified by the hundreds of pilgrims seeking answers every day.

Burgos Cathedral II

Waking up really early in the morning, before the city has awaken and walk in the empty streets is really blissful. It gives the whole city another dimension, a new face.

This shot was taken at dawn, in Burgos, Spain. It's one of the most famous cathedrals in the country and one of the most visited on the Camino de Santiago. I never got the chance (stupid me) to visit inside of it but apparently, after asking many people that did, it is the most beautiful cathedral (from inside) on the Camino.

I also took another shot from my first Camino, this time from the front.

Cheers!

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Stormy Path

This walk was a self-discovery, a month long journey with yourself as the best companion.

Everything around the journeyman contributed to help him understand and accept his path. Even the weather.

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

~ Hannah Moore ~

Pink Sunrise

One of the most magical sunrises I have ever seen.

I was walking before dawn in the countryside in Spain, chatting with a friend. I remembered one golden rule of photography: "Always keep your eyes open and never forget to look behind you". I turned around just to have a glance of the sunrise and.. Wow!

I just stood there for a while with a huge smile on my face, until the rising sun washed away the colors.

Enjoy!

Hidden Treasure of Puente la Reina

Sometimes, Beauty can be found in some of the most unexpected places.

While walking on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, we woke up on an early morning, before sunrise, in the town of Puente la Reina, ready to continue our journey.

While walking slowly in the empty streets, a friend decided to enter a bakery and buy some bread for the road. I stayed outside, waiting, and after a few minutes, decided to enter in what appeared like an old small church.

From the outside, it appeared as an old plain building. Except for a signboard next to the old wooden crumbling door, no exterior sign showed it was a church.

When I stepped inside, I stood there amazed. It was as if the inner dimensions of the place completely disobeyed the basic rules of architecture. It felt bigger in the inside than the building itself. The walls were finely and richly decorated and a huge golden altar was erected in a corner of the church.

It was rather surprising to find such a place behind a basic facade. I felt as if I had stumbled upon a hidden treasure of Puente la Reina. It felt awesome!

Enjoy!

Wine Fountain

On the way to Santiago de Compostella, in Spain, near the town of Estella, the pilgrim, after walking many kilometers feels thirsty and weak.

As soon as he passes Estella, an hour later, he reaches a monastery called "Monestario de Irache". This is where the gods finally listen to his plea and offer him this divine sight: A fountain of Red Wine!

Yes yes my friends, I do not joke. This very fountain here delivers free red wine to everyone that passes by. Just open the tap and drink!

The wine fountain was built in 1991 for the pilgrims. Of course, you can't just go and fill your buckets with wine, there are cameras and probably monks will come and scold you.. Or maybe the gods will cast lightning upon you!

So, next time you happen to be walking near Estella. Just continue a bit to reach the monastery and taste this gift from the winery to the pilgrims.

You can also view a live webcam by visiting the official site of the winery here.

Cheers!

Town of Cee

Usually, most pilgrims end the Camino de Santiago in the town of Santiago de Compostella, in front of the Cathedral where supposedly lie the remains of St. James.

But the Camino doesn't really end here, it continues up to Finisterra, the "end of the World" where they say a shepherd found the body of St. James. It is also called the "Pagan route", as it was a pilgrimage route way before Christianity.

On my first Camino, I stopped in Santiago due to lack of time. On my second pilgrimage, I decided to go all the way to Finisterra.. And I did not regret it.

The way is really beautiful with amazing sceneries along the Atlantic Ocean and many towns perched on the hills, bathing under a beautiful sun.

This is the town of Cee, about 12km before "point 0", the end of the world. It's a fairly quiet and peaceful town with many fishermen of course.

For all who walk on the St. James way, my advice would be: Go all the way to Finisterra, it's only 3 more days walk and it's an amazing place to be.

Villafranca del Bierzo

It's a very enchanting feeling when you start walking early in the morning in the fog and suddenly when it all clears up on top of a small hill with Nature offering you a beautiful view.

This was one of those foggy days when you could hardly see 10m ahead of you. I was walking with a Korean friend and chatting about happiness.. This is when it all started to clear up and a beautiful rainbow appeared just to answer her question.. Yes, we all should remain happy.

Villafranca del Bierzo is a small town on the Camino de Santiago, a very beautiful place to live in, not big, not small. It is surrounded by vineyards and beautiful green mountains.

Definitely a place I'd like to visit again.

Fisterra, the End of the World ~ Spain

Finisterra (or Fisterra in Galician) is the furthest western tip of Spain, before the Atlantic Ocean. It comes from Fin (end) and Terra (Earth) and was actually thought to be the end of the world (the world used to be flat, remember?).

Finisterra is also the end of the Camino de Santiago (St. James way) and the Camino Pagano (Pagan way, older than the Camino de Santiago itself). It's such an emotional moment to reach the last milestone with "0.00 km" written on it, after walking more than 900km from France.

The ritual and traditions say that, upon reaching the Fisterra, you should watch the sunset, pray and burn all your belongings to symbolize purification and a new start. The sunset over the ocean was dramatically amazing and I was lucky to have such a beautiful weather in a region known for being rainy.