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..

Thai Sunset [HDR]

What I really missed in my 20+ years living in the UAE are beautiful dramatic cloudy sunsets. There's an average of 5-6 cloudy days per year in the Emirates so I've had my share of blue bland boring skies.
Now that I am in Thailand, and it's rainy season, I often experience beautiful sunsets worth stopping and taking a shot of... if it's not pouring down of course.

I also haven't posted any HDR shots for ages too. Unlike the big flashy over-saturated I'm-on-acid-looking HDR photos many people seem to post, I prefer more subtle use of this technique to bring out contrasts in the photos. Some more will follow soon. Hope you enjoy!

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.

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!

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.