382 lines
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Plaintext
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382 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sponsored
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travel
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brittany-ferries-to-santander
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7881343
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-----
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# Travelling the Camino, the pilgrim's route in Northern Spain via Santander
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## On the first day of his return trip to Northern Spain, Derek Bishton takes
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the Camino from Pamplona to San Juande Ortega.
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![Derek Bishton in Olite, Santander (Northern Spain)][1]
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Derek Bishton in Olite, Santander (Northern Spain) Photo: Rick Morris
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Pushinsky
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Derek Bishton 1:40PM BST 09 Jul 2010
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**_Pilgrims have been walking the route across Northern Spain to Santiago de
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Compostela for more than a thousand years. No other journey in Europe has
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caught the imagination of so many millions over such a long period. The story
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of how this former Roman burial ground provided the heartbeat for a major
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artery spreading high medieval Christian culture, architecture and art across
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Europe is a fascinating one. It so intrigued the Telegraph's Derek Bishton
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that he decided to walk the Camino in 1999. It took him 31 days and he stayed
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mostly in pilgrim hostels, with his world packed into a rucksack. It was, he
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says, a life-enhancing experience._**
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![Inside the church in San Juan de Ortega, Northern Spain (Santander)][2]
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The church in San Juan de Ortega, Northern Spain
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**_We asked him to return with a film crew to try to capture some of the most
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memorable locations and the feelings they evoked. His brief was to cover the
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500-mile route in three days. Bentley provided him with one of the fastest
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production cars -- the mighty Continental Supersports. Brittany Ferries sailed
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him and his crew to Santander. Paradores Spain gave him five-star
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accommodation.We asked him if it's possible to combine the best of both old
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and new worlds. Here is his report. . ._**
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_**Day One: Pamplona to San Juande Ortega**_
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There is, as many of us know, something about walking that is good for the
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soul. It frees you from the everyday routines of your life - especially when
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you've no definite notion of where you're going to lay your head on any
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particular night. You're effectively homeless and you begin to experience the
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world differently. New spaces open up in your mind.There were moments on my
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Camino when I felt, almost viscerally, that I had gone seven or eight hundred
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years back in time.
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## Related Articles
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* [Camino part 2: Burgos][3]
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09 Jul 2010
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* [Camino part 3: Len to Santiago][4]
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09 Jul 2010
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* [Derek Bishton's Camino][5]
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14 Jul 2010
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Every day there was at least one astonishing piece of medieval architecture -
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a church, a bridge or detail on a monument - to admire, explore, photograph
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and absorb. Some days I walked past so many that my head began to swim. By the
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end, I had completely revised my understanding of how religion had shaped
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European identity and culture in the medieval period.
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There were other times, such as when the path led off to the high plains
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between Burgos and Leon, where, far from even the quietest country roads, I
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entered an almost transcendental state. I can vividly recall one day when I
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walked for miles with butterflies dancing right in front of my outstretched
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arms. It was if they were leading me along and the tranquillity was only
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pierced by the calls of birds and crickets and the sound of my own breathing.
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**Aesthetic power**
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Then there were the moments of pure, physical pain and endurance. About 15
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days in, I developed tendonitis in my shin. It bothered me for the rest of my
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walk, but a combination of anti-inflammatory cream donated by fellow pilgrims
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and the adrenalin generated by the approach of Santiago propelled me.
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The final day, when I limped into the main square in front of the cathedral,
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having covered the best part of 25 miles, was a profoundly spiritual and
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emotional moment - even for a long-time agnostic like me.
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Education, contemplation and inspiration; how was I going to capture the
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essence of my 31-day Camino in a three-day drive from Pamplona to Santiago? On
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the face of it, it seemed an impossible, ridiculous task. And yet, as we drew
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up at the parador in the tiny walled village of Orlite on our first evening in
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Spain, the stunning architectural riches of the region began to exert their
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seductive power almost immediately.
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From the outside, Orlite is a massive, forbidding fortress of a place, like a
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giant sandcastle topped with 15 square towers straight out of the bucket.
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First time around, we missed the tiny arched entrance and when we did find it,
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the streets seemed impossibly narrow.
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Then suddenly we were in the square and the evening sunlight was slanting down
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on to the gothic façade of the 15th-century church. This was what I
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remembered: the overwhelming aesthetic power of the buildings and the
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incredible delicacy and detail of the carvings above the doors. I sat down in
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the cloisters to ruminate; the omens were good.
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My principal memory from this stretch of the Camino, from Pamplona down
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through Logroño and into Rioja territory, was of stunning vistas constantly
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opening up among the rolling hills.
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Every step seemed to reveal another small village, invariably on a hilltop,
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with the church tower in the centre like intricate icing on a giant cake.
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Cirauqui, Estella, Los Arcos, Torres del Rio, Viana - this is probably the
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most scenic part of the Camino to walk, and every one of these towns and
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villages has something jaw-droppingly beautiful to take in. They merit much
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longer than we were able to give them on this whistle-stop tour, but the
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growing enthusiasm of the film crew as the wow factor started to kick in was
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encouraging.
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Later, when we looked at some of the clips, the sheer scale and quantity of
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the buildings and the sublime craftsmanship became even more apparent. For
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anyone wanting an insight into the power and ideological fervour of
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Christianity in the Middle Ages, the 60 or so miles from Pamplona to Logroño
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is really not to be missed.
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**Modernity**
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But this part of the Camino is not just about buildings. As you get closer to
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Logroño, the capital of the province of Rioja, vineyards became an
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increasingly familiar sight on the hillsides. They remind us that the pioneers
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of this route not only hauled thousands of tons of stone but also brought wine
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growing to the region.
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Cistercian monks started planting vines carried from France more than 1,000
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years ago in order to provide something to fortify weary pilgrims. How
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thoughtful! One of the great delights of my Camino was the nightly bottle of
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wine: rustic reds from Navarra, classy reservas from Rioja, I sampled them all
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with guilt-free pleasure.
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By chance, this time around, we lighted on the small Tandem winery, a few
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miles from Estella. The pilgrim path runs directly through the vineyards and
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from the terrace of a smart minimalist building, we sampled one of its latest
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blends as walkers ambled past in the midday sun below us.
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Just as the monks and noblemen of earlier times had attracted the world's
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finest craftsmen to build the Camino, now some of the region's wine producers
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have brought in great contemporary architects to add to the architectural
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heritage.
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A few miles outside Logroño, one of the oldest and most prestigious producers,
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Marques de Riscal, has a splendid hotel designed by Frank Gehry, whose design
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for the Guggenheim in Bilbao is already one of the icons of great 20th-century
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architecture. I find this injection of modernity quite refreshing: far from
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becoming fossilised, the Camino continues to be a living, breathing entity.
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Our final stop before heading off to Burgos for the night was the tiny hamlet
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of San Juan de Ortega. This is a remarkable place for several reasons. Most
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pleasing is the way the capital on the monastery church was designed so that
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on the spring and summer equinox, a single shaft of light illuminates the
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figure of Mary.
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But the play of light and shade is remarkable at any time of year. You come
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across the church and monastery after hours of walking through a dark, spooky
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pine forest. Entering the square, there is the mysterious sensation of walking
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into the light - both literally and spiritually.
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As I was discussing this with the camera crew and photographer, right on cue,
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the sun broke through, sending perfect rays of light fanning out from a dark
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cloud on the horizon.
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[X][6] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][7]
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* Share: [Share][6] [ ][8] [ ][9]
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[Tweet][10]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7881343/Travelling-the-Camino-the-pilgrims-route-in-Northern-Spain-
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via-Santander.html
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Telegraph
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## [Brittany Ferries to Santander][11]
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* ### [Sponsored »][12]
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* ### [Travel »][13]
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[X][6] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][7]
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Share:
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* [ ][6]
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* [ ][8]
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* [ ][9]
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* [Tweet][10]
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* ![Brittany Ferries and Santander][14]
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[VIDEOS: PILGRIMS' ROUTE »][15]
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### [Travelling in class to Santander][16]
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[![Brittany Ferries to Santander introduction video: Derek Bishton's
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Camino][17] ][16]
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Derek Bishton heads to Santander with Brittany Ferries as he returns to
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Northern Spain to take another Camino to Santiago de Compostela.
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### [Retracing the Camino: day one][18]
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### [Retracing the Camino: day two][19]
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### [Retracing the Camino: day three][20]
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[Derek Bishton's Blog »][21]
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### [Blog: Santiago or Bust][21]
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[![Derek Bishton's blog: Santiago or Bust][22]][21]
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Read Derek Bishton's blog as he takes his Camino across Northern Europe to
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Santiago de Compostela.
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[Picture gallery »][23]
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### [Derek Bishton's Camino][5]
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[![View of Burgos, including Cathedral, Northern Spain][24]][5]
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Great photographs from Santander to Santiago de Compostella in Spain.
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[Picture Galleries »][25]
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### [The Picos de Europa][26]
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[![Potes][27]][26]
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Beautiful mountains, countryside and historic cities.
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### [Spain's north coast][28]
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[![Frejulfe Beach, Asturias][29]][28]
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Magical coastlines, culture, and delicious seafood.
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[Picos and further afield »][30]
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### [Stunning Picos][31]
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[![The market town of Potes with the Picos de Europa in the background][32]
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][31]
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Between the two main pilgrims' routes in Northern Spain lies a dramatic area
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of outstanding beauty.
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### [Eastern promises][33]
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[![Aragon, Spain][34] ][33]
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A leisurely drive from Santander are the delights of Aragon, Navarra and even
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France.
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[1]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/Olite-Derek-
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Bishto_1676070c.jpg
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[2]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/San-Juan-de-
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Ortega_1676056f.jpg
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[3]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7881839/The-Camino-
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from-Burgos-to-Leon-in-Northern-Spain-via-Santander.html
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[4]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7881947/Completing-
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the-Camino-from-Leon-to-Santiago-in-Northern-Spain-via-Santander.html
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[5]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7889579/Picture-
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gallery-Derek-Bishtons-Camino-in-Northern-Spain.html
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[6]: #
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[7]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4590190/Share-this-article-
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What-are-these.html
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[8]: mailto:?subject=A Telegraph reader thought you would be interested in
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this article&body=Depending on your email program, you may be able to click on
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the link in the email. Alternatively, you may have to open a web browser, such
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as Firefox or Internet Explorer, and copy the link over into the address bar.
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%0A%0Ahttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7881343/Travelling-the-Camino-the-pilgrims-route-in-Northern-Spain-
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via-Santander.html %0A%0AFor the best content online, visit
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www.telegraph.co.uk
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[9]: javascript:print()
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[10]: http://twitter.com/share?via=Telegraph
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[11]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/
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[12]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/
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[13]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/
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[14]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/sponsor_brittany_16
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76015a.gif
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[15]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7881948/Brittany-Ferries-to-Santander-introduction-video-Derek-
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Bishtons-Camino.html
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[16]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7881948/Brittany-
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Ferries-to-Santander-introduction-video-Derek-Bishtons-Camino.html
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[17]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/Derek-Bishton-
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Vid1_1676356g.jpg
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[18]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7882042/Derek-
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Bishtons-Camino-Day-one-video.html
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[19]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7882215/Derek-
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Bishtons-Camino-Day-two-video.html
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[20]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7882393/Derek-
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Bishtons-Camino-Day-three-video.html
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[21]: http://my.telegraph.co.uk/bishtonblog/
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[22]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/Derek-Biston-
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Bentl_1676275g.jpg
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[23]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7889579/Picture-gallery-Derek-Bishtons-Camino-in-Northern-Spain.html
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[24]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01678/Burgos-Cathedral-
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v_1678782g.jpg
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[25]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7875099/The-Picos-de-Europa.html
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[26]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7875099/Northern-
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Spain-picture-gallery-The-Picos-de-Europa.html
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[27]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01673/NSpain-Teleg-
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Picos_1673508e.jpg
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[28]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7873218/Spains-north-
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coast-the-Northern-Pilgrims-Route.html
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[29]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01673/NSpain-Teleg-
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Coast_1673005e.jpg
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[30]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7881532/The-stunning-Picos-de-Europa-in-Northern-Spain-via-
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Santander-with-Brittany-Ferries.html
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[31]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7881532/The-stunning-
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Picos-de-Europa-in-Northern-Spain-via-Santander-with-Brittany-Ferries.html
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[32]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/SceneryPeak_1676387g.jpg
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[33]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7881779/Visit-Aragon-
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Navarre-and-France-via-Santander-with-Brittany-Ferries.html
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[34]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01678/Spain-
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Aragon_1678922g.jpg
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