Notes from the Pilgrim Road

What follows is my attempt to chronicle and recreate a few of experiences in Spain and France this summer for those interested. Focus primarily will rest on history and religion, and in particular the history that lives in the churches and castles that line the pilgrim roads to Santiago Compostella in Spain.

The Muslim conquest of the Holy Land in the Seventh and Eighth centuries caused the traditional pilgrimage to Jerusalem to become increasingly dangerous. As the Middle Ages unfolded, the journey across the Pyrenees and into Spain to the traditional burial place of St. James became the dominant pilgrimage route. The results were dramatic. The first great wave of Christian churches in the Middle Ages sprung up along the pilgrim roads - the age of Romanesque was born. Architecture, spirituality, culture and politics would all be dramatically affected by the great mass of Medieval Christians on the road to Compostella.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The End of the Road

Thanks so much for all the kind e-mails and comments regarding the blog; Oli and I were eager to share our experiences. I have posted below the remaining photos that I wanted to get up.

As a disclaimer I want to say that, unfortunately, I had to post so many pictures of myself because Oli takes almost all of them, and she won't take my advice and leave me out of them.

So, that's it. This blog is officially over along with the trip. It was time to be heading home, anyway.

The Feast of the Assumption

We went to the Vigil of the Assumption in Notre Dame in Paris. It was a wonderful experience. The cathedral was packed standing room only with thousands of people. The choir was magnificent and the polyphony was stunning

After mass the Cardinal and priests processed out to walk along the Seine with the statue of the Virgin

Don't get in the way of feisty nuns in a procession

There were seven boats to take everyone in procession down the Seine

The Cardinal's boat was in the lead with the statue up front

The thousands of people in the boats were given candles

All the boats were hooked up to the same PA and they prayed the rosary in different languages and everyone sang hymns

Notre Dame in the distance

Returning back to the cathedral

Valley of the Fallen

Church dedicated to those who fell during the civil war.

At the base of the cross are the four Evangelists

The Pieta above the entrance

The church is carved into the rock and stands as a tomb. The tapestries depict the book of Revelation.

Perigueux

Another important church on the Pilgrim Road

The chapel of St. James the Pilgrim

Plaza of the Explorers

I loved this plaza in Madrid dedicated to the Spanish explorers

Don Quixote points toward the horizon

Segovia

The castle that (Queen) Isabel lived in for awhile. This is supposed to be what inspired Walt Disney.

The famous Roman aqueduct

Dropping Rocio off at the convent

Toledo

I was able to attend to Mozarabic rite of the mass which originated with the ancient Visigothic Christians that took Spain from the Romans

We stayed right next to the Alcazar which during the Civil War was the sight of one of the most incredible battles in history.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Sevilla

The tomb of Columbus in the Sevilla Cathedral

One of the biggest Reredos in the world

From the belltower

The Alcazar in Sevilla - beautiful gardens

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