Category Archives for Spain

Dancing to Basque Music in Pamplona Spain

Dancing in Pamplona to Basque Music

Dancing in Pamplona to Basque Music 

While walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, Spain we spent a couple of days in Pamplona, visiting the Cathedral and historical attractions. While out walking we walked through the Plaza de Castillo we heard the music, noticed the Basque Musicians.  There were dancers in the square, but it was the little one that captured my attention.  He seemed to have all the moves, but then the little ones always seem to know how to capture the attention and the hearts of those around them….

 

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walking words from Thich Nhat Hanh, thoughts for the camino

“When we walk like (we are rushing) we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth. We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the earth… Be aware of the contact betwen your feet and the earth. Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feelt”

Thich Nhat Hanh

old boots on the camino route. the camino to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

old boots on the camino route. the camino to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

I have recently started to follow Kat Eye Studio blog, and her Photo-Heart Connection for January was inspiring. Looking back over my January blog, this is the photo and memory that was in my heart, my Photo-Heart Connection.

Pilgrim’s Mass and the lighting of the Botafumeiro by the Tiroboleiros, Santiago Cathedral

Pilgrim's Mass and the lighting of the Botafumeiro_IMG_4840.tif

Pilgrim’s Mass and the lighting of the Botafumeiro_

We have been home from the Camino to Santiago Spain for quite some time, and it is taking quite a while to sift through all the photos from the trip. I like a lot of people busy with regular work and lifestyle tasks and distractions. Each day when I have a few minutes I work on my photos, and it is wonderful to re-live the memories.

The first things most pilgrims do, and we were no exception, is to visit the Cathedral.  We stopped by, but we were soaked to the bone as it had rained heavily that day.  We saved our visit to the inside for the following day, when we would be dressed in dry cloths, and have time to see, sit and enjoy all the sights. We arrived early enough to get a seat, by the time mass started the Cathedral was full, barely standing room available. They announce the number of pilgrims arriving in the previous 24 hours from each country.

The ceremony culminated in the swinging of the botafumeiro (smoke belcher) a massive silver incense burner.  It takes eight men, a team of clergy called tiraboleiros to get the incense burner swinging across the cathedral.  The botafumeiro, said to be the largest in the Catholic world and dates back to 1851, it is this part of the ceremony that the pilgrims have been waiting for, and it was so thrilling in a way that can’t be described. The energy in the Cathedral amazing. It was such a moving experience we actually attended Mass the next day to see it again.

for more of our camino images click here

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Red Dalia beside the Camino Path

Red Dalia

Red Dalia

All along the Camino to Santiago we noticed gardens of herbs and garden, always looking prettiest in the rain.

the Photoblog creative project challenge is “red” and while the photo is not completely red, the main subject is red. My husband the red jacket, top right corner compliments the flower and creates a diagonal line through the image.  Have a look at the other images that have been submitted.  Let me know if you get involved in the challenge.

see  more: red and rain

Reflections of the Crucifixion of Christ

Reflections of the crucifixion_Santo Domingo de la Calzada

If you have followed the blog for a while you will know that we, Bill and I, walked the Camino to Santiago de Compostela not that long ago.  I am still processing images, and enjoying reliving the days of our walk. During our time  in Santo Domino de la Calzada we had visited the church, and then the museum.  Both were fascinating, are filled with history and artifacts dating back many hundreds of  years.

While museums can be interesting, with lots of things to see and learn about, the stories about the past helping me to imagine what life might have been like during a different times. But visually/photographically they can be a little dull. In some places no photos are allowed, in others lighting is restrictive, and often items are arranged in such a way to make uninteresting photos. With those challenges I often look for reflections to add to the composition. Reflections add a dimension to the image, lifting it from imagination of what photography can be about.

In this image we can see both sides of the Ivory Crucifixion. and because of the light shining on this item it is separated from all the other subject and the room around it, highlighting it in a way that emphasises it’s importance.

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Camino Art, Burguete (Auritz) Spain

Camino Art, Burguete Spain

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Henry David Thoreau 

Walking the Camino, The Way of St. James, to Santiago de Compostella, we were  awake, and walking early in the morning, and each day saw camino art, wonderful expressions of creativity, some of it related to the camino experience some of it related to other subjects.

Located in Burguete Spain, a little town made famous as Hemingway’s trout-fishing base in the The Sun Also Rises. I wondered if the mural was a tribute to the writer.

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Camino Slideshow

You tube

I am a member to a wonderful business network group, everyone there wanted to see some of my images so I did my best to create a slideshow; because I have lots of images, but needed to keep it short (the lenght of the song) the images move quite fast, but if you have been following the blog many of the images have appeared here before with the stories of the day.

The memories are still quite strong, and I am enjoying sorting, processing, keywording my images, re-reading my notes, and re-living the camino, even if I have been spending most of my time in the basement office rather than outside taking new pictures.

I will move onto new subjects shortly…..

I hope you enjoy the slideshow, and the stories; I look forward to your feedback

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Leon Cathedral

Leon cathedral

Leon’s Gothic Cathedral, filled with stunning stained glass.  We were told that about 70% of it is original. In the early 1900′s a renovation of the Cathedral almost destroyed this great building. We are glad it is still around to admire. This image was taken with a fish-eye lens.  I was teased for bringing it with me on the 800 kilometre walk, one more thing that really wasn’t needed.  For the few times I used it, I was more than willing to carry it.

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Remembering our Camino, our journey to Santiago de Compostella

Pyrenees Pony, Orisson France, Camino de Santiago

We are home now, after 7 weeks on the road and it is time to sort, keyword, and process the many photos taken during our time on the camino route from Saint Jean Pied de Port France to Santiago de Compostella Spain.  As we left Orisson the sun was just coming up, and as we walked towards Roncesvalles one of our fellow travellers that day commented that at the rate I was going I would never make it. Stopping as often as I did for one more picture, I was not making great time on the road.  Here the beautiful pony was standing watching the pilgrims pass by.

During October 2012 17,790 pilgrims were received in the Pilgrim’s office in Santiago Spain. Bill and I were among the 20.26% who travelled from St. Jean Pied de Port France, and two of the 631 Canadians to completed the camino. The Pilgrim’s office provides up to date statistics and you might find it interesting to see the who is travelling the camino.

I it is going to be both challenging and interesting to go back through the many photos and notes taken during our walk and hopefully build a complete portfolio. For this images I processed in Nik Silver Effects Pro 2, then reducing the opacity of the layer by 15% I was able to bring in just a hint of the colour that was in the original images. I think it adds a bit of depth, let me know what you think.

Our day at Santiago de Compostella, Spain

fire buring in Santiago

yesterday morning Bill and I headed out to streets of Santiago de Compostela early to see the quiet streets, and watch the city walk up.  I find it is a great time to visit a city.  Not far from our hotel we heard sirens, and before long a fire truck and emergency vehicles were squeezing between the buildings of the old city, coming towards us.  Ducking under the archway and out-of-the-way of the trucks we watched them go by. Not two blocks away the truck stopped, in fact everyone that was on the street stopped to watch.  There was smoke billowing from a basement grate, and the fireman were cutting open the door of the building. I was less that 20 feet away, taking pictures. I could not imagine getting that close a fire scene at home!  Before long the firemen were in the empty building, the fire was out, and there was only steam billowing from the building.

From there we headed over the see the Cathedral in the early morning light.  After registering at the camino office we went inside the Cathedral. Which was full of people wandering around, and getting seated for Mass.  We saw many people  that we had talked to and walked with over the last few weeks. It was great to see everyone had achieved their goal. There was an excitement in the air. During Mass the have a large incense burner, that they swing over the crowd. It was quite exciting to watch.

Santiago Mass