07/10/12: Cobreces

I was determined to desist from making notes about the previous night, particularly in terms of things like snoring. It makes a pretty uninteresting beginning to the blog. HOWEVER, I feel forced to make an exception.

Having felt myself so well installed in the albergue, and looking forward to a comfortable night's sleep, I found myself changing rooms a bit later because of a group arrival. No problem - as it appeared. I ended up sharing a room with three Mallorcans. Very nice people and they were happy to chat. But OH! MY!! GOD!!! I have NEVER heard such a racket issue from a human body before. The machine started up at around 22:30 and continued uninterrupted, at a volume and cadence sufficient to rumble the foundations, until 06:30 the following morning. I didn't sleep AT ALL.

Anyway moving on: A quick breakfast and then down to the train station for the early train. They are hourly and it seemed a waste of time to wait for the 08:30. It was dark early in the morning - the only time I've left in the dark. As you can see we were all waiting by this time - three French and three Mallorcans (not in the photo):

The walking on arrival was on minor roads - no dirt tracks here. I chatted for a while with one of the Mallorcans and learned a little about the ideas and traditions of life on Mallorca. Fairly shortly I left them all behind and wandered ahead, happy in my own company and thinking of someone I'd met recently.

An example of local vernacular:

I passed this church on the outskirts of Viveda. Of course I didn't bother trying to enter, but the two bell towers are impressive:

I was approaching Santillana del Mar but instead of walking on the road the path took me up to the northwest. A little way along the route I found this "pilgrim fountain"

I then passed what the sign said was a restored 17th century palace, but I can't say I felt compelled to visit. I thought the 'restoration' was a touch overdone:

The landscape opened out on my way to Santillana, and the cloud began to lift. It was going to be hot.

I passed a small hermita which I believe was called "El Torre de Don Juan" but have no idea why it was deemed significant. Sorry

Santillana soon appeared, and it soon became clear why this village is such a popular tourist destination. I passed through without stopping since I believe I will be back here on my return from Santiago, at which point I will spend a little more time looking around. Still, here are some shots of the various old palaces and churches in this entirely preserved Medieval village:

I wandered down to the bottom of the village, not too concerned with following the signs, and was reminded of something: the caves of Altamira! I knew they were somewhere nearby but in following the camino up across the hills I'd somewhat lost my bearings. Now I saw a sign telling me that they were just 2km away! This was something I was certainly prepared to make a diversion for, even if I was unsure about the cost of admission and whether that might prove prohibitive.

I wanderd up a hill, taking in a view of a 14th century hermitage (I'll try to add names later, I don't have my book with me just now):

I arrived at the Museum of Altamira and was delighted to find that a) admission is free on Sundays and b) that the place was relatively deserted of tourists this day. From the way the parking and ticketing arrangements are made it would seem that this site receives massive amounts of visitors in season, but for me it was a calm and easy entry.

As many of you will probably know, the cave at Altamira was closed in the early 80s because the numbers of visitors had climbed hugely and the change in the interior environment was threatening the paintings and the caves themselves. The museum contains a replica of sections of the cave, including the paintings. I'll admit that I was unsure about just how much I might enjoy the experience but I'm so glad I waited for the timed visit. Photographs were forbidden, but the experience of going into the cave was both utterly convincing and allowed us to wander without fear of damage. One can touch the walls and surfaces. And the particular part of the cave that contains all the famous paintings is very impressive. One has to see it to get a sense of the scale and extent of the work in there. I spent many happy minutes wandering about, ignoring the guides shouting out their explanations all around me.

After this visit and feeling so happy that it was well worth the time and distance, I headed back into Santillana to pick up the path. As I left they were happy to remind me of the distances left:

 

I approached the village of Cigüenza - the next village before my destination, and not only came across Joanna - a German pilgrim I had met with Roland some while back and who was struggling with bad feet - but also another hermitage and the church of San Martin. I don't remember the entire history of this rather unexepected building except that it was commissioned by a local baron who wanted to reproduce the style of the churches in another region (which I shall have to look up later). It was built with the two towers and it completely out of scale with its surroundings. He died before it was finished.

I slowed down to walk with Joanna - I think she appreciated the moral support. It wasn't long after that we arrived at Cobreces and our destination - the Carmelite monastery that welcomes pilgrims. I was touched to be recieved by a working curé :0) The red building in the photos is the church of Cobreces - built in the 19th century. The monastery is to the right in the wide shot.

We didn't stay in the monastery itself, merely in the grounds. But the showers were hot and the beds comfortable and it was cheap :0) The local restaurant was 40 metres away so I enjoyed a hand made pizza.

And that's all for today.