sillydoll
Veteran Member
- Nov 2, 2004
- 6,743
- 2,283
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2002 CF: 2004 from Paris: 2006 VF: 2007 CF: 2009 Aragones, Ingles, Finisterre: 2011 X 2 on CF: 2013 'Caracoles': 2014 CF and Ingles 'Caracoles":2015 Logrono-Burgos (Hospitalero San Anton): 2016 La Douay to Aosta/San Gimignano to Rome:
Hi all,
We arrived back home on Monday to a wet and cold South Africa. It rains in springtime on the Inidan Ocen coast so we are still trying to get 'holiday' clothing washed and dried! (How mundane after walking el camino for over 5 weeks.)
If you are starting in Roncesvalles and arrive in the morning, it is worthwhile walking 3km up the road to the Ibaneta Pass where you can see the monument to Roland and stunning views into France.
This time around we were able to explore the monastery complex in Roncesvalles, take time for a tour and speak with the people who work there. When I expressed an interest in the mason signs in the stones, the curator of the museum spent some time showing me the remaining walls of the original hospice, which was demolished in the 1600’s, and pointed out some of the marked stones that were recycled to build the collegiate church. If you look left when walking up to the church, you will see an open field partially enclosed by an old stone wall. The cobbled street you walk on was built where the enclosing wall used to stand.
There is a lovely statue of Santiago Peregrino in the church with a faded painting of a Pelican underneath the statue. The Pelican legend was adopted into Christianity around the 2nd century and appears in the Physiologus, a Christian adaptation of popular animal legends and symbols.
According to the legend, in a time of famine a mother pelican would peck her own breast to draw blood to give to her chicks.
Thus the pelican symbol in Christianity, also called pelican-in-her-piety, symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (because he gave his blood for others) as well as the Eucharist (because it represents Christ's blood and provides spiritual nourishment).
If you are vegetarian, or if you don’t eat fish and intend having the menu del peregrino at Casa Sabina, let them know when you book for your meal and they will prepare eggs or a salad. The meal for the past 6 weeks has been fresh water trout and french fries, shared salad, yoghurt, bread, wine and water - for 8 euro.
We arrived back home on Monday to a wet and cold South Africa. It rains in springtime on the Inidan Ocen coast so we are still trying to get 'holiday' clothing washed and dried! (How mundane after walking el camino for over 5 weeks.)
If you are starting in Roncesvalles and arrive in the morning, it is worthwhile walking 3km up the road to the Ibaneta Pass where you can see the monument to Roland and stunning views into France.
This time around we were able to explore the monastery complex in Roncesvalles, take time for a tour and speak with the people who work there. When I expressed an interest in the mason signs in the stones, the curator of the museum spent some time showing me the remaining walls of the original hospice, which was demolished in the 1600’s, and pointed out some of the marked stones that were recycled to build the collegiate church. If you look left when walking up to the church, you will see an open field partially enclosed by an old stone wall. The cobbled street you walk on was built where the enclosing wall used to stand.
There is a lovely statue of Santiago Peregrino in the church with a faded painting of a Pelican underneath the statue. The Pelican legend was adopted into Christianity around the 2nd century and appears in the Physiologus, a Christian adaptation of popular animal legends and symbols.
According to the legend, in a time of famine a mother pelican would peck her own breast to draw blood to give to her chicks.
Thus the pelican symbol in Christianity, also called pelican-in-her-piety, symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (because he gave his blood for others) as well as the Eucharist (because it represents Christ's blood and provides spiritual nourishment).
If you are vegetarian, or if you don’t eat fish and intend having the menu del peregrino at Casa Sabina, let them know when you book for your meal and they will prepare eggs or a salad. The meal for the past 6 weeks has been fresh water trout and french fries, shared salad, yoghurt, bread, wine and water - for 8 euro.
