- Time of past OR future Camino
- VdlP(2012) Madrid(2014)Frances(2015) VdlP(2016)
VdlP(2017)Madrid/Sanabres/Frances reverse(2018)
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The Via de Bayona crosses the complicated geology between Irun and Burgos, and along the way....well there were some very nice moments of enjoyment from afar.I enjoyed them afar or as I was walking over them,
The panorama is sensational! I know you've posted "rock shots" of this route elsewhere. How long can I put it off?The Via de Bayona crosses the complicated geology between Irun and Burgos...
I know what you mean, but nevertheless my phone has numerous pictures like these:The clerk at the end of the Camino asked me the reasons why I walked. I answered: Religious, historical, cultural, and geological. I am a geologist. But I was bummed because at the end of the day I was so tired and my feet were so sore that I could not go climbing around looking at the rocks and formations. I enjoyed them afar or as I was walking over them, but at the end of the day I was too worn out to go exploring!!! Making up to 35 km a day sometimes. So you wash yourself and your clothes, you eat, then you hit the sack. I was 69 when I walked The Camino. Lots of my friends ask me how my vacation was. I answer: it was NOT a vacation. They also ask if it was fun: It was NOT fun!!! I tell them it was an interesting but grueling journey.
I know what you mean, but nevertheless my phone has numerous pictures like these:
I missed you beautiful entry here until now! Not certain how… wonderful of you to share it and the link to your childhood. I’m in Le puy, heading west tomorrow in the direction of Santiago and will end my day and put down my phone as this was the perfect finale to my day, reading your post! Like a bedtime story!!!When I was a boy, maybe aged 12, I was given as a Christmas present this book.
View attachment 101093
A satisfyingly hefty book about the history of the planet.
My parents knew I was interested in rocks and fossils, and this book certainly fed my appetite. There was of course a chapter all about volcanoes, and included in this was full page colour plate of the chapel of St Michel d'Aiguilhe in Le Puy perched on the summit of its immense tower of rock.
This is more or less the picture - I no longer have the book.
View attachment 101094
I was astounded. This, I read, was the remnant neck of an ancient volcano, the conical mountain itself having been long since eroded away. The fact that such a thing existed on the other side of the English Channel seemed incredible. Volcanoes, to me were exotic phenomena, far away. (Obviously the authors of this original French Larousse Encyclopaedia were influenced in their choice of illustration). I resolved, then and there, that one day I would visit Le Puy and climb to the top of that extraordinary marvel. It took me about 60 years, but in 2019 I did just that, crossing the world instead of the Channel.
I did a tour of France on my bike, a round trip to and from Roscoff ferry in Brittany. The itinerary was planned deliberately to pass through Le Puy at nearly the half-way point. Obviously I was not on Camino but I did cycle a few sections of various caminos - they are hard to miss in France. I stayed 2 days, booked into a comfortable self contained AirBnb in the centre.
St Michel d'Aiguilhe is situated some distance from the city centre, and this was my first view of it, seemingly a toy perched on the roof of a house.
View attachment 101095
Well, before I climbed the 260 or so stone steps to the summit, I managed to reproduce the grandeur of that photo from long ago. A boy’s dream become reality. That day I probably took 50 photos. Like Mont St Michel, this was a wonder.
View attachment 101096 The staircase itself is remarkable as seen in this old engraving.View attachment 101097
Going up is OK. Coming doown was hell on my knees.The chapel is beautiful.
...and a view View attachment 101104
As my later education in geology progressed I became aware that exposed volcanic necks like this are by no means unique. The most spectacular occurrence would be in the aftermath of the eruption of Mt Pelée in Martinique 1902. A pyroclastic cloud, ie a superheated soup of gas, molten rock and glowing ash exploded out of the volcano and descended on the city of St Pierre at horrifying velocity, completely destroying it and killing the entire population except for a convict adequately shielded in his dungeon.
Then the mountain ejected its own volcanic neck, rising sometimes at 20m per day out of the crater to the terrifying height of nearly 300m. Eventually it collapsed under its own weight. Those are human figures at the bottom.
View attachment 101105
There are similar erosional examples to Le Puy. The most spectacular of all is probably in Sao Tome Principe, off the west African coast.
View attachment 101106
...I am waiting for the next chapter! This is so interesting.When I was a boy, maybe aged 12, I was given as a Christmas present this book.
View attachment 101093
A satisfyingly hefty book about the history of the planet.
My parents knew I was interested in rocks and fossils, and this book certainly fed my appetite. There was of course a chapter all about volcanoes, and included in this was full page colour plate of the chapel of St Michel d'Aiguilhe in Le Puy perched on the summit of its immense tower of rock.
This is more or less the picture - I no longer have the book.
View attachment 101094
I was astounded. This, I read, was the remnant neck of an ancient volcano, the conical mountain itself having been long since eroded away. The fact that such a thing existed on the other side of the English Channel seemed incredible. Volcanoes, to me were exotic phenomena, far away. (Obviously the authors of this original French Larousse Encyclopaedia were influenced in their choice of illustration). I resolved, then and there, that one day I would visit Le Puy and climb to the top of that extraordinary marvel. It took me about 60 years, but in 2019 I did just that, crossing the world instead of the Channel.
I did a tour of France on my bike, a round trip to and from Roscoff ferry in Brittany. The itinerary was planned deliberately to pass through Le Puy at nearly the half-way point. Obviously I was not on Camino but I did cycle a few sections of various caminos - they are hard to miss in France. I stayed 2 days, booked into a comfortable self contained AirBnb in the centre.
St Michel d'Aiguilhe is situated some distance from the city centre, and this was my first view of it, seemingly a toy perched on the roof of a house.
View attachment 101095
Well, before I climbed the 260 or so stone steps to the summit, I managed to reproduce the grandeur of that photo from long ago. A boy’s dream become reality. That day I probably took 50 photos. Like Mont St Michel, this was a wonder.
View attachment 101096 The staircase itself is remarkable as seen in this old engraving.View attachment 101097
Going up is OK. Coming doown was hell on my knees.The chapel is beautiful.
...and a view View attachment 101104
As my later education in geology progressed I became aware that exposed volcanic necks like this are by no means unique. The most spectacular occurrence would be in the aftermath of the eruption of Mt Pelée in Martinique 1902. A pyroclastic cloud, ie a superheated soup of gas, molten rock and glowing ash exploded out of the volcano and descended on the city of St Pierre at horrifying velocity, completely destroying it and killing the entire population except for a convict adequately shielded in his dungeon.
Then the mountain ejected its own volcanic neck, rising sometimes at 20m per day out of the crater to the terrifying height of nearly 300m. Eventually it collapsed under its own weight. Those are human figures at the bottom.
View attachment 101105
There are similar erosional examples to Le Puy. The most spectacular of all is probably in Sao Tome Principe, off the west African coast.
View attachment 101106
Just revisited this relatively old thread again today as I was alerted to a few “likes”. I clicked on your panorama (above). What a picture. There is an exquisite church in the centre in a majestic geologic setting. It takes a long time to download, which may have discouraged others to look at it, unfortunately. Two thumbs up! Where exactly is it?e Via de Bayona crosses the complicated geology between Irun and Burgos, and along the way....well there were some very nice moments of enjoyment from afar.
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