Puente La Reina Bridge on the Way to Santiago di Compostela, Spain

Puente La Reina (Spanish meaning literally the “bridge of the Queen”; Basque: Gares) is a town and municipality located in the autonomous community of Navarra, in northern Spain. Puente la Reina lies between Pamplona and Estella on the Way of St. James pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. It is an important town as it […]

Gregorian Chant in the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, Spain

We drove over gorgeous rolling countryside in the early evening of May 20 about thirty kilometers from Lerma for the evening Vespers at the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. The monastery has a long tradition of singing Gregorian chant. The monks of Silos became internationally famous through the album “Chant,” one of a number […]

An overnight in a Ducal Palace in Lerma, Spain

The Lerma Ducal Palace is the palace of the dukes of Lerma in Lerma in Spain, occupying the whole of one side of the city’s Plaza. Originally it had immense gardens below it, on the banks of the river, with fountains, stately homes and seven chapels, of which one (Cristo) remains. All documents relating to […]

Today in Olite, Spain

We stayed at the gorgeous and historic Parador at the former 14th century palace in the center of tiny Olite, Spain last night. It was a night to remember. The Paradors of Spain are government-run hotels that help to preserve what might otherwise be a derelict structure. Our rooms were massive, with fireplaces large enough […]

Starting on the Camino Frances, St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France

We arrived at this pretty riverside village late in the morning today and were immediately enchanted by the narrow medieval lanes, the old stone houses and of course, the bridge where the Camino Frances begins to make its way more than 700 kilometers later to the burial place of St. James in Santiago di Compostela, […]

One night in medieval Carcasonne, France

The fortified city itself is essentially of concentric design with two outer walls with towers and barbicans to prevent attack by siege engines. The castle itself possesses its own draw bridge and ditch leading to a central keep. The walls consist of towers built over quite a period. One section is Roman and is notably […]