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Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience The bad news: You've hit your limit of free articles.The good news: You can receive full access below.WORLDteen | Ages 11-14 | $35.88 per year ancient churches: Tiny villages across northern Spain teem with visitors These so-called “pilgrims” are following the Camino de Santiago They tread the network of paths—cumulatively measuring 500 or more miles—to the Apostle James’ supposed tomb in Santiago de Compostela Those familiar with John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress may think of the title character’s journey to the Celestial City Many Christians use pilgrim language to describe life’s journey may remove travelers from daily duties and distractions With an end goal of visiting a religious landmark some religions believe such journeys imbue travelers with special virtue or help them obtain favor with a god Biblical Christianity holds that worshipping the one true God isn’t about a place but about the soul’s orientation Catholic people of the Middle Ages often traveled along the Camino de Santiago—or simply “Camino”—from their homes to visit the cathedral where they thought James’ bones lay Today’s pilgrims choose from seven main routes and several less-traveled ones these days fewer than half undertake the trek for purely religious reasons “tourist-pilgrims” walk for reasons including health A pilgrim’s fitness and route choice make a big difference on how long a Camino walk lasts The experts at Follow the Camino say pilgrims should plan on “between a few days and three months.”  The pilgrim influx on the Camino is helping to save the settlements that sprang up long ago along the routes The “Camino effect” helps create jobs and maintain cultural heritage no one needs a Camino walk to commune with the God of the universe Those who know Jesus Christ may boldly “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25)—no physical pilgrimage necessary produces repentance and belief in His followers He cares about the souls of folks in big cities as well as tiny villages After you've read all four Globe Trek stories © 2024 WORLDteen | 828-435-2982 | memberservices@wng.org By Scott BurnsColumnist I chose to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela because I am lazy Walking hundreds of miles across northern Spain doesn’t sound lazy I first thought about walking the Appalachian Trail. It’s a 2,200-mile hiking trail between Georgia and Maine. Think “Last of the Mohicans.” Business BriefingBecome a business insider with the latest news GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Then I thought about the Pacific Crest Trail That means carrying all the required gear and food And don’t forget rigging the bear box to keep food beyond the reach of bears And call me a snob but a good served meal is a real pleasure for me It is a well-marked trail through rural Spain They cost about 12 euros ($13.10) a night outside of cities Most also offer a three-course Pilgrim dinner A nearby bar/cafe will provide a great latte and croissant for 3.5 euros ($3.82) It will put both the price and taste of any Starbucks to shame It might be 5 euros ($5.46) in another bar/cafe or as something you put together from a local hole-in-the-wall food market That’s $35.48 a day at recent exchange rates That’s not much to pay for a simple life far removed from our everyday distractions It’s not surprising that many of the people I met were from Eastern European countries But let’s look in our own backyard. That $35.48 a day comes to $1,099.88 in a 31-day month, or $1,064.40 in a 30-day month. The current monthly payment from the Supplementary Security Income program is $943 So even the poorest Americans can almost afford to walk the Camino Workers with a slightly better work record If you have the median Social Security benefit of about $1,800 a month You can live on the Camino and have an extra $600 a month or so It’s enough for a round-trip ticket from Dallas to Madrid on American Airlines you wouldn’t need to fly to the States more than four times a year So you’d have an extra $4,800 a year at least That would cover having a low-cost European cellphone and a lot of other stuff Last year I examined where a person could afford to live on Social Security in Texas. Longview was the least expensive city That’s far more than it would cost to live while walking the Camino Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting we all go to Spain and walk the Camino forever. I’m saying that it’s an interesting option. In the last few years there have been dozens of articles about retiring on a cruise ship The stories usually ignore the $80,000 a year (and up) cost of doing so Retire on the Camino and you’d need far less money And you’d never worry about getting seasick gurus tell us to “think outside the box.” No one ever says “Explore the box in which you live.” But if we do that we discover that we are living inside a set of unexamined assumptions about how and where to live We also live inside assumptions about the money we need to fulfill the how and where The final irony: The industry that gorges on the money we save tells us exactly how to achieve those goals Many of the people I met on the Camino were doing the walk as a reset They wanted to examine how they had been living and think about what to do next a Boston-based finance consultant turned 30 and was looking for his next life-path in his early 40s and based in San Francisco She was looking for what to do in the next part of her life — A biology teacher from Maui told me about a Danish military retiree who lived on the Camino. Could he be a real “Zen-Reacher” what it means for them or what it might mean for every human on the planet — I spent part of two days walking with a Canadian in his early 70s who had devoted his life to serving the poor His education had been in theology and philosophy We talked about Danish existential philosopher Soren Kierkegaard Only as we parted did I learn that his Camino walk was to grieve the recent death of his wife her 10-year-old became frustrated at the difficulty of the walk to Orisson She flailed at nearby weeds with her walking stick Three weeks later all three children were proud walkers They had learned that their limits were a matter of intention and will was taking a year off to see what she could do with music She extended her stay by volunteering at a “donativo.” That’s an albergue that seeks donations rather than selling specific goods And a labyrinth built of huge quartz crystal rocks Immersed in the amazing generosity of nature you can’t help wishing it could become a way of life Join the conversation Thank you for reading. We welcome your thoughts on this topic. Comments are moderated for adherence to our Community Guidelines. Please read the guidelines before participating. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Mystery bones found in a tomb in northwestern Spain are likely to belong to a ninth-century bishop believed to have helped create the Camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago is one of Christianity’s most popular pilgrimages stable isotope analysis and DNA testing yielded data that “supports the possibility” that the human bones found in 1955 are those of Bishop Thedomir according to a paper published on Tuesday in the “Antiquity” journal Oral tradition, later written down, has it that Theodomir discovered the tomb of St. James the Apostle between 820 and 830 AD following a divine revelation in what is now Santiago de Compostela, the capital of the Galicia region. News of the discovery reached King Alfonso II of the neighbouring region of Asturias, who marched with his court from Oviedo to Santiago. The 146 km (90 mile) royal pilgrimage established what is today known as the “Primitive Way”, the oldest path used by pilgrims of the Camino, or Way of St. James. Theodomir’s existence had been hotly debated until 1955, when Spanish archaeologist Manuel Chamoso Lamas discovered a tombstone underneath Santiago de Compostela’s cathedral inscribed with his name. An initial study of the bones concluded that they probably came from an elderly adult male, but three decades later a new assessment based on photographs of the site proclaimed them to belong to a woman aged between 50 and 70. The newest study, led by Patxi Perez-Ramallo of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, combined different analytical methods in a bid to recreate the individual’s life story. The carbon-14 dating shows the person died after the age of 45, and the bones’ features suggest they had a weak build and performed little physical work during their lifetime, which is consistent with the lifestyle of high clergy during the period. Perez-Ramallo told El Pais newspaper that there was a “98% likelihood of it being Theodomir”. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies A pilgrim walks during a stage of ‘Camino de Santiago’ or St. James Way near to Santo Domingo de La Calzada Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago passing through Santo Domingo de la Calzada soon learn how devastating the Covid-19 losses have been The town’s high death rate makes it one of the worst affected rural communities in Europe but that is just boring ‘fake news’ for anti-vaccine conspiracists More interesting for denialists is finding ways to use the opportunity a health crisis offers to further their ideology and sow confusion Their successes can be measured in body bags One factor increasing the spread of the virus was the denial of Covid-19 so other causes of the deaths were first suggested and news was suppressed by political authorities The regional government was reluctant to issue a public warning because they feared reputational damage: this is La Rioja It is difficult to accurately determine the final figure for Covid deaths in Santo Domingo de la Calzada because so many early cases were misdiagnosed or covered up the once sure thing that residents of Santo Domingo de la Calzada know is that life can only return to normal through full community vaccination This truth had been learned the hard way: Covid denial has no place in a town with a high body count Last week saw a double celebration for Santo Domingo de la Calzada The feast of its patron saint is celebrated on 12th May and just three days earlier Spain ended its Covid restrictions on movement between provinces so pilgrims will once again be walking through this town which benefits from the Camino hospitality economy The town is named after Dominic of the Causeway an 11th-century shepherd-hermit who improved the road for pilgrims traveling to Compostela and built the town’s bridge across the river Oca while the socially-reduced annual fiestas were taking place teams of medics continued the long process of vaccinating the residents the new sports hall a short distance from Saint Dominic’s medieval bridge Large sports halls are used as vaccination centers in every part of Spain and in the town near to me I also received my vaccination last week: fittingly for this Camino Postcard on the feast day of Santo Domingo de la Calzada After receiving my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine I was told to sit down and wait for 15-minutes before leaving People were seated on chairs positioned at a safe distance wearing face masks but chatting sociably as Spaniards always do Two words came up frequently in the conversation: relief and responsibility We all felt relieved to have been given our first vaccine dose and everyone agreed that it was a civic responsibility to build collective immunity and we remembered our first school vaccinations in 1960s Spain In those days the emerging emphasis on a healthy diet and vitamins was a novelty and a US aid program supplied free milk to school children (Aid was linked to a deal on military bases in Spain.) We all remembered the milk arriving and we recalled how some parents told their children not to drink it They said the calcium would be bad for them We laughed as we recalled such primitive thinking some children threw their full bottles of milk over the schoolyard wall and they mimed the recoil from an explosion as if they were lobbing hand grenades The headteacher lined us all up and gave us a health lecture but the internet simply spreads the lies from a few denialists to a much wider population “Some may have rejected the milk,” said one man near me “but nobody had any choice about vaccination It was the law: we had to receive the jabs.” In those days the inoculation programs were just starting—for chickenpox The leg-irons of those afflicted with polio were a common sight in school in those days and we reflected that in modern Spain we saw fewer signs of physical disability in the streets in the manner of elders from a more primitive age sitting around the campfire and perhaps recalling how life was harder before someone invented the wheel Ours was the discourse of people from a book-based age of learning and the shared wisdom of the community had a respect for medics and science Every one of this cohort of similar age would have been brought up and educated Catholic Science was learned alongside faith and strong identification with their community their pueblo: a word that means not just a place but a people Pope Francis in Let Us Dream contrasts the Covid negationists with such community-minded people as these: marching against travel restrictions—as if measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom Looking to the common good is much more than the sum of what is good for individuals and seeking to respond effectively to the needs of the least fortunate.” We left the sports hall after obediently staying for our 15-minute wait and in fact extending it to half an hour as we re-told the community story about how and why we were glad to receive our vaccines I saw teenagers on a sports center basketball court playing three-a-side and all were wearing face masks obediently following the rules even while exercising energetically I thought of those anti-maskers shouting in their darkness: atomized individuals preaching rebellion against Covid safety measures From a world where only the odd uneducated parent told their child that calcium in milk was bad for them we have entered a post-truth age in which the science doesn’t matter any longer: ideology and self-identity are the masters trampling roughshod over the wider community good “If such information silos exist for COVID-19 vaccines, then they may lead to self-selection of misinformation or factual information, inducing individuals to become progressively more or less inclined to vaccinate.”[4] “I believe that morally everyone must take the vaccine It is the moral choice because it is not just about your life but also the lives of others.” Statements like these that radicals do not like coming from either the CDF or the pope himself are simply labeled by them as the product of a flawed papacy so it is difficult to know what more can be said using reason and appeals to authority there is useful work to be done talking with ordinary Catholics who are confused about the things they hear or fearful of speaking up when they hear the strident tones of those expressing dissent We need to be informed and above all remain charitable towards those who are being misled while at the same time being very assertive in rejecting the ideology of the minority who are doing the misleading They must be told their denialism results in an increased death toll: the very opposite of ‘pro-life’ and a grave matter for their consciences [1] Giles Tremlett, “How a small Spanish town became one of Europe’s worst Covid-19 hotspots,” The Guardian 4th June 2020 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/04/spain-la-rioja-small-town-one-of-europes-worst-covid-19-hotspots [2] Dr Natalia Prego was pictured in a Twitter grab in Galicia Press news story in February 2021 https://www.galiciapress.es/texto-diario/mostrar/2656770/padres-salle-santiago-presentaran-queja-ante-inspeccion-profesora-negacionista-covid [3] Article about the negationist group ‘Doctors for Truth’ in El Diario, 9th May 2021. https://www.eldiario.es/internacional/entramado-internacional-medicos-marca-negacionista-registrada-espanola-natalia-prego_1_7908610.html [4] Loomba, Figueiredo, et al., “Measuring the impact of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on vaccination intent in the UK and USA,” Nature Human Behaviour, Vol 5, March 2021, pp 337–348. Full article available at URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01056-1 [5] David R. Grimes, “Medical disinformation and the unviable nature of COVID-19 conspiracy theories,” (March 2021), PLoS ONE 16(3): e0245900. This is a Creative Commons open access article available at URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245900 endorsing the CDF statement and expanding on it from a pro-life perspective.) La Rioja Turismo; Saint Dominic xacopedia.com; ‘Doctors for Truth’ in Compostela from a Twitter screengrab; sports hall vaccinations Keep the conversation going in our SmartCatholics Group! You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter Gareth Thomas lives a solitary life in the mountains in Spain with his donkeys he is a veteran of the pilgrim routes to Compostela Tags: one medieval town has suffered a particularly deadly outbreak suspicion and recrimination can spread as fast as the virus Read moreDueñas does not live in Santo Domingo a town of 6,300 people set among patchwork fields of cereal crops in the northern Spanish region of La Rioja best known for the rich red wines that bear its name sometimes wildly conspiratorial outbursts on local Facebook groups – some of which have been deleted against her will – mean not all her old neighbours will welcome her back If Covid-19 increases tensions among neighbours in big cities it can produce poisonous outbreaks of mistrust in small the abbot from the town’s small cathedral had lodged a complaint against her for defamation (She had claimed the church was covering up the role it had played in spreading the virus.) Even members of her own family were livid at the way she had aired Santo Domingo’s sorry status as one of Spain’s worst Covid-19 disaster zones a former town councillor and a well-known local figure to get a sense of the scale of the disaster They had chatted about Ortega’s upcoming 51st birthday “Now I am the only one left alive,” Sánchez told me and the other two men both died at a hospital in Logroño on 21 March As news spread through town that I was trying to count the dead I received a call from town councillor Diego Mendiola He confirmed that regional officials were refusing to give precise figures for Covid-19 deaths in Santo Domingo All that residents could do was try to keep a tally Mendiola stopped to read an incoming WhatsApp message television pictures have shown us the empty streets of the world’s great metropolises – of Madrid But outside the confined spaces of care homes and cruise ships Covid-19 has been at its most lethal in a handful of southern European country towns without sufficient data from the regional government it has fallen to residents to make their own estimates Based on the number of messages he has received from parishioners asking for deceased loved ones to be mentioned in mass now believes 42 people died in the six weeks after 16 March It is impossible to know exactly how many were killed by Covid-19 estimate – based on multiple sources including newspaper death columns funeral home websites and interviews with the head of the region’s local health districts – would be 35 The equivalent figure for Santo Domingo would be 550 Only the northern Italian province of Bergamo has experienced something similar Towns such as San Pellegrino Terme and San Giovanni Bianco have the highest death rates of all at around or above 1,000 per 100,000 from all causes during the worst weeks It is easy for city folk to dream of escaping to the countryside as they seek safe hideaways from close physical contact or the claustrophobia of a locked-down city apartment I understand how tempting it is to slip into such reveries 100 miles west of Madrid and similar in size to Santo Domingo But I am also now familiar with the eerie experience of isolation within a normally tight-knit community but Vox also held a mass meeting at a Madrid bullring that day The truth is that few politicians took the threat of Covid-19 sufficiently seriously at first and while some scientists were warning of impending danger most people in Spain did not realise that the dramatic explosion of cases that began a few weeks before in Italy was just about to happen here as well there were already clues about what was to come passed away – part of an unusual five-day spike in deaths seven times higher than could usually be expected in that time period It’s possible that Covid-19 had claimed lives in the town even before then Two deaths recorded earlier in the month now look suspicious though it’s impossible to know the cause for certain “The dead weren’t being tested,” said a doctor who dealt with some of them a way of trying to wake the town up to what was happening and of combating the stigma associated with the disease “People were treating it as something shameful,” he said Plaza del Santo and the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada Photograph: Louise Heusinkveld/Getty ImagesSanto Domingo lies on the famous pilgrim trail which brings tens of thousands of international visitors through its cobbled streets and pebbled squares each year nurses and family members – equipped with masks but little else to protect them – bustled around one of the home’s ailing residents She showed what we now see as classic Covid symptoms – a fever and shortness of breath – but which could also come from a winter flu She died so quickly that there wasn’t time to find out we still didn’t know,” the care home manager “I myself was in there with just a mask on.” many of those who had tended to Rosa had contracted the coronavirus “She was so weak she couldn’t get out of bed,” Cristina Díaz the doctor was on a short-term contract and low pay (Take-home pay for Spanish care home doctors is around €1,600 per month and just €1,400 for nurses.) When the doctor finally got better Soon almost half of the care home staff were ill as well when Sánchez imposed a nationwide lockdown he held up the country’s elderly as a reason for acting reminding Spaniards that it was the pension money of parents and grandparents that had prevented many families falling into destitution during the 2008 financial crisis they are the ones who need to be helped,” he said the defence minister Margarita Robles told reporters almost one in seven care home residents has died – nearly 6,000 people Prime minister Pedro Sánchez (centre) and colleagues observing a minute’s silence at the start of Spain’s 10 days of national mourning Photograph: Fernando Calvo/LA MONCLOA/AFP/Getty ImagesSpain’s health services are run by its 17 regional governments which have each handled the pandemic in their own way – some choosing to release detailed data with a population of just 315,000 and one of the highest living standards in Spain making it Spain’s third-worst region in per-capita terms but the regional government has refused to produce a town-by-town breakdown of deaths – a stance that has encouraged people such as Dueñas to see a conspiracy of silence At daily press briefings in Logroño on 21 and 22 March questions from La Rioja newspaper about Santo Domingo were batted away even as evidence was mounting that the town was suffering a particularly severe outbreak of Covid-19 basically answered that there was no point in talking about individual local outbreaks because the whole of La Rioja was affected,” the newspaper reported which began life as a place to post fond childhood memories of schoolteachers we can all see what is happening,” complained one group member A spokesman for La Rioja’s regional government told me that the decision not to give details from specific towns was to prevent them being stigmatised But withholding information also prevented more searching questions about exactly why Santo Domingo was suffering so badly – and whether more could be done to save its residents Lockdown has meant different things in different places. Spain’s has been among the strictest, and was no less strictly observed in the countryside than in cities. Outdoor exercise was banned and children under the age of 13 were not allowed to leave home for 45 days. Some Spaniards embraced the restrictions with inquisitorial fervour The media began using the phrase “balcony police” to describe people who hurled insults at passersby who seemed to be breaking lockdown rules even medical staff on their way to work were sometimes pelted with eggs people complained about the zeal of these “window cops” including both Santo Domingo and Candeleda where I’m living the lockdown was enforced not only by residents and police Pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago which runs through Santo Domingo de la Calzada hooked on the minute-by-minute narrative of death The countryside was strangely still and hushed I even missed things that normally bothered me Distant traffic and overhead flights – tiny pinpricks of moving light in the night sky – disappeared I was too far away from town to share the evening applause for health workers that boosted morale and upheld the sense of community is a self-sufficient countryman in his mid-70s most days he would have coffee at the petrol station cafe and you start forgetting how,” he said after finding another reason to appear at my gate Sometimes he sat on a nearby rock for an hour Santi has a fine sense of humour and I was grateful for his easy laugh even as I fretted about how far a virus might travel on the wind But his health isn’t good and he was also scared the grocer and baker made him stay in his car while they put his food in the boot a well-known figure in a town where the Catholic church plays a central role The 83-year-old was prior of the lay Brotherhood of Saint Isidore the Farmer which parades an image of their saint around town during its May fiestas Some date back almost to the town’s founding by the 11th century shepherd-hermit “You cannot understand Santo Domingo without its saint,” Francisco Suárez roads and shelter for pilgrims travelling to the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela (Santo Domingo is patron saint of Spain’s civil engineers.) Work on Santo Domingo’s cathedral began in the 12th century and the town has been a stopping point for pilgrims ever since much of the local economy revolves around the dozen hostels and hotels that offer hundreds of rooms to pilgrims the most dramatic events that local reporter Javier Albo Skimming through La Rioja’s local pages from March and April 2019 the most noteworthy stories concerned a modest swarm of bees and a few complaints about a “plague” of pigeons invading the town residents of Santo Domingo tried to keep up their spirits The police began driving around town in the evening and stopping every few blocks to blast music from their loudhailers and exchange applause with people on balconies This ritual was briefly suspended after complaints that it was unsuitable at a time of tragedy which filled the emptiness with noise and coloured lights it turned into a caravan of municipal police cars civil protection and street-cleaning vehicles which set out at 8pm and drove around for two hours with sirens blaring and loud music mangled by tinny speakers the music depended on who took control of the sound system: some days it was corny Spanish pop or children’s tunes “People started asking if we could do something for their kids’ birthdays so we did that too – playing Happy Birthday,” Francisco Reina one of the town’s dozen municipal cops told me “Then a local baker offered to make them cakes We even got out and danced La Macarena.” Reina kept going even after his wife joined the sick and took to her bed “We surprised one couple on their golden anniversary “That man wept.” Now the police station is full of brightly painted children’s pictures The only visible signs of the pandemic scything its way through the town were the muted to-and-fro of ambulances and hearses making daytime trips down empty streets to collect the infected and the dead Reina and his colleagues rescued the very sick from apartments Posters appeared in windows and on balconies People in Logroño protesting against the government’s management of the coronavirus pandemic Photograph: Raquel Manzanares/EPAPerhaps the most disturbing thing was that Santo Domingo could not mourn its dead hundreds may be expected at the velatorio – the 24-hour wake with the body on display – or the later funeral mass A local group called I Like Santo Domingo lobbied for the cathedral bells which are housed in their own baroque tower On the evening of 22 March they chimed solemnly for two minutes as people stood silently at windows or on balconies – a tradition repeated every Monday over the following weeks “That was really important to the families,” said the journalist Albo “At least they felt that people were supporting them in their grief.” It wasn’t just that the streets were empty and the pilgrims gone Easter went by without its processions of religious statues The Virgin Mary and the Risen Christ remained on their pedestals in the cathedral an Easter tradition that once inspired a Miles Davis recording had to be performed from the soloist’s apartment balcony the town began five days of fiestas to honour its saint as those parts of Spain where infection rates had dropped were allowed to slowly ease restrictions people were finally released from their houses The only group event permitted in this still-limited first phase The cathedral’s wooden benches were replaced with plastic chairs The highlight of the fiestas is the spectacular procession of the Doncellas when three dozen young women in long white dresses and veils carry baskets of bread covered with white linen on their heads “We’ll see if we can do it later in the year,” the abbot told me with neighbouring towns suffering much less some people had a burning question: where had the virus come from Given religion’s central role in Santo Domingo de la Calzada it is not surprising that some blamed the church a group of 46 parishioners had set out by coach to visit Rome and Florence They took a bottle of rioja wine for Pope Francis and after meeting the Vatican official Cardinal Mauro Piacenza came back with the promise of plenary indulgence for visitors to Saint Dominic’s tomb over the next seven years which remits the need to purge sins and thereby avoid tortures in purgatory was a way of prolonging the 2019 celebrations for the saint’s 1,000th birthday Did the parishioners also bring back the virus is where Covid-19 began its rampage across Europe and the group returned via northern Italy on 22 February just as the first cases were being reported there including one of the local doctors I spoke to “But the church is too powerful to criticise.” is incensed by the accusation that his group is responsible for bringing the disease to Santo Domingo The most stupid thing anybody could say,” he told me He noted that only one of the group – the prior of the Saint Isidore brotherhood “and the family think he caught it in hospital” Blame and stigma were part of La Rioja’s experience of the pandemic from the very start appeared among members of its Roma community who have been made into scapegoats many times in Spanish history community members attended a funeral in the Basque city of Vitoria which became one of Spain’s first known contagion points The camino brings in money and shapes local identity. During the 11 centuries that the route has existed, only wars and natural disasters have closed it. Shutting it down, in other words, means the world has changed utterly. As Covid-19 has spread, people everywhere have, at some stage, been slow to accept that. In early March, local doctors had lobbied for part of the route to be closed, but this didn’t happen until the nationwide lockdown was imposed. Other towns on the pilgrimage route do not seem to have suffered as badly as Santo Domingo. The mayor of neighbouring Belorado, Álvaro Eguíluz, told me he did not want to blame its own moderately large Covid-19 outbreak on either pilgrims or people from Santo Domingo. “If we start doing that,” he said, “it will never end.” ‘No government in the world or in any autonomous region can claim to have got everything right,” prime minister Sánchez said at the end of April, admitting that he himself could have done better. It was a refreshingly honest comment. People such as Dueñas are right to complain about the lack of transparency, but there is no sign of other major mistakes in Santo Domingo that are not widely shared elsewhere. Read moreIn Spain, the lockdown is being eased slowly, in a careful four-stage process that will take up to two months to complete it was 11 May – the day that Santo Domingo entered the first stage of easing Candeleda was still stuck in so-called “phase zero” but we remain several weeks behind Santo Domingo in shaking off the effects of the virus on daily life Suárez had just held the cathedral’s first mass for a small group of people – an experiment “to see how it worked” He was already thinking about numerous funeral masses to come groups of 10 people were now allowed to socialise while bars and restaurants could serve clients at widely spaced outside tables I imagined a town that had suddenly burst back into life we don’t know if life will ever be quite the same.” Follow the Long Read on Twitter at @gdnlongread, and sign up to the long read weekly email here This article was amended on 5 June 2020 to clarify that the information regarding Spain having the world’s highest rate of deaths came from one particular study of excess deaths View upcoming auction estimates and receive personalized email alerts for the artists you follow The year 2019 marks 1,000 years since the birth of Saint Dominic of the Causeway (in Spanish founder of the city in La Rioja named in his honour and the promoter of the Way of Saint James the cathedral has organised other activities with the goal of maintaining and sharing the invaluable artistic and cultural legacy that devotion to the saint has assembled over the course of nine centuries A cluster of towns in idyllic La Rioja have an alarming mortality rate In crowded cities, the risk of contracting Covid-19 is obvious - yet in tranquil rural towns “But with more than 4,000 confirmed cases amongst a population of just 315,000 La Rioja has the highest concentration of positives amongst all of Spain’s regions.” From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox “We became the Chernobyl of coronavirus,” Maria Jose Duenas an economist who lives in the Spanish town “Everyone knows someone who has died.” No one really knows why the new coronavirus spread so quickly in the region The Spanish government was guilty of a “lack of transparency” “but there is no sign of other major mistakes in Santo Domingo that are not widely shared elsewhere” local people were slow to recognise the threat As late as 12 March, the Los Angeles Times described rumours of an outbreak in La Rioja as a “plague” of misinformation “Business owners and local politicians are eager to promote the image of a tranquil town whose residents continue with their normal lives,” the newspaper said Children were not allowed to leave home for 45 days and all outside exercise was banned “Given religion’s central role in Santo Domingo de la Calzada it is not surprising that some blamed the church,” says The Guardian just as the first cases were being reported there” Others suggest the spread of the virus followed an older religious route Santo Domingo sits on an old pilgrim pathway that attracts more than 350,000 walkers per year from all over the world local doctors had lobbied for part of the route to be closed but this didn’t happen until the nationwide lockdown was imposed,” The Guardian reports Although Santo Domingo and its neighbours have been hit hard by Covid-19, they are also leading the way out of the pandemic has no patients in intensive care and has registered less than 30 new cases in the past two weeks,” The Telegraph reported last weekend A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com (Alvaro Barrientos | AP) A pilgrim walks during a stage of "Camino de Santiago" or St James Way near to Santo Domingo de La Calzada Actor turned travel writer Andrew McCarthy writes about the trek in “Walking with Sam: A Father and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain." many of us get philosophical about the things we did and didn’t do in the previous 12 months but several years ago I made a long-term “life resolution” to travel as much as I could My life circumstances have made this possible I’m an empty nester and still young enough to enjoy good health My job flexibility allows me to write and edit from anywhere (if I’m disciplined enough to make the time) I’ve also traveled cheaply on miles and points I’m acutely conscious of what a privilege this is — and how quickly it could go away Any moment I could be called to serve as a caregiver for a grandchild or aging relative or develop a medical condition that makes traveling unpleasant or impossible The whole miles and points world is also in an uproar lately about possible congressional legislation that could make rewards travel diminish or disappear altogether a friend I hadn’t seen in a while asked me how I was doing I will treasure and remember all of these trips when I’m no longer able to travel. Among all of those beautiful experiences, the Camino de Santiago stands out as one I want to do again I just finished an excellent book about the Camino, “Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain,” by the actor and now travel writer Andrew McCarthy who walked the 500-mile pilgrimage with his son it may be that you’re a Generation Xer who remembers him as an integral player among Hollywood’s “Brat Pack” in the 1980s He starred in movies like “Pretty in Pink” and “Weekend at Bernie’s” as well as the Brat Pack-studded flick “St Elmo’s Fire.” McCarthy’s role in that last film was of the romantic would-be writer with hidden depths — a role he now seems to inhabit professionally His book is an honest reckoning of how travel can change a person and how it forces us to confront those parts of ourselves that need changing some of these are my addiction to creature comforts (my husband says I have basically a two-degree window of well-being where temperature is concerned) and my inflexibility when change is called for “Walking with Sam” captured something I tasted briefly on the Camino in May, which I wrote about here: We have to jettison some parts of ourselves along the way if we want our souls to grow. The book is not overtly religious, in that McCarthy has serious doubts about the institutional Catholic Church of his childhood, and about the hypocritical, judgmental religiosity he sometimes sees today. But he is open to spiritual, even mystical, experiences that come out of the blue on occasion as gifts of the Camino. He also seems to resonate with an idea he expresses early on — that historically, “a lot of time in purgatory could be spared by a good long walk.” The purgatory he’s speaking about is not one after death. It’s here on Earth, the purgatory of being strangers to ourselves and victims of repeating the same mistakes without much contemplation. In his book he gets his Hollywood history out of the way first thing, telling readers that he experienced unexpected success as an actor early on and always worried he didn’t deserve it. His 20s were a blur of fame and substance abuse. Then, in his early 30s, he impulsively went on the Camino de Santiago. (Note to potential pilgrims: He did this so impulsively that he did not break in his hiking boots beforehand and suffered the consequences. Learn from this, gentle reader.) McCarthy went from being a drifter who could not finish anything to a grown man who had “an internal baseline from which to go forth in the world. Simply because I started walking … I earned my way across Spain.” Midway through that first Camino, he unexpectedly dissolved into a sobbing mess one day. Just as unexpectedly, the meltdown allowed him to discard some of the fear and shame that had long plagued him. If you have children, you might recognize that dynamic, of wanting to protect them from harm and disappointment while also knowing that they need to experience such realities if they’re going to take charge of their own lives. The irrepressible Sam is sometimes infuriating, assuming that dad will be there to pick up the pieces, pick up the tab, pick up the slack. Sam sleeps late routinely on a Camino that is engineered for the early riser — the heat of the day is not when you want to be walking. (I’m not sure McCarthy ever says exactly when they traveled, but judging from the context, they seem to have been doing the Meseta portion in the worst heat of August or September. Ouch.) But Sam grows beautifully, as does McCarthy himself. They argue, they listen to music, they process Sam’s first serious breakup. Mostly, they walk. “All you can do is walk through it, Sam,” McCarthy tells him. If I’m fortunate enough to ever walk the Camino again, I hope to do the “whole” thing — the traditional Camino Francés all the way across Spain. When McCarthy and Sam near the end of that odyssey, Sam realizes how many people join for only the last 100 kilometers and has scathing things to say, which made me laugh. McCarthy is conscious that such a long pilgrimage is an incredible luxury, made possible with health and money and the gift of weeks of free time. He, too, wants to seize the moment knowing it could all end, knowing what a holy gift every day can be. It’s a realization that comes home to me most poignantly when I’m on the road. McCarthy feels it most palpably after taking a painful spill. He writes, “It’s age that brings an awareness of the luck of life, how the tiniest membrane can be the difference between a calamity causing enduring hardship and the near miss that allows us to press on, clinging to delusions of invincibility, with the potentially catastrophic incident soon forgotten.” (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Religion News Service columnist Jana Riess. (The views expressed in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.) For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support 801-237-2900 or email subscribe@sltrib.com sltrib.com © 1996-2025 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. Last year, nearly half a million people walked the Camino de Santiago – Ellie Davis explores the growing trend that is getting people out on the ancient route Rachael Sanborn found herself in a bad relationship and dreaming of an escape to the Camino de Santiago in Spain, a pilgrimage her father had undertaken that had profoundly changed his life Sanborn, a rebel and adventurer by nature (she dropped out of college to meditate in India for a year), quit her job, gave up health insurance and pooled her savings to take two months to walk the Camino she promised herself she’d return every year A decade later, now 45 and residing in the San Francisco Bay Area she leads grief walks and walking meditations on the Camino with the travel company she founded She believes everyone can find a way for the Camino to work for their religion “We have had everyone from devout Catholics to atheist Chinese nationals,” said Sanborn “The Camino for the last 1,000 years was always open to everyone from all religions Some of my first Camino friends walked from Iran And stopped in or outside every locked church and read Rumi poems.” Sanborn represents a growing trend of non-Catholic — even non-Christian — pilgrims venturing on the Camino nearly half a million people walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain About 40 per cent of those walked for purely religious reasons according to statistics released by the pilgrims’ office While it’s traditionally a Catholic pilgrimage ending at the shrine of the apostle James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela secular pilgrims today embark on the Camino for all kinds of motivations beyond religion: health Read more on Europe travel: walked part of the Camino in the fall of 2016 with two friends Her motivation was to spend time with friends and take a “purposeful” vacation Hewitt doesn’t consider herself religious but recognised a type of devotion in the rituals and challenges of the eight days of walking The number of “spiritual but not religious” pilgrims on the Camino has increased over the past two decades as the demographic has grown and with the emergence of “secular spirituality.” Jacqui Frost, whose research at Purdue includes health and wellbeing among the nonreligious, says researchers are increasingly using the language of spirituality to talk about secular experiences of feeling connected to something greater than yourself — something that, she says, often happens in nature. “We have started to secularise a lot of what used to be religious rituals,” said Frost. “Think about meditation, yoga or even atheist churches. A lot of people are interested in rituals and finding meaning in these collective events.” Religious ethics expert and author of the forthcoming book, The Religion Factor: How Restoring Religion to Our Spirituality Makes It More Meaningful, Responsible, and Effective, Liz Bucar, says the growing number of spiritual but not religious pilgrims represents a need for meaning-making, even when you’ve rejected religion. But she doesn’t think it’s as easy as just dropping the religion part and isn’t so sure you can still get the same benefits without it. “If you want to get the real meat out of pilgrimage, you have to engage with the religion of it,” says Bucar. “Spirituality is what they are calling the pieces of religion that they like. Religion is part of the secret sauce.” Bucar required the students to write an application essay for the class, and most cited the desire to have a transformative experience as their reasoning for wanting to walk the Camino. “They’re looking for a quick fix, an experience that will change their life,” she said. “I’d make it less fun for them and less of an ‘experience.’ It’s much more valuable to have these experiences be uncomfortable and disorienting,” said Bucar. “You have to engage with the religion of it.” For Sanborn, Christianity will always be at the heart of the Camino — even for those bringing a different religion or no religion to their pilgrimage — though she agrees with Bucar that Christianity on the Camino has not always been beautiful. “I think it’s important to honor the Christianity of the Camino, and appreciate the traditions and amazing art and architecture of the Camino. But the Camino also walks over both where over 80 people were taken from their mountain homes and the city where they were burnt at the stake. So I think it’s important to see the best and worst of religion,” said Sanborn. “Each time I step into a church or cathedral on a hot day, it feels impossible to not be awed.” However, Sanborn resists the idea that non-Catholic pilgrims — “sometimes people call them tourist-pilgrims” — are unable to experience what the Camino has to offer. “Everyone I have ever met along the Camino is getting more than they expected, so it’s probably best not to judge,” she said. “The Camino is just so special in ways I don’t pretend to understand, which is part of the great mystery of life. It’s magic.” A pilgrim walks during a stage of ‘Camino de Santiago’ or St James Way, near to Santo Domingo de La Calzada TERRADILLOS DE LOS TEMPLARIOS, Spain -- Amid the vast grain fields of Spain, a medieval church stands guard over the handful of adobe homes where some 50 people live... Copyright © 2025, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. On how the new single “Babygirl” came together, the band states, “We’d been obsessing over Scott’s prolific output of material online and his overall body of work for years. Getting together with him in the studio and watching him get his hands on our collection of vintage keyboards was awe inspiring. He’s one of the greats.” To celebrate the tour and new music, The Black Keys will host more of their iconic “Record Hangs” – a series of meticulously planned all-vinyl dance parties hosted by Dan and Patrick and open to the public. The next Record Hangs will take place in Nashville on Saturday, March 22nd and Saturday, April 19th at Flamingo Cocktail Club. Tickets will be available at the door only. = Indicates support from Hermanos Gutiérrez • Indicates a previously announced tour date * Indicates previously announced UK date featuring support from Miles Kane #•5/23 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Casino & Resort Durant Grand Theater =•5/25 – Colorado Springs, CO – Ford Amphitheater =•5/27 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre =•5/29 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater =•5/30 – Boise, ID – Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden =•5/31 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater ^•06/01 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley ^•06/03 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre ^•06/04 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre ^•06/07 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park ^•06/08 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP ^•06/11 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion ^•06/12 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater ^•06/14 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage •6/26 – Odense, Denmark – Tinderbox Festival •6/28 – Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle •6/29 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Rockhall •7/1 – Berlin, Germany – Zitadelle Spandau •7/2 – Zurich, Switzerland – The Hall •7/4 – Marmande, France – Garorock •7/5 – Herouville Saint Clair, France – Beauregard Festival •7/6 – Nort-sur-Erdre, France – La Nuit De L’Erdre *• 7/8 – Leeds, England – Millenium Square *• 7/9 – Manchester, England – Castlefield Bowl *• 7/11 – London, England – Alexandra Palace Park • 7/12 – Bruges, Belgium – Cactus Festival • 7/13 – Weert, Netherlands – Bospop Festival • 7/15 – Vicenza, Italy – AMA Music Festival • 7/16 – Rome, Italy – Rock In Roma, Ippodromo delle Capannelle • 7/19 – Benicassim, Spain – Festival Internacional De Benicàssim • 7/20 – Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Spain – RockLand Art Fest # 8/9 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Event Center # 8/10 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Steel Stage + 8/13 – Forest Hills, NY – Forest Hills Stadium + 8/15 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion + 8/16 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway + 8/19 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater + 8/21 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre + 8/22 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center + 8/24 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater + 8/28 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion + 8/29 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts + 8/30 – Canandaigua, NY – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center + 8/31 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage + 9/3 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island ^•9/5 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Pavilion ^•9/6 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory ^•9/7 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre •9/11 – Mexico City, Mexico – Pepsi Center •9/20 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Music Festival There’s also a lot of history packed into the area with several Unesco World Heritage sites and monasteries While La Rioja is the smallest region in Spain it features a surprisingly diverse landscape quiet stone churches and all-important vineyards in the area make dramatic backdrops for an evening spent swirling world-famous wines and tasting regional versions of tapas It all adds up to make La Rioja an ideal destination for a unique retreat Here are the top reasons why you should add it to your travel list © agefotostock / Alamy Stock Photo World-renowned La Rioja is home to more than 500 vineyards producing around 300m litres of wine between them each year Connoisseurs and wine amateurs alike should book a tour at Bodegas Muga where you can learn about the winemakers’ techniques and taste your fair share of the velvety nectar as well if you’re interested in the history of the grape stop by the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture featuring five permanent and various rotating exhibitions dedicated to the art of winemaking La Rioja has its own kind of tapas Bar © James Sturcke / Alamy Stock Photo In La Rioja tapas are a bit different than those you’ll find in the rest of Spain with many specialising in one particular dish and it’s standard practice to bounce from one bar to the next to sample the plates – similar to a bar crawl but infinitely classier Bar Soriano serves delicious garlic mushrooms and shrimp while Umm No Sólo Tapas offers creamy croquettes Bar El Perchas is known for its pig ears stuffed in a bun Start hungry and visit as many places as you can © JUAN CARLOS MUÑOZ / Alamy Stock Photo While the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada dates back to 1158 it continued to be modified until the late 16th century with newfangled features such as a baroque tower and circular skylights added which uses colourful lights to guide you through its various gilded ornaments Up next is a guided tour of the ochre-brick Monasterio de Yuso This church’s interior is so elaborate that it’s described as “decadent gothic” © James Sturcke / Alamy Stock Photo Get ready for the booziest fight of your life The Haro Wine Festival takes place on Saint Pedro’s Day each year – 29 June After a 9am mass (to repent for what you’re about to do next) the whole town prepares for La Batalla del Vino (the Battle of Wine) Local winemakers supply tankers that participants use as ammunition for an all-out wine war dowsing everybody in sight with the staining red liquid When enough white shirts have been ruined forever the competitors head to Plaza de la Paz for live music and even more drinking Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy The landscape is wonderfully diverse Natural Feature © Alberto Paredes / Alamy Stock Photo Build up an appetite for your nightly wine and tapas tastings by hiking through the diverse nature parks dotting La Rioja or journey through the lush forests in the Sierra de la Demanda foothills venture to the southeastern valleys to find the hot springs of Cidacos and Alhama There are several thermal spas and outdoor pools to enjoy here © James Sturcke / Alamy Stock Photo Looking to inject some adrenaline into your trip Pedroso Canyon hosts canyoning excursions that cater to people of all levels If you’re feeling brave (and brought a change of clothes) For something a bit slower yet equally thrilling go up in a hot-air balloon to get a bird’s-eye view of the wineries that you’ll probably be visiting later there are numerous horseback-riding tours for when you get back down to earth © James Sturcke / Alamy Stock Photo The Camino de Santiago is also known as the Way of Saint James This ancient pilgrimage is a collection of different walking and cycling trails though they all lead to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia where Saint James the Great is rumoured to be buried winds through La Rioja and is a great way to take in the region’s mountains and rivers © Giulio Ercolani / Alamy Stock Photo La Rioja is incredibly close to Bilbao meaning it’s easy to rent a car for the day and venture out to see what it has to offer nibble on fresh Bay of Biscay seafood at the Ribera Market or simply pull up a chair in one of the many tapas bars Bilbao is one of the closest airports (and ferry ports) to La Rioja so you can start or end your holiday with a cultural weekend in the city Architecture Spain’s Most Impressive Bullrings Guides & Tips How to Spend the Perfect 24 Hours in Santander See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer Sports The Most Epic Hiking Trails in Spain's Sierra Nevada See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September Guides & Tips How to Attend a Bullfight in Spain Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November Food & Drink The 5 Best Food Markets in Madrid US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd In this easy and achievable stage with moderate slopes (the highest being 255 meters), the hiker will travel primarily along agricultural tracks, and through fields of grain and vines. The inability to find shade in the summer is the only difficulty of this day, almost a stroll. The ancient and pleasant Azofra for many walkers becomes a perfect resting area situated about 10 kilometres from next location with facilities the pilgrims can deviate from the ancient path and visit San Millán de la Cogolla from which they will return via another path to join the pilgrimage route a few kilometres later The final stretch of the day is on a long wavy path In this short stage, wheat crops will bit by bit take over the terrain of grapevines, the exit from Nájera (586.5 kilometres to Santiago) is accelerated by the area covered on the previous day passing through the majority of its urban centre The pilgrim takes the first steps behind the monastery of Santa María la Real a considerable slope of nearly a kilometre Now almost outside Nájera and among the impressive red hills at the foot of the mountains that protect the area a small stream is crossed to advance immediately afterwards to successive tracks and for nearly two kilometres down a paved path until reaching Azofra (14 kilometres to Santo Domingo de la Calzada) This noble Rioja village of Arab origin is nestled in the valley of the River Tuerto Its development and construction is due in large part to the Camino itself it is a clear example of village centred on its main road in which the houses were erected on the Jacobean Camino itself hikers will find all the facilities they need for their journey a restaurant and a bar with breakfast served from 06.00 am Until the nineteenth century this enclave had an old Pilgrim Hospital the cemetery built for pilgrims who died on their way to Santiago has not being conserved After re-provisioning conveniently-until the next stop 10 kilometres in distance and following a visit to the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (XVII and XVIII century) the route bids goodbye to Azofra and sets off down a path that leaves from small park It is at this point that those walkers interested in visiting San Millán de la Cogolla birthplace of the Spanish language and home to the famous and impressive monasteries of Suso and Yuso declared as World Heritage Sites by Unesco should deviate from the path and continue the LR-206 road towards Alesanco After 18 kilometres they will reach their destination Those pilgrims who wish to visit to San Millán but without adding extra kilometres have several options The cheapest would be to travel from Nájera by bus The bus group Jiménez covers this route and costs 1.72 euros Midweek times for departure are at 13.20 and 19.00 hours and Sundays at 09.00 hours (there are also the times of return journeys They can also visit this idyllic enclave by taxi Check the times on the link about the town of Nájera Please note that on Mondays both monasteries are closed Or continue the route For those who prefer to continue the Camino and not take this detour to the monuments the route continues along the calle Alesanco half-hidden fountain Fuente de los Romeros The trail then advances to the left on a track sometimes paved but mostly a dirt track and leads to Rollo Judicial del XVI century (12.4 kilometres to Santo Domingo de la Calzada) and afterwards to Cerro de los Templarios this type of monument originates from the Middle Ages a period in which small town centres were transformed into important urban enclaves and consequently required a justice system the sword of Rollo dissuades possible offenders from committing a crime the pilgrim says goodbye to the reddish land and its surrounding cereal fields which in the summer heat without the presence of shade converts this stretch into any hikers worst nightmare After completing a slight slope of one kilometre in the opinion of many experts on the ancient route is one of the biggest attacks on the pilgrimage route The pilgrim should border around the entrance to Cirueña (6.80 kilometres to Santo Domingo de la Calzada) because of a golf club and an urbanization which have caused the Jacobean route to move from its original route towards the neighbouring Ciriñuela either continue anyway in front of the complex or deviate towards the right and continue to Ciriñuela go past a statue paying homage to pilgrims and continue in front of the golf club bar (with a open restaurant menu of the day and Wi-Fi) in the direction of some chalets The ancient route only passes the calle Barrio Bajero Street of the enclave; it is then abandoned after passing the private hostel Virgen de Guadalupe on the left the route takes a path near to a roundabout above which there is a tribute to pilgrims it then moves to a track that continues straight ahead Those pilgrims choosing to walk to the right in the direction of Ciriñuela will also find facilities to recover strength in this village such as the private albergue Virgen de las Candelas or the Hostel of same name and in the company of those who travelled to San Millán and linked with the Cirueña route An important place Between progressive and slight curves and always in the company of cereal crops the route is now clear with no danger of getting lost Always straight ahead in the direction of Santo Domingo de la Calzada its silhouette and imposing cathedral can be seen from the plain by the river Oja A pleasant walk leads to the prologue of this famous place which is reached after crossing an industrial estate and turning left at a junction with the calle Cirueña the traveller will be in front of the football pitch Here the importance of the Jacobean miracle is sensed and subsequently discovered in this small town After turning left and proceeding along the calle Mayor and Calle 12 de Mayo The gentle terrain makes this stage an easy one for cyclists who also have the option to visit San Millán de la Cogolla If they choose to visit this monumental enclave they will cover a total of 55 kilometres in this stage A CORUÑA (ESPAÑA) Inscrita en el Registro Mercantil de A Coruña en el Tomo 2438 del Archivo Developed and managed byHyliacom it’s no surprise that el vino is a major draw for visitors to La Rioja from sleepy rural villages to dramatic mountain ranges Unesco-adored architecture and lashings of outstanding local gastronomy Courtesy of Eurostars Fuerte Ruavieja / Expedia Set on a quiet cobbled lane on the edge of Logroño old town the Eurostars Fuerte Ruavieja is just steps from the city’s leafy riverside parkland and historic centre Exposed stone walls are a reminder of the building’s historic credentials albeit with a thoroughly modern update throughout Plush red velvet lends rooms a touch of lavishness as does the shimmering mosaic in the hotel’s bijou spa Courtesy of Hotel Plaza de la Paz / Expedia Named after the pretty main square it overlooks tastefully modernised lodgings in the heart of Haro each smartly updated and most of them overlooking the plaza the location puts all the town’s best dining options within a short stroll Courtesy of Rusticae Hotel Teatrisso / Expedia Occupying a 17th-century mansion in the centre of the small village of Cuzcurrita Rusticae Hotel Teatrisso draws much of its character from its former incarnation as a movie theatre Guest rooms are dotted with references to its cinematic past alongside original architectural touches such as beamed ceilings and stone-arch windows plus there’s an honesty bar and a pretty courtyard where you can enjoy your tipple in the sun Courtesy of Eurostars Los Agustinos / Expedia With roots dating back to the 14th century Eurostars Los Agustinos has seen life as a convent hospital and even a prison before before becoming a hotel From its lofty vaulted ceilings to antique tapestries this property indeed feels flush with history though artfully modernised in just the right places all the town’s sights and eateries are within a short strolling distance Don’t miss the hotel’s own El Claustro restaurant however – it’s considered one of the area’s best Courtesy of Finca de los Arandinos / Expedia A dedicated wine hotel, Finca de los Arandinos is a modern and contemporary place to stay, just south of Logroño. Minimalist yet elegant, all its rooms afford spectacular views over the surrounding vineyards and olive groves the hotel also offers tours of its production rooms and cellars And with great wine comes great food – the on-site Tierra Restaurant prides itself on local quality produce and its zero-kilometre concept As well as its wine activities and gourmet offerings with a menu of relaxing and indulgent treatments Courtesy of Hostería San Millán / Expedia You’ll be staying inside a piece of history if you choose the Hostería San Millán, located within the Unesco-listed Monastery of San Millán de Yuso, which aided in the development of the Spanish language the hotel features 25 cosy rooms decorated in warm terracotta tones and through the arched windows are magnificent views over the whole monastery complex Wine and gastronomy play big roles at the hotel where you can sample traditional Riojan cuisine Courtesy of Hotel Palacio Tondón / Expedia Located in the town of Briñas the Hotel Palacio Tondón offers guests a combination of luxury it mixes original features such as exposed stone with glass and wood the rooms offer incredible views of either the river or the Tondón vineyards beyond which serves modern gastronomy using local and seasonal produce Courtesy of Hotel Marqués de Riscal / Expedia The Hotel Marqués de Riscal is undoubtedly one of the most amazing hotels in La Rioja. Designed by architect Frank Gehry, it mimics his design for Bilbao’s Guggenheim with its sheets of curved titanium and twisted metal It lies on the world-renowned Vinos de los Herederos del Marqués de Riscal wine estate surrounded by vineyards and the historic 150-year-old bodega guests can read beside the library’s open fireplace or visit the spa to enjoy wine-therapy treatments The food at the Restaurante Marqués de Riscal is so good that it was awarded a Michelin star Courtesy of Echaurren Hotel Gastronómico / Booking.com In the village of Ezcaray sits one of the best gastronomic hotels in the region – the Echaurren Hotel Gastronómico it combines sumptuous rooms with not one but four places to dine is the gourmet two-Michelin-star El Portal The hotel is a short drive from the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture and the town of Haro which is home to many century-old wineries Courtesy of Hospedería Señorío / Expedia You’ll find the Hospedería Señorio de Briñas in the village of Briñas, on the banks of the River Ebro but rather a cosy and luxurious hotel – among the first rural hotels in La Rioja It’s filled with original chunky wooden beams old stonework and elegant antique furniture some rooms also feature luxurious extras such as jacuzzis There’s also a relaxing spa and a stylish restaurant Courtesy of AC Hotel La Rioja by Marriott / Expedia Located in Logroño and founded by Spanish hotelier Antonio Catalán, this four-star hotel is part of the Marriott line and provides a comfortable stay near vineyards and urban pintxos establishments. Bordering the Basque Country the city has excellent food stalls in the old part of town with its quaint labyrinth of balconied buildings The hotel features a fitness centre with a Turkish bath and sauna spacious rooms and a lounge that serves local dishes and tapas Courtesy of Parador de Santo Domingo de la Calzada / Expedia Part of Spain’s prestigious collection of hotels set in historic monuments the Parador de Santo Domingo de la Calzada occupies a former 12th-century hospital Located in the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada the hospital was created by St Dominic to house pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago trail and to tend to their injuries Elegant Gothic arches and wooden coffered ceilings in the public areas combine with antique furniture and four-poster beds in the bedrooms the sumptuous hotel restaurant will make you feel as if you’re dining in a Medieval palace Leon Beckenham and Danielle Hallock contributed additional reporting to this article is that the ‘‘point’’ is so deliberately minimal — to arrive at the end — and the decisions involved so banal (stop for gas now or in a bit?) that the distinction between signal and noise is blurred or some billboard half-seen out the window of a bus is that it could easily be exchanged for the image taken immediately before or immediately afterward The random sample communicates in one unpremeditated frame all the significance that particular person’s drive down that particular road could possibly contain This is the aspiration common to road-trip literature and road-trip photography: The moment at the gas station is held to express as much about the total experience as the shot of the Eiffel Tower a tension between the stories we tell about the road and the photographs we take along the way When I’ve returned to things I’ve written about extended overland travel — whether a book or just emails to friends — I feel settled Though in each case I tried to capture the miscellaneous experience of that particular interlude the mood of each has inevitably been coerced into coherence and what it will now continue to mean in retrospective perpetuity overwrote the memories from which they were drawn Revisiting my photographs from those same trips is dislocating in a different way Always I find my photographs replete with remainders pedestrian details that contradict and undermine the equally pedestrian account I committed to words Drops of scarlet blood on a hard tarmac black as obsidian An overturned brass samovar in a dingy brown train compartment A bright alarum of pink cherry blossoms against a glass-flat cobalt sea fugitively apprehended as they might have been They don’t at all seem like random samples of the ongoing I remember now exactly what was so special about this They mutely twitch with escaped significance we are reminded of what was apprehended — and let go —GIDEON LEWIS-KRAUS, from the introduction to The Voyages Issue Andrea Frazzetta is a photographer from Italy who has traveled and photographed extensively throughout Africa Joachim Ladefoged is a photographer based in Denmark and a member of VII photo agency He has contributed to the magazine since 1999 David Maurice Smith is a Canadian documentary photographer based in Sydney whose work typically explores marginalized communities and the issues they face Sebastián Liste is a photographer based in Brazil and Spain specializing in documenting social and cultural changes in Latin America and the Mediterranean Raymond Meeks is a photographer based in the Catskills in New York He is working on a forthcoming series of collaborative journals under his publishing imprint 25 with a portfolio about Camino de Santiago the Christian pilgrimage route in Spain Spain — not in Santo Domingo de la Calzada A​n earlier version of a​ picture caption with this portfolio misidentified ​the ​ruins ​shown ​in the Sacred Valley The tiny province of La Rioja is distinguished by its ochre-coloured earth and bright blue skies, and by its famous wine (the official wine region also includes small parts of the neighbouring Basque Country and Navarre). 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A family is hoping to produce "small scale, high-quality" grapes grown in Guernsey. The next cup of coffee, Shein shopping haul and more may soon cost more as tariffs take effect Lorna and Trevor Jackson decided to plant the vineyard on spare land they had on their farm. Maxime Chapoutier makes wines that combine French and Australian grapes, a strict no-no in the EU. It used to be considered treason in France - but now, alcohol-free wine is here to stay. Here are a few things I learned along the way… This is one of the rare times you won't be able to rely on technology Internet and phone signals are sparse on the Camino; and unless you like the experience of not knowing how far you'll walk or where you'll sleep that night James in Your Backpack gave a great breakdown of places to stay and recommended mileage to cover each day are integral parts of the Camino experience and gave ourselves time to enjoy the towns along the way and by some we were dismissed as “not authentic pilgrims” (as travelers on the Camino are called) but it gave us the freedom to walk at own pace and know we had a place to sleep a little tip you might not read in the guidebook: We discovered that if you walked a little farther or stopped earlier than suggested in the books you might find smaller crowds and more agreeable hotels Some of our favorite towns for overnight stays were Cacabelos Final destination: the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela To get your official certificate (called ‘Compostela’) from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago de Compostela, you have to cover at least the final 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the Way on foot or horseback, and the final 200 kilometers (124 miles) on bicycle. The moment you arrive at the 100km-to-go mark, tourism groups and pilgrims start flooding the road. The experience is simply not the same. Start before the mark and take advantage of the solitude. The extra distance is worth every step. up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world Google developed technology that obscures faces and license plates on Google Maps While platforms like Google Maps offer valuable services for navigation they also raise apprehension about the exposure of personal information to a global audience With detailed imagery of residential areas on Google Maps your house becomes more vulnerable to burglaries or intrusions as it hinders your location privacy To address these privacy concerns and empower users with greater control over their online privacy Google introduced a valuable feature in 2022: the ability to blur your home on Google Maps This allows you to take proactive steps to ensure your residence remains safe from prying eyes Keep reading to learn how to blur your house on Google Maps in six easy steps While the blurring feature isn’t available on the Google Maps application you can access the platform through your preferred web browser on your smartphone Type your address in the search bar and hit the search icon You’ll see the image of your house in the top left corner and you will see the Street View of the location click on “report a problem” in the bottom right of the screen and a red box will appear over the image of your home You can zoom in or out using the plus and minus buttons on the right to choose the area you want to blur Google will ask you to identify what you want to blur Select “My home” and explain how much area you want blurred in the text box below Be as thorough as possible in the description so Google knows exactly what you want to blur Once you select the area or object you want to blur including the total area and objects you want blurred provide your email address and verify the CAPTCHA if prompted Your email is required so Google can contact you for additional information such as specifications about the area you want to blur Aside from your home, Google also allows you to blur sexually explicit content or hate speech and anything that violates their Street View Imagery Policy. privacy might also be a good reason for people to remove homes from Google Maps random strangers are only a few clicks away from knowing the color of your curtains the model of the car parked in front of the house and other details about your property A concerned parent may want to keep a child’s privacy intact or an abusive ex-partner might find it hard to learn more about their ex-partner if a house is blurred on Street View Apple Maps doesn’t allow you to blur the picture of your home by yourself. You can contact MapsImageCollection@apple.com and request a particular address to be blurred While blurring your home on Google Maps is a proactive step toward enhancing your digital privacy it’s important to remember that online security extends beyond mapping platforms images of your property may be publicly accessible on real estate brokerages and online property marketplaces like Zillow it’s a good idea to take your property photos off these websites as well For added protection against online threats, install antivirus software to ensure comprehensive security for your digital presence Panda Security specializes in the development of endpoint security products and is part of the WatchGuard portfolio of IT security solutions Initially focused on the development of antivirus software the company has since expanded its line of business to advanced cyber-security services with technology for preventing cyber-crime It’s stupid to block out your house retards do that Google 3D Earth you can’t block it and as a Sicilian born in beautiful Bensonhurst Brooklyn still here all i have to do is do drive by the house that’s it or I can see the house on real estate websites see people are stupid just like the retard who wrote this article I can understand why someone would want their residence blurred but the process is a little sketchy There is no verification as to who is requesting the blurring or if it’s even the homeowner Input your search keywords and press Enter Some consecrated women have made very serious accusations against Father Ivan Rupnik and the leadership of the Society of Jesus 🇮🇹Padre Rupnik accusato di violenze sessuali e psicologiche. Il silenzio dei gesuiti 🇪🇸  El padre Rupnik acusado de violencia sexual y psicológica. El silencio de los jesuitas We are talking about Father Marko Ivan Rupnik for many years director of the ‘Ezio Aletti’ Study and Research Centre Rupnik has realised famous artworks all over the world such as the mosaics in the ‘Redemptoris Mater’ Chapel in the Apostolic Palace here in the Vatican those in the basilicas of Fátima and San Giovanni Rotondo those on the façade of the Sanctuary of Lourdes at the Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Flowers in Bra and again in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Real de l’Almudena in Madrid the Chapel of the Bishopric of Tenerife in San Cristóbal de La Laguna the crypt of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada the Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration in Cluj the Sanctuary of Madonna Ta’ Pinu in Gozo and the Mother Church of Supersano At the moment, his work is focused on Sao Paulo, Brazil, where in the national shrine of Aparecida, the façades with mosaics designed by Rupnik are being completed. The esteem for the Slovenian priest was so high that the Pontiff in 2016, during the Jubilee of Mercy, celebrated a Holy Mass for the Aletti Centre in the Apostolic Palace The first accusations against the Jesuit were made back in 1995 when a consecrated woman reported that she had been plagiarised and suffered "psychological physical and spiritual abuse". The proceedings were opened and the woman was called to testify more than once Appointed for this delicate task was the current auxiliary bishop of Rome for the Central Sector Despite the fact that the latter has shown extreme rigour in many cases on this subject it must be emphasised that there are two reasons why he does not seem to be the most suitable person: Firstly he is the auxiliary bishop in charge of the clergy The consecrated woman reports: "I am bewildered by the fact that despite the serious accusations that have been made against him and for which I have been called to testify again Rupnik continues to give conferences around Italy and post his catecheses on YouTube" It is a heartfelt plea from a woman who abandoned her aspirations to follow Christ and found herself subjected to severe psychological and physical abuse "This sad reality makes me doubt that I have not been believed if the Church considers Fr Rupnik a reliable teacher," writes the consecrated woman The community where these abuses were allegedly committed was commissioned in 2021 and everything was done in the utmost secrecy and silence Why are there realities that are commissioned with a lot of publicity even involving the media? Perhaps because it is a Jesuit as always happens in cases of abuse of conscience we are talking about a man who is very powerful Father Dysmas De Lassus is very clear on this subject in his text Rischi e derive della vita religiosa when the abusers are people in high esteem it is difficult for the victim to get a hearing but the measures seem to have been very timid The woman reported that she was so traumatised that she even thought about death "I could not imagine that the sisters involved in the abuse were so many others" she said An immense suffering that was aggravated by the relationship of trust that saw Rupnik in the role of spiritual father and confessor of these women Yet, the investigation was conducted and the verdict seems to have arrived in January 2022. In fact, on 03 January 2022, the Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office reported: "The Holy Father this morning received in audience the Reverend Father Marko Ivan Rupnik the words "former Director of the Aletti Centre" do not appear What did Francis say to the Slovenian Jesuit?  Some in the Curia say that the Pontiff informed the Jesuit of the decision and invited him to a reserved life: no preaching, no public celebrations and a ban on confessions. But is this really the case? On 10 May 2022 Father Mark Rupnik preached a clergy retreat in Larino (Campobasso - Italy) The Superior General of the Society of Jesus signed a document that was also communicated to the Vicariate The accusations against the Jesuit are very heavy alleging the most serious abuse of trust towards his penitents to things that I reported punctually in the appropriate place" Yet the response of the members of the Society of Jesus was: to cover everything. The woman reports: "After my first complaint Rupnik with whom I spoke trying to explain what had happened Rupnik and those who became aware of the facts decided to cover everything with a blanket of silence". Father Hans Zollner heard about these accusations "The Church started "zero tolerance" slowly I believe the direction taken is irreversible Today this is a problem that is not discussed" Nelle nostre comunità le dinamiche sono ormai note Il vescovo ausiliare per il Settore nord lascia la Capitale per raggiungere una piccola diocesi in Piemonte © Copyright 2025 Silere Non Possum | Via Giorgio Scalia 10/B | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Web Agency Milano Silere non possum offre notizie esclusive ed approfondimenti che non trovi altrove Non abbiamo editori ma questo ha un prezzo Solo le donazioni dei nostri lettori ci permettono di esistere Con il tuo aiuto potremo raccontarti contenuti inediti sul Conclave You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Madrid Nuevo Norte’s urban model facilitates and promotes the use of bicycles as a means of transport an extensive 13-kilometre network has been designed which will connect the project with adjacent neighbourhoods and the Green Cycling Belt This urban model aims to reduce the trips made in private cars to 20% compared to 80% by public transport and other sustainable means including the bicycle as a real urban mobility alternative The new cycling lanes will be interconnected to form a unique network that will connect with the existing cycling infrastructures close to this area this new cycling network will link with the existing system of bicycle-friendly streets detailed in the ‘Bike Map’ published by the Madrid City Council it will connect with the axis formed by Mauricio Legendre Street and Llano Castellano and Nuestra Señora de Valverde avenues it will link up with Castillo de Candanchu Street and to the south with Mateo Inurria Street and Asturias Avenue The new cycling network will also merge into the Green Cycling Belt at Isabel de Colbrand and Monasterio de Arlanza streets the city’s primary cycling infrastructure will cross over the bridge that will be built over the rail yard at the extension of Santo Domingo de la Calzada Avenue size and technical solutions will be fully defined when the future urbanisation project is drafted both the ad hoc modification of the General Plan which defines the design and general layout of Madrid Nuevo Norte The document was initially approved last September and its final approval is expected in the coming weeks Account will be taken of the width recommended for cycling lanes by the Madrid City Council in its Public Road Guidelines The Madrid Nuevo Norte project will run along the north-south axis Two bike lanes will run through Agustín de Foxá and Mauricio Legendre streets shaping the direction of the cycling mobility flow in this project This will provide continuity to the cycling lanes in all areas and encourage its use This dual north-south axis will stitch together and connect the remaining planned bike lanes that will interconnect the adjacent neighbourhoods along the east-west axis Madrid Nuevo Norte also envisages standalone bike lanes on pedestrian walkways along the Puente la Reina Street; on the bridge that will extend Cardenal Herrera Oria Avenue; on the bridge at the end of Llano Castellano Avenue over the M-30 ring road; and in Hiedra and Viejas streets The project also envisages a network of bicycle parks or bike racks as well as BiciMad stations for the public bicycle sharing system They will be scattered across Madrid Nuevo Norte so that they can be readily accessed on foot From a village where goblins live to a church where a rubber duck is worshipped: these are the most unusual places you can visit in (or near) Madrid but they could not be more real: in the Community of Madrid (and its surroundings) it is possible to find a wide catalog of unusual places a church where a rubber duck is worshipped or a subway vault: the limit It is a hand-carved miniature village that has the sole purpose of being a place where children can spend hours playing and can even bring their own elves -or any other kind of creature- to stay and live there the village is constantly growing and what started out as just a few houses now needs to be divided into neighborhoods There are several hiking trails to choose from in Madrid -in this article we recommended a few- but making a trip to the municipality of Buendía (less than 150 kilometers from the capital) there is certainly an unusual one: the Ruta de las Caras (Route of the Faces) not only will you be able to see plant species -such as rosemary thyme and lavender- and animals -migratory birds such as cranes- but also 18 sandstone sculptures carved by Eulogio Reguillo and Jorge Juan Maldonado 📍Buendía (Cuenca enclave near Guadalajara) is a unique rock-hewn village located on the CM-2011 road between Brihuega and Masegoso de Tajuña Although it is currently closed to the public because it is privately owned and in poor condition its beauty can be admired from the outside Built between the 1950s and 1970s by the priest Aurelio Pérez stairs and waterfalls is reminiscent of both a Tibetan village and the caves of Cappadocia in the surroundings you can visit a waterfall and IMPORTANT NOTE: Civica is private property and is not in a good state of conservation so access is prohibited 📍Between Brihuega and Masegoso de Tajuña (Guadalajara) The Enchanted Forest is not really a forest It is a sculpture garden of 30,000 square meters that combines a botanical garden with more than 500 species of plants from all over the world and a natural museum with more than 300 tree sculptures features sculptures representing everything from dolphins and dragons to princesses and the Beatles aromatic plants and the Barbellido waterfall The tour lasts approximately two hours and offers a magical experience in contact with nature You have all the practical information of the space in this link dedicated more than half a century of his life to building a cathedral in Mejorada del Campo without blueprints and using recycled materials inspired by a mixture of castle and Romanesque cathedral eventually raising a structure 35 meters high and a central floor of 50 meters Although he did not live to see his work completed his legacy lives on in the monumental cathedral he erected it is the cathedral of the famous Aquarius ad A full-fledged oxymoron that worships without accountability to nothing more and nothing less than a rubber duck is a tiny chapel full of plastic ducklings that does not even take itself seriously and invites you not to take anything too seriously either The patholic church was created on December 28 who plays the papa-to every Sunday in a hilarious mass it has received numerous curious and funny people who want to photograph its ornate decoration and know what its peculiar ten commandments are Spoiler: the first of them is “Thou shalt love good humor above all things” distributed on two floors full of objects of great personal value to their distinguished owners: from the pipe used by Antonio Buero Vallejo to the first collection of poems by Miguel Hernández the Cervantes Institute organizes visits in which it is possible to tour the large safe and see the outside of the famous armored chests You can also explore this unusual place when the Institute hosts exhibitions The Puerta del Hierro area hides a subway walkway with a church that has been under the M-30 since 1978 Santo Domingo de la Calzada was built to take advantage of the space left by one of the half-barrel vaults under the road Already during its first years of life in the city the temple suffered significant deterioration due to its roof This material caused water filtrations every time it rained Today it has a resistant roof that has partially solved the problem and masses are still celebrated inside despite its particular location Why does Carabanchel have aBritish-style garden with 600 graves when the Spanish clergy made it difficult for non-Catholics to be buried with dignity the British authorities obtained permission to build the Englishmen’s Cemetery where now rest people like Charles Clifford pioneer of Spanish photography; the minister Arthur Ferdinand Yencken; Margarita Kearney Taylor Izzy Showbizzy has presented a cheque to emergency medical charity CRITICAL after she completed a 120km fundraising trek across the Camino The Big Drive Home presenter raised €2,700 through her fundraising page which is going towards the expansion of the charity’s teams of volunteer responders.  CRITICAL volunteers responded to more than 830 calls so far this year including cardiac arrests and road traffic collisions CEO of CRITICAL said: “A heartfelt thank you to Izzy fellow walkers and the cyclists for their time and commitment to complete the trip Together with everyone at CRITICAL we appreciate all your efforts and your fundraising A sincere thank you to everyone who donated It costs €1,500 to provide a responder with an emergency backpack containing a defibrillator a resuscitation kit and a medical diagnostic kit The funds raised will enable us to carry on our vital work and expand our services to more of Ireland.” The trip began in Logrono in northern Spain and travelled through undulating farmland and vineyards Spending nights in Najera in the famous wine-making region of La Rioja Belorado and Atapuerca before finishing in Burgos a gastronomic journey that your palate will greatly appreciate Proof that the Italian culture spreads throughout the capital of Seville is the number of restaurants dedicated to this gastronomy A guide to the best Italian restaurants in Seville pizzas and some meat and fish options complete this purely Italian menu their pastiera napoletana or the panna cotta they make here are out of this world of course) and the possibility of ordering for delivery Infallible keys to never fail with this first class Italian one of the most promising Italian restaurants in Seville In this small and cozy restaurant in Seville they serve authentic Italian food There’s no shortage of sensational starters like their Italian cheese tasting or their parmigiana di melanzane We recommend the tagliatelle al tartufo or the asparagus and speck risotto There are also other classic Italian dishes perhaps less known but which do not deserve attention such as the maialino al forno or the cotoletta alla milanese with potatoes Located in the facilities of the former Real Casa de la Moneda it maintains the original distribution of the XXI century and is a delight of space Deciding on just one of its pastas or any of its gastronomic proposals would be a great understatement It is no coincidence that this franchise is a success in Seville It has four locations in the hipalense in which the best Italian recipes are combined with an innovative touch Among its many virtues are its tagliatelle a la carbonara, truffle risotto or barbecue pizza with cane honey Four friends came up with this project in 2001 and since then they have been fully dedicated to bringing us the best Italian gastronomy to Seville Do not expect rocking dishes, because in Maccheroni less is more and of the best quality, here they are in charge of elaborating their pastas and prepare one of the best tiramisús in Seville Don’t forget the best: their Neapolitan pizzas are a true statement of intent but they also do other incredible dishes to perfection such as the almadraba tuna tataki with pineapple sautéed vegetables and Mediterranean-style aioli Since it opened on Calle Cuna at the end of the 1970s, this Italian restaurant has become one of the best in Seville Although all its restaurants have their own personality and adapt to the space in question in all of them you can breathe the industrial atmosphere of New York with Neapolitan touches with the wood-fired oven as the undisputed protagonist Their success is measured by these four slogans: dough the dough is made with Italian strength flour that is left to rise for 48 hours to obtain a double fermentation The result: pizzas that are thin and elastic in the center with fluffy edges and ingredients imported from Italy One of the most popular pizzerias in Seville Il Vesuvio is one of the most consecrated Italian restaurants in Seville so much so that it was once known as one of the essential gastronomic temples of the city although its linguine al Vesuvio is not to be underestimated    El expresidente de la Real Federación Española de Fútbol ofrecerá una charla el sábado 28 de agosto en la Oficina de Turismo de Santo Domingo de la Calzada sobre su vinculación con la localidad calceatense y el fútbol    La conferencia está organizada por el Club Deportivo Fundación Cultural La Calzada aprovechando que Ángel María Villar suele veranear en esta ciudad desde hace décadas    El aforo será limitado y los asistentes deberán respetar las medidas establecidas por las autoridades sanitarias para hacer frente al Covid-19    El acto estará presentado por el locutor de radio se abrirá un coloquio en el que podrán participar todos los que lo deseen fue jugador del Athletic Club de Bilbao durante diez temporadas siendo internacional absoluto con la Selección Española en 22 ocasiones fue presidente de la Federación Vizcaína de Fútbol desde 1981 hasta 1988 y de la Real Federación Española de Fútbol durante 30 años se consiguieron los mayores éxitos de la historia del fútbol español: la Copa del Mundo en 2010 y las Eurocopas de 2008 y 2012    Licenciado en Derecho y uno de los fundadores de la Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles (AFE) también fue vicepresidente de la UEFA y de la FIFA así como presidente de la UEFA en funciones de 2015 a 2016 Diez años sin entrar al país: EEUU advierte de la sanción a los españoles que sobrepasan el límite de 90 días del ESTA La Federación Profesional del Taxi convoca una movilización el día 20 tras las 8.500 licencias de VTC a Cabify Detienen a 5 personas de una empresa de trabajo temporal en Fuerteventura por delitos contra derecho de trabajador Mercadona abre un nuevo supermercado eficiente en Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Nuevo método matemático revoluciona la resolución de ecuaciones Portal de actualidad y noticias de la Agencia Europa Press Their most magical majesties return one more year to stroll through the streets of Madrid From January 3 some districts will have their own parade In the capital and surrounding areas there will be at least 10 Three Kings parades this 2025 spread across the districts between January 3 and 5 The main and most multitudinous will be the central Cavalcade Balthazar and their entire entourage will make their traditional tour of Madrid on the eve of Three Kings’ Day There are 10,500 seats available for those who want to enjoy it from the stands that have been placed along the route which will be accessed in order of entry from 17:00 pm The starting point will be the Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz From there it will go along Paseo de la Castellana and pass through Plaza del Doctor Gregorio Marañón Paseo de Recoletos and arrive at Cibeles at around 9:00 pm Aldeas Infantiles will distribute 7,500 free portions of roscón In Barjas the Three Wise Men will ride along Avenida de Logroño the Ermita de la Virgen de la Soledad traffic circle Avenida General and ends with activities in Plaza Mayor de Barajas The cavalcade starts at Paseo Alberto Palacios Virgen de los Desamparados street and ends at Manojo de Rosas There will also be family activities at the end of the route Their Majesties the Three Wise Men of the East leave from the San Fermín Cultural Center (Avenida San Fermín The route will continue along Avenida de Andalucía then Avenida de los Poblados and Avenida Rafaela Ybarra Candy will also be distributed along the streets Cristo de la Victoria The end of the route will be at the Municipal Board (Avenida de Rafaela Ybarra where there will be a “Royal Reception” and children can deliver their letters The chocolatada will be in the square of the esplanade of the Municipal Board of Usera The royal procession of Carabanchel leaves from Avenida de la Peseta and continues along Avenida de Carabanchel Alto General Ricardos and ends at the traffic circle of Marqués de Vadillo where a family show will be held and the Three Wise Men will welcome the children The three wise men have as their starting point in Moratalaz the street Corregidor Diego de Valderrábano (corner with C/ Ramón Areces) The royal procession will start at Avenida de Moratalaz Avenida de Moratalaz and Pico de los Artilleros At Corregidor Conde de Maceda y Taboada square it will continue along Hacienda de Pavones and Fuente Carrantona streets The procession will leave from Avenida del Marqués de Corbera passes through the streets Francisco Villaespesa Alcalá and its end is at Avenida Institución Libre de Enseñanza 16 (in front of the Municipal Board of the District of Ciudad Lineal) the Three Wise Men will address a few words to the children of the district of Ciudad Lineal in the square located in front of the main door of the Municipal Board of Ciudad Lineal (avenida de la Institución Libre de Enseñanza The parade will run along Bravo Murillo street from the Cuatro Caminos traffic circle to the headquarters of the Junta Municipal de Tetuán From 18:00 h and until the arrival of the Three Wise Men there will be a children’s show on the facade of the Junta Municipal and to finish there will be a reception of letters by SS MM los Reyes de Oriente where thousands of balloons will be released to celebrate The route of the Three Wise Men will start at Rayo Vallecano street in Madrid and end at Paseo Federico García There Their Majesties will receive the little ones It will leave from the Junta Municipal del Distrito (Nave de Terneras) to the Oficina de Atención a la Ciudadanía (Paseo de la Chopera The route of the San Blas-Canillejas cavalcade will run along the streets San Román del Valle The Three Wise Men will start from Avenida Pío XII (height shopping center) and will go through Plaza de Perú Nuremberg and Pradillo streets to finish their journey at Berlin Park Procession of the Three Wise Men accompanied by light parades The departure will be from the Centro Sociocultural Las Tablas and will continue along the streets Viloria de La Rioja It will end in style at the Christmas Fair You can check all the information about the parades of Madrid in this web link