San Juan del Mercado
The Church of San Juan del Mercado in Benavente is over one thousand years old and retains a silently mysterious atmosphere which I loved.
A visit to Sanguesa
I thought we should have a visit to Sanguesa while staying in the Parador of Olite. We had popped into the town on a previous visit and I thought it would be interesting to return. A brief history Sanguesa was … Continued
Uncastillo
We only had one more day in Sos and the weeks in Spain were rapidly coming to an end. I was a bit nervous about another day in the car but strapped myself into the surgical belt and we set … Continued
Romanesque Churches outside Zamora
We found two wonderful Romanesque churches outside Zamora, just beyond the walls. So many of these early churches inside the walls have been changed, or highly decorated. It was a joy to find these two which remain much simpler.
The road from Ribadeo to Oviedo
We set off from Ribadeo after a few restful and interesting days. The weather had been good but we started our journey to Oviedo in the pouring rain under grey skies. We nevertheless planned to visit Castro de Coana, Luarca … Continued
Monastery of San Miguel de Escalada
The Monastery of San Miguel de Escalada is about 10 kms away from the Convent of Santa Maria la Real in Gradefes and it is another magical and surprising church in countryside which feels very remote.
Lebena & Frama and churches 1,000 years old
At the Monastery at San Toribio I saw a map with the names of monasteries and churches in the surrounding areas. We were staying in Cambarco and nearby there were important monasteries, so off we went to explore! Lebeña and … Continued
Travel in France – Routes des Verrieres
Day 13 of Travel in France was a combination of walk and the pursuit of glass blowing! I wanted to explore some of the villages on the Routes des Verrières, starting with Claret and its wonderful, small, contemporary museum. The museum has a permanent … Continued
Travel in France, Notre Dame d’Orcival
Notre Dame d’Orcival is a Romanesque church in a tiny village, deep in a valley in the Auvergne. The church was built in the 12C You may be interested in Images of Notre Dame d’Orcival Edith Wharton: A Motor-Flight through France … Continued