Puente La Reina

The blister stuff worked, mostly. We were able to walk the 20 km to this village with comparative ease. We even managed a 5km detour to look at a beautiful old Celtic church. The journey climbed a few hundred feet, but it was nothing to a couple of seasoned Pyrenees crossers such as ourselves. For most of the day we have been walking through fields of new wheat and rye. The countryside is breathtaking: a constant reminder that we New Zealanders don't have a monopoly on beautiful andscapes. There are eagles and hawks in the air. The hawks are hunting, I think, the clouds of swifts which nest under the eaves of many houses. I am told there are vultures, and as we got nearer Punta La Reina we bagan to see storks, nesting untidily on any tall point they could find.

Puente La Reina is named after it's famous old bridge. For many centuries this old stone marvel has been helpfully keeping people out of the water. There is a modern bridge half a mile away from it which is used by traffic and also by the visitors, from which to take photos of the old bridge.

We got here at 2:00 to find the town shut down for the eminently sensible phenomenon of siesta. It´s 6 now and the place is starting to open up again. The shops are all open and the restaurants and bars just starting to prepare for the busy evening ahead. And I have to find somewhere or something to eat. Buenos Noches.

Comments

Verna said…

I find it odd that there is a celtic church in Spain, but I am also glad that you are not running with the bulls in Pamplona! Having spent the last year praying for healing etc for you it wouldn't be good to risk it running from bulls [or rotten tomatoes either]! Go well both of you.

14 May 2009 at 21:06

Kelvin Wright said…

There was is? of course a significant celtic presence in Spain
I dont know what the history of that little church was i but it is a twelfth century church built on much more ancient and mysterious foundations, the way many things are here.Içve ben walking som of today on Roman roads. Evrbody seems to call in hre at some stage or other.

14 May 2009 at 21:22

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