Day 2: Jaca to Arres

This section of the camino is 25 KM. This section is almost all downhill, except for a steep climb just before Arres.

This route first passes by the Ermita de la Victoria, which celebrates Christian victories over Muslims in 732 and 778. The present building was built in 1816, after the previous church was destroyed during the Napoleonic wars.

The route then goes by a scenic viewpoint over la Canal de Berdun, a kind of valley with many historic Romanesque churches.

Next comes a very old venta, or lodging, Venta de Esculabolsas. Near here is a road that goes to Santa Cruz de la Seros and San Juan de la Pena. Both of these places are worth the detour, which might mean staying t

he night in Santa Cicilia de Jaca, instead of going on to Arres.

Santa Cicilia de Jaca, where there is an albergue for pilgrims. Bakeries in this town make a special kind of country-style bread called "pan de hogaza," which is round, and in this town, produces very few crumbs when cut. Mmmmmmm.

Walking some more, we come to a stone bridge that crosses the Aragon river to Puente de la Reina de Jaca. There has been a bridge in this location for a long time, perhaps since Roman times, since the Roman highway between Zaragoza and Bearn crossed the Aragon river here.

The bridge was rebuilt several times during the middle ages. The bridge is identified with the Aragonese royal family, but no one knows which queen is associate with the bridge, although there are several candidates. The bridge led to a town called Astorito, and there were inns on both sides of the bridge for pilgrims and other travelers. The village of Astorito disappeared and it's exact location is not known. The present town was built in the 20th century and took the name Puente de la Reina de Jaca, which distinguishes it from other bridges with the same name, such as one near where the Camino Aragones joins the Camino Frances.

Finally, there is the uphill walk to Arres.

Here is a picture of the Hospital de Peregrinos in Arres. It is run by the city, and previously was the house where teachers lived. For that reason, I am anxious to see this particular Hospital.

Detour to Santa Cruz de la Seros and San Juan de la Pena

It's well working taking a detour off the Camino to visit these two locations.

Santa Cruz de los Seros, 4 KM south of the camino, is an ancient town with traditional stone buildings, with peaked roofs covered with tile. Notice the small "espantabrujas" (scare-witches) statues on the roofs to ward off bad luck. Santa Cruz de los Seros is the site of the Benedictine community of nuns that moved to Jaca in 1555. The church, Santa Maria de los Seros, still stands.

Walking7 KM further south, we come to the monastic complex of San Juan de la Pena, which was founded in the 10th century. The old monastery has chapels in Mozarabic and Romanesque styles. The new monastary was build in the 1675 after a fire in the old monastary, but then abandoned in the 19th century "desmortizacion"--a government-led reform of the holdings of the Catholic Church. The complex now houses a a modern hotel, a conference center, and interpretive centers.

After the visit, pilgrims retrace their steps back to the Camino.

Day 1: Somport to Jaca

The first leg of the Camino Aragones is about 30 KM. Somport is a tiny town first documented in history in the 11th century, and is mentioned in the Codex Calixtinus, the first guide to the Camino, published in the 12th century and attributed to the pope who first promoted the Camino widely.

Near Somport, pilgrims can see the ruins of a "hospital" for pilgrims. (Hospital in this case refers more to a lodging place for pilgrims. (The English, French, and Spanish words for both hospital and hotel descend from this word, since the medieval hospitals provided care for sick pilgrims in addition to lodging for all.

Jaca has at least two interesting places to visit. The Cathedral, pictured top, is an interesting example of high romanesque architecture. It was built in about 1603. The Monastary of the Benedictinas, pictured bottom. is an amalgam of constructions, the oldest of which is from about the 12th century. In 1555 the Benedictine sisters of Santa Cruz de los Seros, a place I want to visit later in the Camino Aragones. The Monastary contains a very well preserved Romanesque burial crypt the sisters brought with them when they moved from Santa Cruz.

Starting Out

I have wanted to go on the pilgrimage to Santiago, Spain, since I first learned of it in 1978. I hope to finally go on the pilgrimage in summer of 2011.

The Camino de Santiago is an ancient pilgrimage route to the purported tomb of one of Jesus's apostles, James, in Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, northwest Spain. Pilgrims have followed this route since the tomb was found early in the ninth century. Pilgrims traveled from all over Europe because they believed doing so would win remission from their sins.

I want to make the pilgrimage because of its cultural and spiritual significance. I am not sure whether we can win remission from our sins. I am more interested in the transformative nature of the experience: overcoming a challenge, meditating on my values and actions.

There are many routes to Santiago. I plan to follow the Camino Aragones, which begins in the mountains of Aragon until it joins the Camino Frances at Puente Reina, through La Rioja, Castille, Leon, and Galicia to Santiago.

The Camino Aragones is about 160 KM from Somport to Puente Reina, and I expect to cover it in 6 days of walking. From Puente Reina, it's about 660 KM more, which I hope to cover in 29 days. I anticipate taking a couple of detours off the route to visit important sites along the way. For example, on the Camino Aragones, I want to detour to San Juan de la Pena, to see the royal tombs there. I also plan on stopping for a day or two in major places on the route, such as Burgos, to rest and to take time to visit the sites there, just as pilgrim in the middle ages might do. In general, I want to cover about 20-25 KM per day when I am walking.

The blog is dedicated to the person who first introduced me to the Camino de Santiago in 1978, my professor of Spanish Art, Dr. Basilio Losada.