산티아고 아르곤 #4

Day 4 - Jaca to Arres

 

and no bunk beds!	Calle Mayor at dawn
The church of Santiago which has a special service for pilgrims at 8 pm each day. It was very crowded, and the pilgrims are called up for a blessing at the end of the service	Statue of Ramiro I who founded the kingdom of Aragon with Jaca as its capital
The castle at Jaca
There is a turning around here to a steep mountain path leading to the monastery of San Juan de la Pena.	The alternative (followed here) is to walk 13 km. on the flat, and then walk or hitch-hike (very easy) up the road from near Santa Cilia
	Amazing carpets of crocuses
Phantom photographer in the early morning light
	Beginning to get hot, and some welcome shade
	Distant view of Santa Cilia and the road to San Juan de la Pena
The Hotel Aragon at the turning has a very inviting swimming pool	Carvings at the monastery of San Juan de la Peña (11th century)
	Magnificent stonework
First view of the cloister	Detail
The huge rockface overhanging the cloister Some 3 km. higher up the mountain is the new monastery, which is currently (2003) undergoing a major restoration to turn it into a cultural centre and a museum of the kingdom of Navarre. It is a magnificent structure, and it is good that some new use has been found to preserve it
View back down the valley	Fiesta in Santa Cruz de la Sera, the site of the most famous nunnery in Aragon
Romaneque parish church	Roadside fuente
Back on the camino again after the diversion to the monastery
Entering Santa Cilia
Pleasant side street with an excellent bar
Road crossing
Very good section for flowers
The camino running alongside the road for a short section before Puente La Reina - caravan site with restaurant just visible on the right	Leaving the road for a section through the woods
	and an excellent view of the bridge from which Puente La Reina gets its name. (not to be confused with the much larger town of the same name near Pamplona, where this Camino joins with the main camino Francés
There is no refugio in Puente La Reina	so one has to walk on to Arrés
quite a tough little section
but well worth it	to stay in a small hill village
with a good refugio	with excellent facilities
friendly hospitaleros	and a good yard for sitting out and chatting