This post is based primarily on
Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our Camino in 2016.
When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers
or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany
this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was
taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of
the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain
Wikimedia Commons) indicate that source in the caption.
We
woke at 6 am and went to breakfast in Hotel
O Cruceiro at 7 am, but they were late getting the (continental) buffet set
up.
We
departed at 8 am, still in the dark.
Saturday, September 24, 2016, 8:14 AM – Caldas de Reis: small, mixed hórreo across street from Hotel O
Cruceiro (mild telephoto 81 mm).
We
went to the Calle Real to pick up the Camino route but saw no arrows or scallop
shell markers until, following Brierley directions, we turned left (merged)
onto the N-550 highway and the first Camino signs indicated to turn off the
highway to the right, down onto a path by the Río Bermaña river.
MT 8:15 AM – Caldas de Reis: pink clouds near
sunrise on path by Río Bermaña near viaduct.
MT 8:20 AM – Caldas de Reis: sunrise on path
by Río Bermaña near viaduct.
8:18 AM – After Caldas de Reis: Camino marker
post P.K. 40.893.
8:25 AM – After Caldas de Reis: long, old-looking stone
hórreo (sides looked like wood but
were concrete with narrow vertical vents) with metal door in side and pinnacle
and cross finals on roof, in light fog (mild telephoto 49 mm).
8:25 AM – After Caldas de Reis: date on gable
of that old-looking stone hórreo seems
to read “1976” (telephoto 156 mm).
8:29 AM – After Caldas de Reis: path through
woods.
Half of this stage would be on
natural paths through mature woodlands. Otherwise, most of the route was on
quiet country roads. There were only two short stretches on the main road
(highway N-550), first when leaving Caldas de Reis and later when entering
Padrón. However, the Camino route follows the axis of the N-550 all the way to
Padrón.
Soon,
we came to the village of Cruceiro.
Cruceiro or O Cruceiro is a village in the parish
of Carracedo in the municipality of Caldas de Reis in the province of
Pontevedra. (Strangely enough, there is a town called Cruceiro de Carracedo in
the province of A Coruña, much farther north in Galicia.)
Santa
Mariña de Carracedo
or just Carracedo is a parish (pop. 799) in the municipality of Caldas de Reis,
located to the north of the city of Caldas de Reis. Villages in this parish
include O Cruceiro, O Campo, and Casalderrique, through which the Camino route
would pass.
Santa
Mariña de Aguas Santas (St. Marina of the Holy Waters) was a martyr,
probably legendary, venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Her biography
mixes legend and facts that could be real. According to tradition, she was born
around 119 AD, the daughter of the Roman governor of Galicia and Lusitania. One
of twins, she was born while her father was out on a campaign. Her mother
feared being accused of infidelity (it was thought that multiple births were
due to the concupiscence [abnormally strong sexual desires] of women) and gave
the child to her maid Sila to drown in the river. However, Sila, who was a
Christian, did not want to kill them. She had them baptized, and they grew up
as Christians at a time when that religion was still persecuted. Eventually,
the governor learned that they were his children and invited them to renounce
Christianity and come to live with him in luxury. When they refused, they were
condemned and had to flee. Mariña was beheaded in 139 in the village now called
Aguas Santas (Holy Waters) because, where her severed head hit the ground,
three springs of water flowed forth. Images of this saint show her with a palm
branch (symbol of martyrdom) in one hand and sometimes with a cross with a pennant
in the other.
9:18 AM – Cruceiro: cruceiro by vineyard – side with Crucified Christ at top (mild
telephoto 49 mm).
9:18 AM (Cropped) – Cruceiro: cruceiro by vineyard – base of side with
Crucified Christ at top; relief on base shows Christ being taken down from
cross.
9:18 AM – Cruceiro: cruceiro by vineyard – other side with unidentified figure (probably
Santa Mariña with a palm branch) at top and two smaller figures on shaft,
backlit in morning sun with light fog, with utility pole in background (mild
telephoto 49 mm).
9:19 AM – Cruceiro: base of that cruceiro (with relief on nailing Christ
to cross) with house and hórreo in
fog in background (mild telephoto 49 mm).
9:19 AM – Cruceiro: that hórreo with sides that look like wood slats but are actually
concrete with narrow vertical vents, and cross and pinnacle finials on roof, in
fog (telephoto 105 mm).
9:19 AM – Cruceiro: sign for “Pilgrims” – in
30 meters sello for the credencial [at] Café-Bar Esperón, with
WiFi; small sign below it for village of O Cruceiro.
We
stopped for sellos at Café-Bar Esperón and met our Spanish
friend from Pontevedra, who had rejoined us here after stopping at home.
9:26 AM – Cruceiro: Café-Bar Esperón – MT and
our Spanish friend from Pontevedra.
Cruceiro: sello from Café-Bar Esperón, for “Santa Mariña de Carracedo –
Caldas de Reyes – Sellos del Peregrino” with scallop shell, female saint (probably
Mariña with a palm branch. Symbol of a martyr), the cruceiro.
The web site www.lossellosdelcamino.com shows a
different sello for “Café-Bar Esperón
– Santa Mariña de Carracedo – Caldas de Reyes – Sellos del Peregrino” with only
the scallop shell pictured.
9:20 AM – Cruceiro: two mixed or stone hórreos (again, sides looked like wood
but may actually be concrete with narrow vertical vents, one on right painted
to look like wood?), one with no finials on roof and other with pinnacle and
cross finials, on narrow road with vineyards.
9:27 AM – Cruceiro: mixed or stone hórreo on narrow road with vineyards
(again, sides looked like wood but may actually be concrete with narrow
vertical vents, this one on right painted to look like wood?), and with
pinnacle and cross finials; the other hórreo
farther down on left has no finials on roof and sides look more like concrete.
9:27 AM – Cruceiro: that second mixed or
stone hórreo with no finials on roof
and sides look more like concrete with narrow vertical vents.
9:27 AM – Cruceiro: other end of that second
mixed or stone hórreo with no finials
on roof and sides look more like concrete with narrow vertical vents; this one
had a metal rail on steps leading up to door on this wide, concrete end.
9:28 AM – Cruceiro: another, mixed hórreo with no finials on roof and sides
look like actual wood slats; this one also had a metal rail on steps leading up
to door on this end (mild telephoto 56 mm).
9:29 AM – Cruceiro: pumpkins.
9:30 AM – Cruceiro: side view of another, stone
hórreo with pinnacle and cross finials
on roof and sides look like concrete with narrow vertical vents, by another
vineyard.
9:31 AM – Cruceiro: side and end view of that
stone hórreo with pinnacle and cross
finials on roof and sides look like concrete with narrow vertical vents, and
with wooden door on concrete end (telephoto 119 mm).
9:31 AM – Cruceiro: side and end view of
another, painted stone hórreo with
pinnacle finial on roof and sides that look like concrete with narrow vertical
vents.
9:31 AM – Cruceiro: another stone hórreo with no finials on roof and sides
that look like concrete with narrow vertical vents (telephoto 93 mm).
9:32 AM – Cruceiro: Igreja de Santa Mariña,
from distance (mild telephoto 72 mm).
The Igreja de Santa Mariña de Carracedo (Church of St. Mariña of Carracedo)
is located in the parish of Carracedo. In remote times, there were many
pilgrims who walked the Camino Portugués and saw this church as a place to rest
and pray. The origins of the church are uncertain, although there are foundations
of what could have been a Romanesque church linked to the pilgrims.
Today, the church has a sober
façade with a semicircular arch over the door, above which a triangular
pediment shelters the image of Santa Mariña. A large Baroque tower with two
sections adorns the left side of the façade. In the great atrium, there is a
small rectory house next to a cruceiro
there the cross at the top is missing. Next to the church complex are the ruins
of what used to be a large rectory house that preserves the remains of a large hórreo belonging to the clergy.
9:32 AM – Cruceiro: Camino marker post P.K.
36.419, near Igreja de Santa Mariña.
9:33 AM – Cruceiro: Igreja de Santa Mariña –
bell tower and façade, closer up.
Cruceiro: Igreja de Santa Mariña – bell tower and façade
(commons.wikimedia.org).
9:33 AM – Cruceiro: Igreja de Santa Mariña –
image of Santa Mariña on triangular pediment above door in façade (telephoto
187 mm).
9:34 AM – Cruceiro: bulletin board near
Igreja de Santa Mariña, of C.M.V.M.C. Carracedo (apparently a bank), with
notices posted.
9:34 AM (Cropped) – Cruceiro: notices on bulletin
board near Igreja de Santa Mariña, including a bando (proclamation) of a “Programa Integrado de Emprego ‘Mais
Emprego 2016’” (Integrated Program of Employment “The Best Employment 2016”) to
be implemented by the municipality of Cuntis together with that of Caldas de
Reis in order to train young people for the labor market, signed by the Mayor of
Caldas de Reis on September 9, 2016 with the seal of the Alcaldía (municipal
headquarters/mayor’s office) of the Concello de Caldas de Reis (the coat of
arms and name of Concello de Caldas de Reis also appear at the top of the page);
at right, there are also a death notice and a notice of the first anniversary of
another death. “D.E.P.” is the abbreviation for descance en paz (rest in peace, RIP).
Cuntis is a
municipality in the northwest of the province of Pontevedra. It is located 27
km north of the provincial capital and is part of the comarca (district) of Caldas. It borders the municipality of Caldas
de Reis to the west. The web site of Concello de Cuntis has a copy of the same
proclamation, but signed by the Mayor of Cuntis and with the seal and coat of
arms of that municipality.
Caldas is a comarca in the province of Pontevedra.
This comarca includes the
municipalities of Caldas de Reis, Catoira, Cuntis, Moraña, Pontecesures, Portas, and Valga. (See Appendix
C for explanation of comarca.)
Soon,
we came to the village of Campo.
9:34 AM – Campo: sign for entering village.
Campo or O Campo is a village in the parish of Santa
Mariña de Carracedo in the municipality of Caldas de Reis.
9:35 AM – Campo: cruceiro – side with Virgin and Child at top and unidentified
figures on shaft, backlit.
9:35 AM – Campo: cruceiro – other side with Crucified Christ at top.
9:39 AM – Campo: view, across cornfield, of
mixed hórreo with cross and pinnacle
finials on roof and open door on side, but with no third gable above that door (telephoto
156 mm).
9:41 AM – Campo: another, mixed hórreo with pinnacle finial on roof and
horizontal vents on this stone end.
9:41 AM – Campo: side and other end of same
mixed hórreo with [cross] and
pinnacle finials on roof and horizontal vents on end with fancy arch over door
(mild telephoto 56 mm).
9:42 AM – Campo: another, mixed hórreo with cross and pinnacle finials
on roof and supported on transverse walls rather than pillars (telephoto 156
mm).
9:42 AM – Campo: MT and two German ladies
from Berlin that we walked with and MT talked with them, particularly the red-haired
one, for a long time (telephoto 119 mm).
9:50 AM – After Campo: road sign, by
vineyard, pointing to Gorgullón, where we did not go.
9:51 AM – After Campo: road sign pointing to
Casalderrique, where we were going (telephoto 105 mm).
9:51 AM – Casalderrique: sign for entering
town.
10:10 AM – After Casalderrique: gravel path
along highway N-550, on which we walked for a long time.
MT 10:51 AM – After Casalderrique: MT with
two German ladies on wooded path.
Next,
we came to the village of San Miguel de
Valga. (We had actually been in the parish and municipality of Valga for
some time, as the Camino route paralleled the Río Valga.)
10:56 AM – Near San Miguel de Valga: MT
talking with man from Protección Civil (Civil Defense) of the Concello de Valga,
who offered us, the two German ladies, and a Lithuanian couple sellos and recorded our credenciales in his notebook.
Near San Miguel de Valga: Sello from “Protección
Civil - Concello de Valga.”
San
Miguel de Valga
is a village (pop. 50) in the parish of Valga (San Miguel) in the concello (municipality) of Valga (pop.
5,986) in the province of Pontevedra and belonging to the comarca de Caldas.
The municipality of Valga and parish (pop. 1,145), the full
name of which is San Miguel de Valga, take their name from the Río Valga, which
runs through this area from south to north, parallel to highway N-550 and the
Camino route, and/or from the town of Valga, off the Camino route on N-550 west
of San Miguel.
10:56 AM – Near San Miguel de Valga: Camino
marker post P.K. 30.546.
11:07 AM – San Miguel de Valga: Autoservicio
San Miguel, which included a café-bar with sign offering bocadillos (sandwiches) in Spanish, English, and German.
MT 11:18 AM – After San Miguel de Valga: Don
and white pumpkin.
MT 11:19 AM – After San Miguel de Valga:
white pumpkin, with sign for “Agua non potable” (water not drinkable).
11:21 AM – After San Miguel de Valga: very
wide, mixed hórreo with pinnacle and
cross finials on roof (mild telephoto 72 mm).
11:23 AM – After San Miguel de Valga: another
mixed hórreo with no finials on roof
and transverse walls for support, by cornfield.
11:25 AM – Cedelo: Camino marker post P.K.
28.828 (with scallop shell and arrow pointing left), sign for Fontenlo in
parish of Valga in Concello de Valga (pointing right), and sign for entering
Cedelo in parish of Valga in Concello de Valga (apparently on the road at the
right).
Fontenlo (pop. 46) and Cedelo (pop. 36) are lugares (villages) in the paroquia (civil parish) of Valga in the
Concello de Valga in the province of Pontevedra and in the comarca de Caldas.
11:25 AM – Cedelo: Camino marker post P.K.
28.828 (with scallop shell and arrow pointing left).
11:36 AM – After Cedelo: cobblestone path
leading to granite slab pavement – brief.
Then
we entered the municipality of Pontecesures.
11:46 AM – After Cedelo: bus stop with
“Concello de Pontecesures.”
Pontecesures (in Galego and
officially since 1983) or Puentecesures (in Spanish) is a concello (municipality, pop. 3,037) belonging to the comarca (region) of Caldas. It is
located in the north of the province of Pontevedra. Until the 18th century,
Puentecesures and Padrón formed a unit before the provincial reorganization
used rivers as political boundaries and they were separated into different
provinces, with Puentecesures becoming dependent on Valga. Until 1926, it was
integrated as a parish within the municipality of Valga. The Camino route
passes through the town
of Pontecesures from south to north. The town developed from the construction of a Roman
bridge called Ponte Caesaris (Bridge
of Caesar) in Latin, over the Río Ulla, which flows east to west through it. In
the past, its port was of great importance, since the Ulla was navigable to
here.
The coat of arms of the Concello
de Pontecesures, on a blue shield features a gold bridge defended by a tower over
the silver and blue waves of river. Over the shield is a royal crown.
Coat of Arms of Concello de
Pontecesures (commons.wikimedia.org).
11:46 AM – After Cedelo: view, across
vineyard, of mixed hórreo with only
stubs of finials on roof (telephoto 156 mm).
Eventually,
we entered the town
of Pontecesures, where we stopped at
Café Bar Casa Chaves, where MT used the baño.
The cook took our picture, behind pilgrim cutouts, with Don’s camera and MT’s
iPhone and also one of her own.
12:04 PM – Pontecesures: Café Bar Casa Chaves
– Don and MT behind pilgrim cutouts in bar; the cook took our picture with
Don’s camera and MT’s iPhone and also one of her own.
Shortly
after that, we came to the village of Infesta.
12:08 PM – Infesta: sign entering Infesta,
with coat of arms of Concello de Pontecesures (mild telephoto 72 mm).
Infesta is a village
(pop. 306) in the parish of Pontecesures, in the municipality of Pontecesures,
in the comarca (region) of Caldas. Infesta is the capital of the
municipality of Pontecesures.
12:09 PM – Infesta: end of hórreo with pinnacle finial on roof and
horizontal vents in concrete end (telephoto 105 mm).
12:09 PM – Infesta: same hórreo with pinnacle and cross finials on roof, horizontal vents in
concrete end and supported on transverse walls, this side view revealing that
the hórreo was missing its sides and
door (probably were wood) and its roof; MT and other pilgrims passing it on
right (telephoto 105 mm).
12:18 PM – After Infesta: another, mixed hórreo with pinnacle finial on roof and
supported on transverse walls; the church tower in the right background would
be the 12th–century Romanesque Igrexa de San Xulián de Requeixo in the village
of San Xulián.
Next
we came to the village of San Xulián
and its Igrexa de San Xulián de Requeixo.
San
Xulián
is a village (pop. 657) in the parish of Pontecesures, in the municipality of
Pontecesures, in the province of Pontevedra, and in the comarca (region) of Caldas.
The Igrexa de San Xulián de Requeixo (Church of St. Julian of Requeixo)
is of Romanesque origin. In the 12th century, it was ordered by Bishop Xelmírez
of Santiago de Compostela to be built over the site of an old Celtic castro (hill fortress). When the church
was being renovated in 1918, archaeologists found that at this site there had
been an altar to Jupiter, another to the Lares, and two others that were
illegible. The Romanesque church has a single nave with no apse.
San Xulián: Igrexa de San Xulián
de Requeixo – view, from distance, of west façade and bell tower, surrounded by
cemetery (commons.wikimedia.org).
A large part of the original
Romanesque church is preserved, although it has clearly undergone many reforms.
On the exterior, the southern wall of the nave preserves some interesting parts
of the Romanesque construction. This façade has three windows, although only
the central one is original. The easternmost window (small and rectangular and
under a large arch of unknown function) is apparently of modern construction,
and the westernmost is possibly from an earlier reform. The main (west) façade
is not original, with apparent modifications. Above its center door with a
half-pointed arch is a small oculus (round window). At the vertex of the façade
is a niche with the image of San Xulián. Crowning the vertex is a simple stone
cross. The north corner of this façade is topped by a pinnacle with a ball, and
on the south side of the façade is a robust quadrangular bell tower.
San Xulián: Igrexa de San
Xulián de Requeixo – view across cemetery of bell tower, south side, and east
end (without apse) (commons.wikimedia.org).
Next
to the Igrexa de San Xulián de Requeixo in the village of San Xulián was the Cruceiro de San Lázaro.
12:20 PM – San Xulián: sign on wall for “Cruceiro
de San Lázaro S. XIV” (Cross of St. Lazarus 14th Century) with text in Galego,
Castilian Spanish, and English; English text [edited per Galego and Spanish]:
“Stone
crosses [Os cruceiros/Los cruceiros],
which were traditionally located at crossroads or junctions and in churchyards,
have a specific symbolism that is visually expressed through their decoration.
“This
stone cross (14th C.) was originally part of a Leper Hospital or Lazar House
of, San Xulián [Leprosería ou Malatería dos lacerados de San Xulián]. It was
dedicated to St. Lazarus, and is therefore also known as the Cruceiro de la
Obra Pía de San Lázaro (The Stone Cross of the Charitable Work of St. Lazarus).
“DESCRIPTION
[keyed to callouts on drawings at right]
“(1)
Latin cross: square cross-section, becoming octagonal
(1a) Obverse [front side]: Christ on
the cross with 3 nails and loincloth, in Gothic style.
(1b) Reverse: Our Lady of Piety
[Virgin of Piety, i.e., pieta].
(2)
Decorated capital: on inverted pyramid
(3)
Shaft: square at the base, becoming octagonal.
(3a) St. Lazarus
(3b) Person in a praying position
(probably a sick person)
(3c) Elements from the Passion of Christ:
ladder, crown of thorns, etc.”
At
the lower left are the coat of arms and name of “Concello de Pontecesures.”
12:20 PM – San Xulián: Cruceiro de San Lázaro
– front side with Crucified Christ at top (see next photo and English text
above for identification of certain parts).
12:20 PM (Cropped) – San Xulián: drawings on
sign for “Cruceiro de San Lázaro S. XIV” with callouts described in text of
sign (see English version above).
12:20 PM – San Xulián: Cruceiro de San Lázaro
– back side with pieta at top (see photo and English text above for
identification of certain parts); the sign is at right, and the cemetery of San
Xulián is in the background.
The Cruceiro de San Lázaro (Cross of St. Lazarus) is formally known as
the Cruceiro de Obra Pía de San Lázaro (Cross of the Charitable Work of St.
Lazarus). It is on a quadrangular platform of two steps and a quadrangular
pedestal with a great chamfer (bevel). The bottom part of the shaft is quadrangular
and the top part octagonal. It has different figures like that of St. Lazarus, a
person in an attitude of prayer (possibly a sick person), and the elements of
the Passion: ladder, crown of thorns, a hand, a hammer, and pincers. It has an
inverted truncated pyramidal capital ornamented with four angels, one on each
side, and schematic scrolls. Its cross is quadrangular with chamfered (beveled)
arms, presenting on its front side the Crucified Christ with three nails and
open hands. His head is tilted to the right with a crown of thorns, and there
is a parchment above it with the abbreviation INRI. His loincloth is tied with
a rope. On the back side of the cross is the Virgin of Mercy/Piety (pieta) with
Christ in her arms. The cruceiro is
entirely of granite in a good state of preservation in spite of missing a
little bit of the right arm of the cross on the back side.
The 14th-century cruceiro was part of the complex of the Leprosería or Hospital of the Lepers of
San Xulián, The piece was made under the dedication to St. Lazarus. At the
beginning of April 2008, the cruceiro
was relocated to its current place because of the risk of being at the side of
the N-550 highway and that it could be destroyed by an accident of any vehicle.
The Comisión Territorial do Patrimonio Histórico (Territorial Commission of
Historical Heritage) had authorized the transfer of this monument to a new emplacement
that is at the entrance to the cemetery of San Xulián, very near to the
12th-century Romanesque church. It seems that it had gone through several
emplacements until, coinciding with the Holy Year of 1964, it was placed at the
edge of the N-550. Now, it is at least safe from accidents and closer to its
original location.
12:31 PM – After San Xulián: Camino marker
post P.K. 25.018. vineyard in the background.
Toward the end of this stage, we
would leave the province of Pontevedra and enter the province of A Coruña when crossing the bridge over
the Río Ulla in Pontecesures.
Finally,
we came to the parish and municipality of Dodro,
our destination for the day, and began to look for Hotel Pazo de Lestrove.
Dodro is a town in
the parish of Dodro (Santa María) in the municipality (pop. 3,162) of Dodro on
the southern limits of the province of A Coruña in the Autonomous Community of
Galicia and belonging to the comarca
(region) of Sar. The municipality is located along the lower reaches and at the
mouth of the Río Ulla. It borders to the east the municipality of Padrón and to
the south with the Río Ulla, which separates it from the municipality of Valga,
still in the province of Pontevedra.
Coat of Arms of the
Municipality of Dodro (commons.wikimedia.org).
The coat of arms on the
municipality of Dodro has a shield of gold and on waves of blue and silver (representing
the Ulla), a fruited pine in its normal colors. Around the shield is a red border
with eight golden scallop shells. Above the shield is a royal crown.
The
address on our lodging voucher (O Pi[ñó]n, s/n, 15891 Dodro, 15891, Dodro,
Spain) led us to believe that the Hotel Pazo de Lestrove was in a town called Dodro.
However, the Tourism website of the Government of Galicia at www.turismo.gal lists the
location of the hotel as in the village of Lestrobe in the parish of Dodro
(Santa María). We found it in a rural part of the municipality of Dodro that
didn’t seem to be within the built-up area of the village of Lestrove, which
lies farther southwest.
Lestrove or Lestrobe (pop.
641) is an aldea (village) in the
parish of Dodro (Santa María) in the municipality of Dodro. (A Google map shows
the name of the village as Lestrobe, although streets in and near it are Called
Aldea Lestrove.). Documents of the 9th century contain the oldest references to
the villa (village) of Lestrobe, and
they mention the parish of Santa María de Dodro. It is also indicated that the
village belonged to the parish of Santiago de Padrón before the parish of Santa
María de Dodro became independent of that parish.
As
we came into the outskirts of the town of Padrón,
the Camino route ran along the east bank of the Río Sar, which flows into the Río
Ulla. The directions on our lodging voucher said: “Cross the pedestrian bridge
in front of the Campo da Feira [fairgrounds].” We actually found the footbridge
across from a street named “Rúa Travesia Campo da Feira” (just Campo da Feira
on our voucher map) before reaching the actual fairgrounds. Next, the
directions said: “Head south on Village Lestrove.” The problem was that ALL the
streets on that side of the river were called “Aldea [Village] Lestrove” on the
voucher map. Next, the directions said: “Turn left onto Rua Padr?n [sic!]
Riveira Continue along Rua Fortunato Cruces. Arrive when you reach Rua
Fortunato Cruces, 22.” Fortunately, Don had studied these confusing directions
before starting our trip and had marked on the voucher map the correct combination
of “Aldea Lestrove” streets to take in order to reach Rúa Padrón Riveira and
follow the rest of the directions to our hotel, although Google maps showed its
address as “R. Fortunato Cruces 1.” The brochure we received at the hotel gave
its address as “Rúa O Piñón s/n [without number] 15916, Dodro. (a 200m de
Padrón [200 m from Padrón]). However, the sello
we would get at the hotel said: “Pousadas de Compostela S.L. - Hotel Monumento
Pazo de Lestrove, Rúa O Piñón s/n – 15916 Lestrove - Dodro.” There seemed to be
some confusion about whether the hotel was in a town called Dodro or in the
village of Lestrove in the parish of Dodro.
We
arrived at Hotel Pazo de Lestrove around
1 pm.
12:56 PM – Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove – courtyard
with fountain, with statue of Santiago Peregrino on top, and hotel.
The Hotel Pazo de Lestrove, also known as Hotel Monumento Pazo de
Lestrove, is an ancient country pazo
(palace or manor) that was the leisure place of the Bishops of Santiago de
Compostela. It was built in the 16th century, although it underwent later
reforms. (The hotel’s brochure shows it as part of the Hotel Monumento chain,
although it shows www.pousadasdecompostela.com for making
reservations, and www.booking.com says “Hotel
chain: Pousadas de Compostela.” The hotel’s sello
included both: “Pousadas de Compostela S.L. - Hotel Monumento Pazo de
Lestrove.”) The grounds have 50,000 square meters of forests and gardens. It
has become a favorite place for holding large events, ceremonies (weddings,
baptisms, or first communions) and business meetings.
12:56 PM – Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove – fountain,
with statue of Santiago Peregrino on top, and hotel.
12:57 PM – Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove – entrance
to Capilla del Santo Ángel de la Guarda to left of hotel entrance.
The Capilla del Santo Ángel de la Guarda (Chapel of the Holy Angel of
the Guard [or of the Holy Guardian Angel]) is used for religious celebrations
(weddings, first communions, and baptisms). Internet sources say that inside is
an impressive life-size carving of La Dolorosa (Lady of Sorrows). A priest we
met later in the chapel identified this statue as “Nosa Señora dos Aflixidos”
(Our Lady of the Afflicted).
3:52 PM – Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove –
sign for “Capilla del Santo Ángel de la Guarda” to right of chapel entrance;
cross above it with inscription: “Santa Misión - P.P. Claretianos - 24 X 57”
(Holy Mission - Claretian Fathers - 24 October 57).
The Congregación de los
Misioneros Hijos del Inmaculado Corazón de María (Congregation of the
Missionaries Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), popularly known as Claretianos or Misioneros Claretianos
(Claretian Missionaries) was founded by St. Antonio Maria Claret in 1849 in the
municipality of Vich in the province of Barcelona, Spain (although their
headquarters is now in Rome). These Catholic missionaries may be brothers (lay
religious), deacons, or priests. Today they are present in more than 60
countries. The abbreviation “P.P” (or PP) may stand for “Padres” (priests or
fathers), versus just “P” for “Padre” before the name of one priest or father).
At the top of the cross is the symbol for the Immaculate Heart of Mary: a burning
heart, pierced by a sword and banded with roses or another flower (although
this one looked like thorns without the roses).
Our
room (No. 102) was not quite ready and MT asked some questions about our room,
because there was no airconditioning and it was near the road. So the desk
clerk offered us something to drink while we were waiting. Don first said
water, but then MT asked for vino tinto
(red wine) and the clerk took us into the bar for two glasses of wine with a
bowl of (salted) peanuts.
We
got sellos at the hotel.
Dodro: sello for “Pousadas de Compostela S.L., C.I.F. [Certificado de
Identificación Fiscal = tax identification certificate or VAT (Value Added Tax)
number, for companies]: B-15 610
140, Hotel Monumento Pazo de Lestrove, Rúa P Piñón s/n [without number] – 15916
Lestrove - Dodro.”
1:01 PM – Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove – menú cena/dinner menu for hotel comedor/restaurant, showing that dinner
would not be served until 8 pm.
To
tide us over until 8 pm dinner time, we ate the cookies and cupcake/muffins we
had saved from breakfast and fruit from sometime back. We took showers and
washed a few clothes.
At
2:15, Don went out to explore the place. First, he looked around our (1st, US
2nd) floor a bit.
2:21 PM – Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove – sitting
room on our (1st, US 2nd) floor.
Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove – breakfast room beyond glass half-wall at end
of this corridor on our floor (Scanned from Hotel Brochure; the letters at right are part of the word “pierdete” - lose yourself).
2:21 PM – Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove –
breakfast room from balcony on our floor.
2:22 PM – Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove –
another sitting room on our floor.
2:25 PM – Dodro: Hotel Pazo de Lestrove –
view of part of the 50,000 square meter garden, with stone wall around it.
Around
2:30, Don went back over the river to Padrón.
(As the afternoon went on, the sky became increasingly overcast, affecting the
quality of photos.)
Padrón is a town (pop.
over 8,000) in the municipality (pop. 8,968) in the province of A Coruña in the
autonomous community of Galicia and within the comarca (region) of O Sar. The municipality is divided into 5
parishes, including (Santiago de) Padrón and (Santa María de) Iria Flavia. The
town of Padrón is 20 km south of Santiago de Compostela.
Iria Flavia was a Celtic
settlement, located at the confluence of the rivers Sar and Ulla. It was a port
city and the main seat of the Celtic Capori tribe. When the Romans made it a
crossroads on the Via Romana XVIII, they refounded the Celtic port as Iria
Flavia, as a compliment to the Roman emperor Vespasian (full name in Latin
Titus Flavius Vespasianus). Iria Flavia was the episcopal see during the Middle
Ages, until Alfonso II of Asturias (c. 760-842) it moved to Compostela after
the discovery of the tomb of Santiago. Even then, Padrón became the starting
point for pilgrims arriving by sea to visit the tomb of the Apostle, as well as
the beginning of the last stage of a pilgrimage to Santiago from the south in
Spain or Portugal. When “Padrón” became the more popular name for the city, the
name “Iria Flavia” was consigned to a small hamlet (and the current parish
around it).
According to tradition, it was in
Iria Flavia that the Apostle St. James (Santiago) first preached during his
stay in Hispania. Soon after his execution by beheading around 44 AD, his
disciples Teodoro and Atanasio (Theodore and Athanasius) brought his (severed)
head and his body to Iria from Jerusalem in a stone boat. (Some sources
question this and suggest that this barco
de piedra [boat of stone] referred to a boat or ship that traded in
stones.) They moored the boat to a pedrón
(Galego for big stone), hence the new name given to the place. After burying
the Apostle in Compostela, the two disciples remained in Iria Flavia (now Padrón)
to preach, and the legendary pedrón
is now in the parish church of Santiago de Padrón. However, the focus of
attention gradually moved to nearby Santiago de Compostela, now the capital of
Galicia.
Coat of arms of
Municipality of Padrón (commons.wikimedia.org).
The coat of arms of the
municipality of Padrón has a light blue shield picturing the body of Santiago
and his two disciples in a gold boat with a while sail, moored to the pedrón. Below the boat are blue and
white waves, and above it is the cross of Santiago under a star flanked by two
scallop shells. Over the shield is a royal crown.
From
the other (east) side of the Río Sar, after crossing back over the pedestrian
bridge, the Travesía Feira street led along the river, past the fairgrounds/marketplace,
and into the long, tree-lined Paseo de
Espolón promenade that led to the old town center. From the promenade, he
could see the Convento do Carme on
the other (west) side of the river.
2:32 PM – Padrón: view, from Paseo de Espolón,
of Convento do Carme (telephoto 187 mm).
2:37 PM – Padrón: view, from Paseo de Espolón,
of Convento do Carme (left) and Ponte do Carme (or Ponte de Santiago) bridge
over Río Sar.
The Ponte do Carme (Bridge of Carmel), sometimes called Ponte de
Santiago, over the Río Sar, is dated from 1852. It replaced another bridge that
had been devastated by a flood of the river in 1846. Constructed of ashlar
masonry, it has a length of about 65 meters, consisting of three arches,
supported by thick pillars, through which the waters of the Sar pass. It
connects the old town center of Padrón with the A Trabanca area, where the
Convento do Carme and Fonte do Carme are found.
http://galiciapuebloapueblo.blogspot.com/2017/03/ponte-de-santiago-padron.html describes the
“Ponte de Santiago” as one “cuya fecha es de 1852” (whose date is from 1852),
but follows that with a photo of a sign for “Ponte de Santiago,” apparently
posted by this bridge, with text in Galego, Spanish and English. The English
text [edited per Galego and Spanish] reads: “Saint Jame’s [sic!] Bridge – It
had previously been a medieval bridge, reformed several times [over the
centuries]. The current [one] dates from 1904 and is the work of the main [master]
stonemason Juan Peón.” The red square in the top left corner of this sign is
the same as on the sign for the Convento do Carme (see photo at 2:57 pm), which
was posted by the Concello de Padrón and Junta de Galicia as part of a series
“Monumentos de Padrón” as shown in the bottom left and top right corners of
that sign, which are not included in the photo of the sign for the bridge.
At
the far (north) end of the promenade was a monument to Rosalía de Castro.
2:38 PM – Padrón: Paseo de Espolón – monument
to Rosalía de Castro.
Rosalía
de Castro
(1837-1885), born María Rosalía Rita de Castro, was a Galician romanticist
writer and poet. Writing in Galego, the Galician language, she became an
important figure of the Galician Romantic movement known today as the Rexurdimento (Renaissance). Although her
own life was marked with relative poverty and sadness, she had a strong
commitment to the poor and defenseless. She was a strong opponent of abuse of
authority and an ardent defender of women’s rights. She died of cancer at age
40 in Padrón.
Statue of Rosalía de Castro
in Padrón (commons.wikimedia.org).
As
he emerged from the Paseo de Espolón, Don had a closer view of the Convento do Carme on the other side of
the river.
2:41 PM – Padrón: Convento do Carme - facade
(telephoto 156 mm).
Still
on the east side of the river, he came to the Igreja de Santiago.
2:43 PM – Padrón: Igreja de Santiago – south side,
bell tower, and main (east) façade.
However,
according to a man in a bar across the street from the Santiago church, the
churches were closed – Igreja de Santiago until 4:30 or 5 pm and the Convento
until 7:30.
A
few blocks east of the church, on the Praza de Ramón Toxo square, was the Alfoli do Sal.
2:52 PM – Padrón: Alfoli do Sal, now with
sign for “Cafetería Bocatería Alfoli” (Coffee Shop, Sandwich Shop Alfoli).
The 12th-century Alfoli do Sal (Storehouse of Salt) is in
the historic old town district of Padrón. It currently houses a cafetería (coffee shop) and a zapatería
(shoe store). One of the oldest and most emblematic buildings of Padrón, it was
elegantly restored in the early 21st century.
2:52 PM (Cropped) – Padrón: Alfoli do Sal –
two signs for “Cafetería Bocatería Alfoli” (Coffee Shop, Sandwich Shop Alfoli);
on the corner to the right of the door is a weathered sign for “Plaza de Ramón
Tojo,” and around the corner to the left is a small sign for “Rúa Real” (Royal
Street) with the coat of arms of Padrón.
Also
in the Praza de Ramón Toxo, in front of the Alfoli do Sal, was a cruceiro.
2:53 PM – Padrón: cruceiro in square in front of Alfoli do Sal - front side with
Crucified Christ at top and other figures on shaft.
This cruceiro was installed here in the 1990s on the occasion of the
Arte-Mostra Santiaguiño do Monte exhibition. It was intended to be displayed
here for only 8 days. However, the people of Padrón asked that it remain here
permanently. It is an original work of the master stoneworker Castelo from the
nearby village of A Picaraña and has Jacobean (Santiago) motifs carved into the
rough stone at its base.
2:53 PM (Cropped) – Padrón: cruceiro in square in front of Alfoli do
Sal – Jacobean motifs carved in rough stone base on front side.
2:53 PM – Padrón: cruceiro in square in front of Alfoli do Sal - back side with
Virgin and Child at top, with small (former?) chapel at right with street name
“Calle de Juan Rodriguez” on its corner.
Also
facing the Praza de Ramón Toxo, at the corner of Rúa Real and Calle de Juan
Rodriguez, was an old building with arched windows, an oculus (small round
window) in the pediment, and a small bell gable above the pediment. It looked
like a (former?) chapel, although it
faced east (however, so do the Convento do Carme and the Igrexa de Santiago of
Padrón).
2016, 2:53 PM – Padrón: small (former?) chapel at
right with street name “Calle de Juan Rodriguez” on corner to right.
This chapel was not identified in
Brierley’s guidebook or most Internet sources. However, commons.wikimedia.org
does include a photo of it (titled only “Padrón Galicia”) under the category
“Churches in Padrón” or titled “Igrexa de Pedrón” under the category “Galería
de imaxes de Padrón.” When used in the es.wikipedia.org page on Padrón, this
photo is identified as “Capilla de la Orden Terciaria en honor a San Antonio”
(Chapel of the Third Order in honor of St. Anthony).
Padrón: Capilla de la Orden
Terciaria en honor a San Antonio , with Alfoli do Sal at left (es.wikipedia.org).
There is a Third Order of the
Franciscans, known to be present in Compostela as early as the 14th century (as
Tercera Orden Franciscana), and St. Anthony was a Franciscan.
From
there, Don went back to the Ponte do
Carme (or Ponte de Santiago) and crossed over the Río Sar. At the far
(west) end of the bridge was the Fonte
do Carme, and on the hill behind it was the Convento do Carme.
2:56 PM – Padrón: Fonte do Carme and on the
hill behind it the Convento do Carme.
2:56 PM – Padrón: Fonte do Carme; on its left
side is a sign (in Spanish) for “Fuente del Carmen” (mild telephoto 56 mm).
At the west end of the Ponte do
Carme (or Santiago), a few meters away from the Convento do Carme is a fountain
called Fonte do Carme (Fuente del
Carmen in Spanish, Fountain of Carmel). The fountain was built in 1577 and
reconstructed at the end of the 18th century (1789). According to tradition,
its natural waters miraculously flowed when the Apostle Santiago struck the
stone three times with his staff.
The fountain, of granite masonry,
consists of three bodies topped by a triangular pediment with an oculus (round
window). The corners of the pediment and the central body are decorated with
balls.
In a niche in the upper body is a
statue of the baptism of Queen Lupa by the Apostle Santiago.
Padrón: Fonte do Carme –
upper body with statue of the baptism of Queen Lupa by the Apostle Santiago
(commons.wikimedia.org).
Actually, according to tradition,
Queen Lupa was a Celtic pagan converted to Christianity in the time when the
remains of the Apostle Santiago were transported to Compostela. Iria Flavia
(now Padrón), where the boat with the Apostle’s body landed, was in her domain,
since she ruled the Roman region of Finisterra. The Apostle’s disciples Theodore
and Athanasius went to the fortress of Queen Lupa seeking her help in finding a
place of burial. Instead, she mistrusted hem and sent them to the pagan high
priest Regulus (or, according to other versions of the story, not wishing to
aggravate the Romans, to whom she owed allegiance, sent them to the local Roman
legate in the town of Dugium or Duio, the Roman headquarters in Finisterra;
other versions say she sent them to King Duyos, an enemy of Christians), who
had them imprisoned. Miraculously, they managed to escape. Regulus sent troops
in pursuit of the escapees, but when they were crossing the river Tambre, the
bridge collapsed and the pursuers were drowned, while the disciples had passed
safely over it. In the meantime, Queen Lupa had ordered her soldiers to move
the body of the Apostle. However, when the soldiers prepared to move it, the
corpse rose through the air and went by itself to the top of Mount Ilianus (now
Pico Sacra or Pico Sacro [Sacred Peak]). Then the disciples returned to the
queen to ask for a cart and some oxen to transport the remains. She sent them to
look for oxen on Mount Ilianus, where the oxen were wild, and the disciples miraculously
managed to domesticate them by making the sign of the cross and praying. It was
only after all these miracles that the Queen converted to Christianity, was
baptized, and offered them her palace for burial, but the disciples prefer
another place. Preferring to let divine signs determine the place, they let the
oxen roam with the cart at will. They stopped in a field in the forest of
Libredón, where there was a building belonging to Queen Lupa. The queen donated
this site to the burial place of the Apostle Santiago, where years later the
great cathedral and the metropolis of Santiago de Compostela would be built.
Padrón: Fonte do Carme – translatio of St. James (commons.wikimedia.org).
In the central body, just below
the statue of Queen Lupa and Santiago, is a relief depicting the translatio, the transfer of the body of
St. James from Jerusalem back to Spain. It shows the two disciples and the body
of the Apostle in the boat moored to the pedrón.
The figure near the Apostle’s head may be the angel who had guided the boat to
this place. Above the boat are a cross and a star, flanked by two scallop
shells (as on the coat of arms of the Municipality of Padrón).
In the lower body is an alcove
with a statue of the Virgen de los Dolores (Virgin of the Sorrows) or Virxe do
Carme (Virgin of Carmel). On the arch protecting this image, and continuing
around to the left and to the right, is the inscription: “Reedifico se esta fuente
reinando el Sor [Señor] D[on] Carlos IIII. Siendo Alcalde D[on]
Joaquín Foxi Bendaña.” This inscription informs the viewer that the fountain
was rebuilt during the reign of Carlos IIII [IV], Joaquín Foxi Bendaña being
mayor. Carlos IV was king of Spain from 1788 to 1808.
Don’s photos and most others miss
the first three (faint) words of the inscription, which begin to the left of the arch.
Padrón: Fonte do Carme –
lower body– visible on the arch of the lower body is the inscription “Reedifico
se esta fuente reinando el Sor [Señor] D[on] Carlos IIII. Siendo
Alcalde D[on] Joaquin Foxi Bendaña” (commons.wikimedia.org Cropped).
Padrón: Fonte do Carme –
statue of Virgen de los Dolores (or Virxe do Carme) (commons.wikimedia.org).
Inside the alcove is the statue of
the Virgen de los Dolores (Virgin of the Sorrows) or Virxe do Carme (Virgin of
Carmel), before whom pregnant women come to ask for a happy birth, lighting a
candle. To the right of the statue is a notice that the illustrious Don Manuel
de Sanlúcar, Bishop of Sidonia, granted 40 days of indulgences to all those who
devoutly prayed a Salve (Salve Maria, Hail Holy Queen prayer) in front of this
image.
Behind
the fountain, on a rocky outcrop, is the Convento
do Carme (Convent of Carmel).
2:57 PM – Padrón: Sign, at foot of steps, for “Convento
do Carme” with the location of the convent shown in red on the map and text in
Galego, Spanish, and English; English text [edited per Galego and Spanish]
reads:
“CARME
CONVENT
1737-1744
built [Constructed between 1737 and 1744] thanks to the donations given by the
Marquis [both Galego and Spanish say “Marquesa”] of Bendaña, [by] the Count of
St. John [Galego and Spanish say Conde de San Xoán/San Juan] ant [sic! = and]
the parishioners of St. Jame’s [sic!] Parish Church of Padron. It was
inaugurated on July 16th, 1752, and it was inhabited by the Carmelitan Fathers
until [the desmortización
(confiscation) of] 1836. Since then [after that date], the Dominican Fathers settled
there.”
Then
Don started up the steps to the atrium platform in front of the Convent’s
façade
2:58 PM – Padrón: Convento do Carme – steps
leading up to façade and entrance to atrium platform.
The Convento do Carme, located at the foot of Monte San Gregorio, is
accessed by stairs carved in rock leading up to a wide and elevated atrium in
front of the façade. Due to its privileged location, the atrium platform, which
is open to the public, is an excellent overlook offering views over the town of
Padrón and the region of O Sar.
Along
the steps, there was a cruceiro.
2:59 PM – Padrón: Convento do Carme – cruceiro (side with Crucified Christ at
top) along steps leading up to façade (mild telephoto 56 mm).
2:59 PM – Padrón: Convento do Carme – cruceiro (side with Virgin and Child at
top), viewed from atrium platform at top of steps.
3:00 PM – Padrón: Convento do Carme – view
from atrium platform back across Ponte do Carme/Santiago to western (apse) end
of Igrexa de Santiago (telephoto 105 mm).
3:00 PM – Padrón: Convento do Carme – façade from
atrium platform.
After crossing the Ponte de
Santiago bridge over the Río Sar, one comes to the Convento do Carme (Convent of Carmel), a good example of the Galician
Neoclassical style. The building was constructed in the early 18th century on
top of a promontory of living rock. Made in granite, the exterior is of great
simplicity and pure lines that give the convent a massive appearance.
Alonso de la Peña y Montenegro
(1596-1687), Rector of the University of Santiago and later Bishop of Quito
(Peru), who was born in Padrón, proposed that a convent be built in Padrón, for
which he donated 200,000 pesetas of his fortune. In 1715, the Carmelite order
approved the foundation of the convent, and the first stone was laid in 1719.
Two Carmelite fathers began works on land donated by the Marquise de Parga on
the condition that she be buried in the church. In 1734, the Carmelite
community was established. The main work of the construction seems to have
occurred between 1737 and 1744, although the works continued until 1762.
The Convento was originally
dedicated to San José (St. Joseph), whose statue is on the main altar. It was
inaugurated in 1752, belonging to the religious community of the Carmelitas
Descalças (Discalced Carmelites, Barefoot Carmelites). During the
secularization and exclaustration of 1835 and 1836, the convent passed to the
State.* In 1849, it was claimed by the Council of the Municipality of Padron
and was used as a courthouse, storage for salt, and a theater; the church was
closed. Then, after the secularization process, it passed to the Dominicans,
who presented a petition in 1866 to convert the convent into a college. The
Dominican community occupied the convent until the early 1980s, when the
building’s poor state of repair and limited economic resources forced them to
move, leaving one Dominican in charge, who normally celebrates mass and
supervises the restoration work being carried out since 1992 by trade schools
with subsidies from several public institutions.
*On July 25, 1835, Spain’s Council
of Ministers approved the Royal Order of Ecclesiastical Exclaustration (removal
from cloisters), which abolished convents in which there were not at least 12
professed religious. The Desmortización de Mendrizábal (Confiscation of
Mendrizábal) began after Juan Alvarez Mendrizábal became president of the
Council of Ministers in September 1835. Issued on October 11, 1835, it
abolished all monasteries of monastic and military orders. On February 19,
1836, the sale of the real estate of those monasteries was decreed, and on
March 8, the suppression was extended to all the monasteries and congregations
of men. (The Spanish and Galego term convento
can mean either a convent [for nuns] or a monastery [for monks]).
Padrón: Convento do Carme –
façade with railing of atrium (commons.wikimedia.org).
3:01 PM – Padrón: Convento do Carme – statue of San José (St. Joseph) in
niche between two coats of arms on façade; this photo clearly shows St. Joseph,
with a beard, holding the Child Jesus (mild telephoto 81 mm).
The façade is topped with a
triangular pediment with an oculus (round window). Crowning the pediment are
three small columns, the center one with a cross. On the sides of the façade
are two tall and striking bell gables, each with a flat belfry with two windows
for bells (those on the right are empty).
Since
the church was not open at this time, Don went back down the steps to the Ponte do Carme (or Ponte de Santiago).
3:03 PM – Padrón: Convento do Carme – view
back up steps, past the cruceiro, to
the atrium platform and façade.
3:05 PM – Padrón: Ponte do Carme with Igrexa
de Santiago across river.
3:05 PM – Padrón: monument with old cart near
west end of Ponte do Carme; in background are Ponte do Carme with Igrexa de
Santiago across river.
This is the Monumento ao carro galego (Monument to the Galician Cart). The Galician
cart is a type of animal-drawn vehicle typical of the Galician people. It is
normally drawn by oxen, cows, horses, or mules. It is provided with poles (stanchions)
to secure the load, plus a frame of wooden tables and slats, over the wheels,
to carry the load. This type of cart has been used in Galicia since the Bronze
Age. The word carro is of Celtic
origin.
It is so important and different
from others that it deserves its own article in the vernacular Wikipedia and
various monuments scattered throughout the region. This one is located between
the parking spaces of the Plazuela de la Lena, next to the Río Sar. The author
of the sculpture is unknown.
The referenced article on “Carro
galego” in the Galego (Galician-language) Wikipedia is at https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carro_galego.
Then
Don headed back toward the Hotel Pazo de
Lestrove.
3:14 PM – Padrón: view, through haze, of back
side of Hotel Pazo de Lestrove, from near the pasarela (pedestrian bridge) across the river (telephoto 187 mm).
3:18 PM – Padrón: part of the stone wall
around the gardens of Hotel Pazo de Lestrove; we had to go as far as the corner
(at right) and then turn left to get to the entrance to the hotel.
3:20 PM – Padrón: view toward Convento do
Carme, from that corner (mild telephoto 63 mm).
Once
Don was back at Hotel Pazo de Lestrove, we both explored the Pazo, although
there had just been a wedding and the photographer was taking photos outside in
the front courtyard. Later, the wedding party and photographer moved back
inside and then to the garden behind the hotel (for the reception). There, the
photographer also used a drone with a camera for overhead shots.
3:23 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: sitting room
(same as in photo at 2:21 pm, but from different angle) on our floor, with
narrow hallway at right leading to our room (No. 102).
3:24 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: narrow
hallway at right leading to our room (No. 102).
3:27 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: view from
window in hallway by our room of photographer taking photos of bride and groom
after wedding, on red carpet in courtyard by fountain with Santiago Peregrino;
Capilla del Santo Ángel de la Guarda and hotel entrance at right.
MT 3:40 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: MT by
window in hallway near our room.
MT 3:41 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: Don in
chair in sitting room.
3:44 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: view from
1st (US 2nd) floor overlook (through one of 2 glass doors) of Capilla del Santo
Ángel de la Guarda; in niche in wall at right is the statue of a (guardian)
angel with a child.
On the main altar of the Capilla del Santo Ángel de la Guarda,
according to Internet sources, is an impressive life-size carving of La
Dolorosa (Lady of Sorrows). The priest we met in the chapel gave us holy cards
for “Nosa Señora dos Aflixides” (Our Lady of the Afflicted) picturing this statue.
Although we misplaced these holy cards, one Internet site has a photo of a holy
card with this same statue identified, in Spanish, as “Nuestra Señora de los
Afligidos que se venera en la Capilla del Santo Ángel de la Guarda del Palacio
de Lestrove” (Our Lady of the Afflicted, who is venerated in the Chapel of the
Holy Guardian Angel of the Palace of Lestrove).
The official web site of the
Concello de Padrón lists “Capilla del Santo Ángel o de la Virgen de los
Afligidos, Pazo de Lestrobe” and says that the Pazo de Lestrove “También se
llama Pazo Ángel de la Guardia, ya es la advocación de la capilla” (is also
called Pazo Ángel de la Guardia, since that is the name of the chapel).
Earlier,
we had asked at the front desk if there would be a mass in the chapel that
evening. We were told maybe at 6 or 7 pm and we could try at both times. Later,
a different desk clerk unlocked the chapel so we could see the interior.
3:47 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: Capilla del
Santo Ángel de la Guarda – view from rear of nave to main altar (the overlook
from which we saw it earlier must have been above the large stone arch).
3:48 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: Capilla del
Santo Ángel de la Guarda –main altar with statue we were told was Nosa Señora
dos Aflixides.
MT Saturday, September 24, 2016, 3:50 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: Capilla
del Santo Ángel de la Guarda – statue of guardian angel with child.
Back
outside the chapel, we revisited the fountain
in the front courtyard.
3:51 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: fountain in
courtyard with statue of Santiago Peregrino at top; Capilla del Santo Ángel de
la Guarda at left, hotel entrance behind fountain, and red carpet from wedding
still at right.
3:51 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: statue of
Santiago Peregrino at top of fountain in courtyard (telephoto 93 mm).
Back
inside the hotel, we explored the old building some more.
MT 4:06 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: Don by
interior stone wall and display case.
MT 4:09 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: Don with
corbel (stone bracket) by window in interior stone wall.
MT 4:13 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove: small
window, showing thickness of walls (mild telephoto 49 mm).
At
about 4:45, the desk clerk called our room and said that there would be a mass
in the chapel at 5 pm for a funeral
that was the day before. There was a large crown in the small chapel; so we
waited for everyone else to get inside before we entered. At first we stood at
the back, but then people made room for us on the end of a bench by the right
side wall.
After
mass, we asked the young priest if he had a sello
for pilgrims. He didn’t, but he looked in drawers near the altar and gave us a
stack of holy cards (to give to our family) for Nosa Señora dos Aflixides (Our
Lady of the Afflicted). He also said that this mass had been what is called a
mass of accompaniment, for a woman whose funeral had been the previous day.
The
hotel’s comedor (dining room) was
open from 8:00 to 10:30 pm for dinner (there was no lunch). Around 6 pm, a
light rain started, as we had expected since entering Padrón. However, the rain
had stopped when Don checked out of our room’s (open, unscreened) window at
7:30, since the comedor was not in
the main hotel building but on another side of the front courtyard. However, it started again before 8 pm,
heavier this time. When MT called the desk to ask if they had umbrellas, the
clerk told her to wait until 8:30 to go to dinner, but they did have two
umbrellas at the desk.
For
“half board” with our lodging voucher, in the hotel’s comedor, we didn’t have
all the choices we had seen on the €18 dinner menu posted at the hotel desk.
For the first course, we had looked forward to trying the famous “Pimientos de
Padrón/Padron green peppers” listed on the menu, and the waiter finally said we
could have that. We asked for red wine and got 2 glasses (plus 2 more later,
when we asked) and a large bottle of water. Before the first course, we got
something that looked like Italian prosciutto and bread. Then we got the green peppers
(pementos de Padrón in Galego), which
were not too hot.
8:35 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove dining room:
pementos de Padrón, cooked with oil and large grains of salt.
The most famous produce of Padrón
are its peppers (pementos de Padrón in Galego). These small green peppers are
served fried in olive oil and coarse salt. Most taste sweet and mild, though
some are particularly hot and spicy (Brierley’s guidebook says “only one in
every 30 or so being chili-hot”—The added fun is you never know which one!”),
which gives its character to the dish and is captured in the popular Galician
saying: “Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non” (The peppers of Padrón,
some are hot and some are not). These peppers are grown mostly in the parish of
Hebrón, in the municipality of Padrón. Sometimes they are called pementos de Hebrón. The seeds were
imported in the 16th century by Franciscan monks of Hebrón during their
missionary work in Central and South America and were adapted to the local soil
conditions. About 15,000 kg of peppers are grown in Padrón each year.
Raw Padrón peppers
(commons.wikimedia.org).
Fried Padrón peppers
(commons.wikimedia.org).
Then,
the waiter brought us (as another first course) scallops—on the half shell with
something like applesauce on them.
8:45 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove dining room:
Don’s scallop, as served.
MT 8:47 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove dining
room: MT’s scallop, as served.
8:49 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove dining room:
Don’s scallop shell, empty.
8:49 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove dining room:
Don’s scallop shell, other side (exterior).
MT 8:50 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove dining
room: MT’s scallop shell, other side (exterior).
Afterward,
we thought we could have saved these pretty shells as souvenirs, but we hadn’t.
For
the second course, we were given the choice between what the waiter called “sea
bass a la plancha” and “veal hip” (the menu had listed “Rodaballo a la
plancha/grilled turbot” [turbot is related to sea bass] and “Croca de
ternera/Grilled hip veal”), and we chose the fish, which came with boiled
potatoes.
8:53 PM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove dining room:
Don’s grilled sea bass and potatoes.
For
dessert, there was no choice; we got a plate with one dip of ice cream and a
chocolate brownie-like, with a strip of chocolate syrup down the middle.
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