A little throw-back to the early days of color photography. Little did I know that there would be a Scottish person involved.
Tartan_Ribbon-2 The first color photograph that did not fade or require hand painting was taken by a Scottish mathematical physicist, James Clerk Maxwell. A picture of a tartan ribbon was created by photographing it three times through red, blue, and yellow filters, then recombining the images into one color composite. Maxwell’s three-color method was intended to mimic the way the eye processes color, based on theories he had elaborated in an 1855 paper.
Having worked with medium format black & white darkroom images and compositing multiple images manually in camera, I think I understand the process. What I don’t understand is how he ever came up with the theories and idea to mimic the way the eye processes color.
Go, Scotland!!
~National Geographic / more info can be found at this link:open culture.com
Imagine walking the same jungle paths as ancient Mayans living between 300 to 900 A.D.
Archeologists have estimated that 6,000 structures exist here at Coba, but only three settlements are for public viewing. Coba is not a single site, but a large group of sites connected to the central pyramid, connected by over 16 Mayan ceremonial “white roads.”Don’t feel like walking? Take a Mayan Limo, which isa chauffeured tricycle, or rent a bicycle. Plan on 2 1/2 hours if you walk or 1 1/2 hours if opting for wheels.The largest pyramid at Coba is called Ixmoja, part of the Nohoch Mul group of buildings. Unlike other Mayan ruins, you can still climb this one. I’m not fond of heights and this pyramid is 42 meters (138 feet) tall, but I need to do this so I have no regrets.From the top the lush jungle looks like a green wilderness of wonder, but this gentleman meditating probably has his eyes shut. Good thing, since he is right at the edge. Not me!!This thick rope is my best friend as I inch my way down the 120 stone steps of the pyramid finding the descent much more difficult than the ascent. We were part of a van tour group, which restricts the amount of time allowed. If I did it again, I’d look into another transportation option to allow more time at the ruin site. Or, maybe I need more friends along so we could put together our own DIY tour. Hmmm… As usual, souvenir shops are situated by the entrance/exit gate.…and dogs wander the streets.
For more information about exploring Riviera Maya destinations check out locogringo.com.
September 26, 2016: Down we go… Joan was missing this section of the Camino from El Acebo to Ponferrada, so descending down this mountain path was necessary to finalize the journey.
After a taxi ride speeding up the dark, winding mountain road, the driver drops us off at El Acebo and at first we are amazed at the changes in this charming village. A huge, new albergue greets us complete with swimming pool, restaurant and a deck overlooking the valley below. Where is the quaint little village we remember so well?
We wait for daylight, slowly making our way down the mountain and I now remember why I love this stage of the camino. The scenery is becoming greener and the mountains provide layers of beauty which makes it difficult to believe this is our last day of hiking. Seems like we should keep going. We arrive back in Ponferrada later that day and go in search of an establishment willing to provide us with a celebratory meal even though it’s much earlier than the usual Spanish meal time.Thankfully, family owned El Portiel Meson adjusted their schedule just for us and cleaned out their refrigerator to provide a hearty meal complete with wine and a complimentary after dinner liquor. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
I will confess that I am a camino addict and a large part of me doesn’t want the journey to end. I love the simple life… get up, put the backpack on and start walking (To my first cup of coffee). But that isn’t real life, is it?
I’ve been choosing my top three picks for photos from each day of this camino and to wrap things up I’m also choosing three words I hope will provide meaning and impact in my daily life.
Top three photos and top three words to bring it home:
1) Acceptance ~ It is what it is.2) Endurance ~ Personal growth from experiences no matter how difficult.3) Appreciation ~ Live in the moment and enjoy the journey…no matter how long it takes.
Camino de Santiago March 2013Camino de Santiago August 2014Camino de Santiago September 2016
Third time’s a charm…Thank you to my sister, Joan, for all of the planning along with her meticulously designed spreadsheets, and especially for including me in these adventures.
September 25, 2016: Short and sweet today with a bus ride from Astorga to Ponferrada, Spain which is the last major town on the French route of the Camino de Santiago until Santiago de Compostela.
Taking a step back in time, we tour the magnificent 12th century Templar castle. Originally a hill-fort and later a Roman citadel we peer through the windows and peepholes viewing the city below and the mountains in the distance.
At the beginning of the 12th century, the Templar knights took possession of the fortress. They reinforced and extended the building for use as a palace as well as provide protection of pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela. Its twelve original towers reproduced the shapes of the constellations.The castle hosted the Knights Templar’s Grand Master of Castille. Unfortunately, the Templars were only able to enjoy the use of their fortress for about twenty years before the order was disbanded and its properties confiscated. ~spain.info
According to andaspain.com, The Knights Templar were disbanded in 1307 by King Philip IV of France due to growing mistrust of the organization, as well as the Kings large financial debt to the group. It is thought that most members were arrested and tortured into giving false confessions, resulting in being burned at the stake. Mystery and speculation grew due to the swift disappearance of this immense and mighty group. Even now, many hold on to the belief that the Templars did not dissolve but went underground and continue to exist today. Interestingly, King Fernando IV gifted the castle to his butler once the Order of the Templars was dissolved. Hmmm… strange, indeed.
September 24, 2016: Camino Completion ~ third time’s a charm. Another dot is connected as we walk into Astorga, Spain.
Cruceiro Santo Toribio is a stone cross that commemorates the 5th century Bishop Toribio of Astorga who supposedly fell to his knees here in a final farewell having been banished from the town. Wonderful view of the city of Astorga with the mountains looming in the distance.This gentleman has welcome wagon duty today along with tending to the flowers and shrubs near the stone cross.Tonight we sleep in the loft of a very old building, Albergue de Peregrinos San Javier located on a narrow street near the cathedral. 110 beds and we are up three levels in the top loft area. As you can see, we both get a front and center bottom bunk tonight surrounded by our international roommates. Friendly conversations are a bonus to this situation and we experience absolutely no bedbugs. A full kitchen is on the bottom level of the building so we are able to cook our own meal tonight and converse with other pilgrims doing the same. Flashlights are close and ready for action in case we need to walk down the dark staircase during the night to a lower level to use the facilities. Watch to the end of the video on this blog post and you will take a walk with me from top to bottom of the albergue. I’m glad there wasn’t a fire during the night because we would surely have been toast.Inside these doors… Astorga’s cathedral was built between the 15th and 18th centuries and combines various styles including Gothic and Baroque. The edifice was begun in 1471, within the same walls of its Romanesque predecessors from the 11th-13th centuries. Construction lasted until the 18th century which explains the inclusion of elements from later styles. ~Wikipedia Is Harry Potter home? Opposite the cathedral is the Palcio Episcopal designed by Anton Gaudi for the bishop of the time who was a fellow Catalan. The palace’s bizarre appearance and enormous cost horrified the church and no future bishops ever lived in it. It is now home to the Museo de los Caminos, an excellent museum of the pilgrimage to Santiago. ~spainthisway.com
We were not able to visit Museo Chocolate also located in Astorga, Spain. Here you can see a display of tools and objects that represent the history of chocolate production: instruments for roasting, refining and rolling, as well as pans, mortars, moulds and machines from the early 19th century.
September 23, 2016: Two options today ~ follow the highway path or take the longer alternate path. We naturally opt for the longer route since we rarely seem to do anything the easy way.
Short video of the day featuring the inspiration for our morning mantra ~ …Coffee Town:
As usual, we follow an arrow to proceed straight ahead. What’s this? A set of large railroad tracks loom ahead and we are hesitant to cross since neither of us like to break rules. Hmmm…? Turn around and back we go to find this little arrow pointing to a road that winds us through town, up and over a pedestrian railroad crossing. Safety first and it’s a good thing we like to walk.
Image from Galicia Guide
The 13th century bridge taking us into Hospital Orbigo is the longest one on the Camino at 204 metres long (approximately 670 feet) and has 20 arches. The river that it crosses doesn’t seem to appear to warrant such a lengthy bridge, but prior to a dam being built at Barrios de Luna the river was a lot wider. ~Galicia Guide
This bridge has facilitated trade since Roman times including the passage of livestock as part of the cattle trail Camino de la Canada, as well as sweaty pilgrims. ~John Brierly
I see our albergue! A sign can be spotted from the bridge so we have finally arrived. The albergue tonight is connected to a bar/restaurant which means we have a zero kilometer walk tonight. Yes!
9-22-2016: Breathtaking… remarkable… amazing…First ancient Roman baths, then a palace and finally León Cathedral, dedicated to Santa María de la Regla, which was declared of Cultural Interest in 1844. It is known as the Pulchra Leonina and is a masterpiece of the Gothic style of the mid-13th century. The design is attributed to the architect Enrique. By the late 16th century it was virtually completed. ~WikipediaI found it fascinating that the stained glass on the north side of the tower features cool colors to represent the Old Testament; the south side’s stained glass uses warmer colors to show how Christ brought light to the New Testament. This design also takes into account the movement of the sun during the day. Now that took an architect with keen attention to detail…
Before leaving the hostal, I check out Facebook and notice an American Pilgrims on the Camino Facebook friend is staying at the famous luxury hotel called the Parador. Thinking I’m clever, I leave a comment that I will wave at him as I walk by in about an hour.
Around noon we leave the historic center of Leon with a 7 kilometer hike to Virgen del Camino as our destination.
Short video from our short journey today.
Approaching this magnificent building, we speculate that it must be a museum. I sit on a bench to tie my boot. Hmmm… this can’t be the Parador… Backpacks and hiking poles are dead giveaways that we are pilgrims. A gentleman approaches us and we begin to visit. Little did I know, but this was the same Facebook friend I was planning to wave to as I walk by. Small world. He confirms that this is, indeed, The Parador. This five star Parador was originally a monastery founded in the twelfth century to provide lodging for the pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. It later became the headquarters of the Order of Saint James whose soldiers provided protection for the pilgrims. ~www.paradores-spain.com
Our conversation expands to include a wonderful young man traveling in a camper van throughout Europe with his wife and dog. I’m thinking that is a great plan as you’d always have a place to sleep.
As we approach our hostel for the night, the neighborhood is looking dodgy.
No key issued to us for the front door of Hostal Sota and we are only allowed in by the lone hostal employee. In fact, we may be about the only people staying here. Nice lounge area in the basement and our activities are constantly monitored.
Why does the song “Hotel California” keep playing through my mind?
Top three photo picks of the day: Lottery ticket sales appear to be going well before mass outside the Catholic church.
Why does it seem to take so long to get to the historic part of Leon? A population of 130,000 may have something to do with it as well as getting off the Camino path. Where are those yellow arrows?
We fumble our way to the cathedral and are happy to find beds for tonight close to the cathedral.
Leon was a Roman military garrison and base for its VIIth Legion, hence the name derived from Legion. Later it became the capital of the old kingdoms of Asturias and Leon conquered and re-conquered by Visigoth, Moor and finally Christian forces. ~John Brierly Guide
The Latin name (Legio) converged with the word for lion (leo) over the centuries as Latin grew up and became Spanish, ending with the city name of Leon. ~A Texan in SpainThanks to Blair from Australia/Ireland we are made aware of a significant building in the historic city center. Above you see a Neo-Gothic style building designed at the turn of the century by famous Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi .
Looking closer, we see a stone sculpture of Saint George as he is slaying a dragon above the principal entrance. During the restoration of the building in 1950, workers discovered a tube of lead under the sculpture containing the original plans signed by Gaudí and press clippings from the era. ~Wikipedia
As we leave town on this chilly, dreary day we are joined by a few fellow pilgrims so conversation flows freely. Dorothy and Ruby, along with Joan, enjoy a Kodak moment in front of Bar Elvis. Unfortunately, Elvis has left the building… it’s closed. Reliegos, Spain is our stopping point for the day and we find parts of the medieval walls still intact.18th century St. Mary’s church in Reliegos is built on top of the previous 12th century church.Many artifacts from the 12th century church can be found inside.
Altar is fine baroque 18th century. No reservations and bunkbeds are already spoken for at Albergue El Jardin del Camino…
…but we are happy they allowed us to stay anyway. Mattresses on the floor near the albergue bathroom are just perfect.
The local hangout cafe for the community and pilgrims is directly below us and the spacious yard includes laundry tubs along with clotheslines. Doesn’t get much better than that, right?
9-19-2016: The albergue is freezing and upon rising for the day we discover why. The big wooden doors were never closed last night so the outside temps are pretty much the same as inside. Plus, our bunk beds were very near the door. Oh well, at least this kept the urine smell in the bathroom aired out.Foggy morning as we leave Sahagun.
As we trudge along we start chatting with this fascinating woman from New Jersey traveling alone. Her t-shirt is a display of her walks including her 14,000 kilometer walk across Russia in 1971. (Visiting and not paying attention, we took the wrong road and had to backtrack and get back on the correct path.) Ludmila Prakhina established the Prakhin Foundation with her two sons, Boris and Michael, to provide financial and moral support to authors who educate the public about the Stalinist regime under which her parents were arrested and exiled in a 1941 mass deportation from Moldova. The literary award honors the memory of those murdered under Stalinism and Nazism by recognizing works of prose, poetry, journalism, or scholarship about that tragic period of European history. http://www.prakhin.org
More information about the Moldova deportation can be found at this link: Moldova.orgAlong with Ludmila, we enjoy conversation today with an interesting gentleman from Winnipeg. I’ve never been to Winnipeg, but it sounds like a great place to visit.
Home sweet home tonight is Albergue La Laguna with its flamboyant manager (owner?) in El Rancho Burgo, Spain. Fairly spacious green lawn complete with lawn chairs. No kitchen or bar facilities here, so the day includes a short hike to the grocery store.
The first color photograph that did not fade or require hand painting was taken by a Scottish mathematical physicist, James Clerk Maxwell. A picture of a tartan ribbon was created by photographing it three times through red, blue, and yellow filters, then recombining the images into one color composite. Maxwell’s three-color method was intended to mimic the way the eye processes color, based on theories he had elaborated in an 1855 paper.
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