Saturday 23 June 2012

The New Arrival

After our walking in the Cotswolds we were back in Cardiff for the weekend and to check up on how Margaret was progressing. She was still the same and the midwife had recalculated the due date, it might be another week yet. We decided to go to the Brecon Beacons and do some walking in the hills there. We drove up in the campervan and stayed a nice farm site in the village of Cynghordy. It was only an hour's drive from Cardiff so it wouldn't take long to get back for the happy arrival. There was a fair amount of rain but it stayed dry long enough for us to get a few good walks in. Last Wednesday we moved to a campsite at Brecon when we had an excellent sunny day and got word that Margaret had a little boy the previous day, Tuesday 19, at 3 minutes to mid-night. We still managed to get a walk in along the Taff Trail which follows the tow path of the canal through Brecon, and the following morning headed for Cardiff for Margaret’s discharge from hospital. It hadn’t been an easy birth, the baby was laying 'back to back' and she had to be taken into the hospital ward for a forceps delivery. Everything turned out fine and they are both alright. Justin is a very proud father, and all grandparents are thrilled as you can see from the photographs below. The baby’s weight was 7lb 2oz, and is to be called Ewan James.





Tuesday 12 June 2012

Via de la Plata photo gallery




DAY 0  STARING POINT  SEVILLA

Panorama from Triana Bridge
Tourist horse and carriage outside Sevilla Cathedral

DAY 1  SEVILLA to GUILLANA

Monasterio de San Isidr
Camino from Santiponce

DAY 2   GUILLENA to CASTILBLANCO de los ARROYOS

Castle on road to Castilbanco

Wild spring flowers

DAY 3   CASTILBLANCO de los ARROYOS to ALMADEN de la PLATA

Among the oak trees in Sierra Norte de Sevilla National Park



View from Cerro del Calvario to Almaden de la Plata


DAY 4   ALMADEN de la PLATA to EL REAL de la JARA

Three little piggies
Panorama of El Real de la Jara from Castle

DAY 5  EL REAL de la JARA to MONESTARIO

Church El Real de la Jara at sunrise
Old castle ruins leaving El Real de la Jara

  DAY 6   MONESTERIO to FUENTES de CANTOS


Having a coffee break
Church tower Fuentes de Cantos


DAY 7   FUENTEs de CANTOS to ZAFRA

Stork's nesting in electricity pylon


Church Easter Procession at Zafra



 DAY 8    ZAFRA to VILLAFRANCA de los BARROS

Los Santos de Maimona
Marie at albergue Villafranca de los Barros

 DAY 9   VILLAFRANCA de los BARROS to TORREMEJIA

Sunrise leaving Villafranca de los Barros
Grapevines to the horizon

  DAY 10 TORREMEJIA to MERIDA

Roman bridge Merida
Roman ruins Merida
Roman Amphitheatre Merida

  DAY 11  MERIDA to ALJUCEN

Acueducto de los Milagros, Merida
Roman reservoir, Prosperpina
  DAY 12   ALJUCEN to ALCUESCAR


A friendly donkey
Monastery gate, Alcuescar


  DAY 13 ALCUESCAR to CARCERES 

Where we left Silvia and Marie


 Roman bridge at Valdesalor

  DAY 14  CARCERES to ALCONETAR

Walkway through Casar de Caceres


Reservoir at Alconetar


  DAY 15  ALCONETAR to GRIMALDO

Sunrise leaving Alconetar
Panorama of mountain scenery Canaveral
  DAY 16  GRIMALDO to GALISTAO
Arched railway bridge
Walled city Galisteo
              






DAY 17   Galisteo to Hostal Austurias, Jarilla

 SeƱora Elena and Jorge in the background, Carcaboso
Roman arch Caparra
DAY 18  Hostal Asturias, Jarilla to Banos de Montemayor. 

Bridge at Aldeanueva del Camino
 
 Roman milestone at Banos de Montemayor

DAY 19  Banos de Montemayor to Fuenterroble de Salvatierra.

Pilgrim 'statue'
Dinner at Fuenterroble albergue

DAY 20  Fuenterroble de Salvatierra to San Pedro de Rozados

Panorama from Pico de la Duena summit
Jim at Pico de la Duena cross

DAY 21  San Pedro de Rozados to Salamanca

Salamanca cathedral
Inside Salamanca cathedral

DAY 22  Salamanca to Calzada de Valdunciel.  

Salamanca street.
Plaque for Camino at El Cubo church

 Day 23 Calzada de Valdunciel to El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino

 Santiago cross at El Cubo
Field of grape vines

DAY 24  El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino to Zamora

Three Camino pillars on route to Zamora.

                            
                                                                     Rio Duero, bridge church tower at Zamora

DAY 25  Zamora to Riego del Camino  

Shrine of La Virgen del Castilla near Ricobayo reservoir

 Roman ruins at Castrotarafe and field of yellow rape


DAY 26   Riego del Camino to Tabara
Poplar trees when entering Tabara
   
Dinner group Tabara

Panoramic view of Rio Esla



 DAY  27 Tabara to Santa Croya


Church in Tabara

Advert for Casa Anita albegue in Santa Croya

 DAY 28  Santa Croya to Rionegro
                                                                                                         
Reflections in Rio Tera

Rio Tera



More Rio Tera reflections
 Embalse de Nuestra SeƱora de Agavanzal
Breakfast in church porch of Santuario de Nuestra SeƱora de Agavanzal 
















































































 


DAY 29 Rionegro del Puente to Palacios de Sanabria

Getting ready for the Arctic?
Breakfast at church porch San Salvador

DAY 30  Palacios de Sanabria to Requejo de Sanabria 

Castle at Puebla de Sanabria





Castle ramparts Puebla de Sanabria


DAY 31  Requejo de Sanabria to Lubian

Route up from Requejo to Portillo de 
Padornelo


Panorama of hills above Lubian

DAY 32   Lubian to A Gudina

Snow on mountains behind Lubian

Snacks with trail markers
 















  DAY 33  A Gudina to Laza


Panorama from ridge above Campobecerros

Heather ans snowy mountains, Campobecerros
DAY 34  Laza to Xunqueira de Ambia


Ascending to the Cross at Monte Talarino

Horreos in Boveda
DAY 35  Xunqueira de Ambia to Ourense


Bridge over Rio Mino, Ourense

Cathedral San Martin, Ourense
DAY 36  Ourense to Cea


Camino signpost
Fountain with  goldfish at Ponte Mandras
 DAY 37  Cea to Castro Dozon


Santuario de Nuestra SeƱora de la Saleta at Cea

Rio Mirela outside Cea
 DAY 38  Castro Dozon to Silleda


Countryside at Castro Dozon


Viaduct and old bridge Ponte Taboada over Rio Deza


DAY 39 Silleda to Ponte Ulla


Eucalyptus trees

The viaduct and Roman Bridge over Rio Ulla
DAY 40  Ponte Ulla to Santiago


Clouds in the valley of the Rio Ulla

Girl in traditional costume
  DAY 41 Santiago


Santiago Cathedral

Santiago Cathedral
DAY 42  Santiago to Negreira


Ponte Maceira

Archway towards albergue in Negreira 
 DAY 43  Negreira to Santa Marina

Archways on leaving Negreira

Sunrise Santa Marina
 DAY 44  Santa Marina to Cee

Reservoir Embalse de Frvenza 

First sighting of the ocean from above Cee
 DAY 45  Cee to Finnesterre

Panorama of Cee

Cape Finnesterre 
 DAY 46  Finnesterre

Stained glass window, church in Finnesterre
The '0km to go' marker

The harbour and town of Finnesterre