Author Archives: jim
A work of Gaudi in Astorga, Spain
This former Roman camp and base for the mining operations nearby is now home to some magnificent architecture including a building designed by one of Spain’s premier architects. Gaudí’s work has widespread international appeal, and there are innumerable studies devoted to his way of understanding architecture. Today he is admired by both professionals and the […]
Unforgettable night near Leon, Spain
As private guides paid well to make the right choices for our clients, tt’s always a bit of a risk when you book a place online without seeing it with your own eyes. Even as experienced private guides with more than forty years of experience between us, we feel a bit nervous when we approach […]
Puente La Reina Bridge on the Way to Santiago di Compostela, Spain
Puente La Reina (Spanish meaning literally the “bridge of the Queen”; Basque: Gares) is a town and municipality located in the autonomous community of Navarra, in northern Spain. Puente la Reina lies between Pamplona and Estella on the Way of St. James pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. It is an important town as it […]
Gregorian Chant in the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, Spain
We drove over gorgeous rolling countryside in the early evening of May 20 about thirty kilometers from Lerma for the evening Vespers at the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. The monastery has a long tradition of singing Gregorian chant. The monks of Silos became internationally famous through the album “Chant,” one of a number […]
An overnight in a Ducal Palace in Lerma, Spain
The Lerma Ducal Palace is the palace of the dukes of Lerma in Lerma in Spain, occupying the whole of one side of the city’s Plaza. Originally it had immense gardens below it, on the banks of the river, with fountains, stately homes and seven chapels, of which one (Cristo) remains. All documents relating to […]