PONFERRADA and PENALBA DE SANTIAGO

Ponferrada is a lovely city. We arrived at the hotel with enough time to shower, collapse, rest and then have dinner. The next day we went out to explore a bit. Our hotel is across the street and down a block from the city's main attraction: a Knight's Templar Castle.

It was a "free admission" day, but because it was so rainy there were very few people in the castle. We were allowed to move freely around, climbing every rampart and tower that we could. We got wet but it was worth it. Here are some pictures:

The Iglesia de San Andrés and the "Monte de los Judíos"

The Basílica de la Virgen de la Encina with its main altar (below)

The best part of the day was our trip to Peñalba de Santiago. It is a very small town nestled in the mountains above Ponferrada. You get there on a narrow (and I mean NARROW) road that winds its way through the valley and along the side of the mountains. It is best known as the location of one of the most important examples of Mozarabic churches with a double apse. The location also attracted monks over the centuries beginning with San Genandio, a Benedictine monk and bishop of Astorga (899-920). He and other monks would often retire to the caves high above the Valley of Silence where they would meditate and engage in acts of penance. The path to San Genandio's grotto is a much easier climb than when he would go there in the 10th century.

First, here are pictures of Peñalba de Santiago:

(view from the parking lot!)

The Mozarabic Church (10th century)

We also made a new friend... Rocky the dog! He is a four-year old mastif.

And we became friends... He was very obedient when I told him to "sit."

From Peñalba we made our way down the path that leads to the Valley of Silence and the grotto. Here is what we say. Sadly, pictures cannot capture the beauty of the path.