Can /Montserrat

Expositie was in de Rustenburgerstraat 385  in Amsterdam (t/m 6 nov) wandeling vond plaats van 19 okt tot 26 okt 2016, Artist-in-Residence Canserrat aan de voet van de Montserrat berg (zie foto's)

Installatie door  Koos van der Elsen

inner peace , outer peace     In de Etalage van st. La Jetée   en  setnet.info

Vanaf  11 september a.s. tot 6 november 2016.

Te zien is een oude landkaart van migratie rond het gebied van Syrïe en het oude Mesopotamië, waar nu vrede is gewenst. Verdere inspiratie voor het werk wordt gevormd door eerdere en komende wandelingen (en routes).

Welcome! Please join us in an exciting, new pilgrim journey. 1522 made by Ignatius of Loyola  (Basque)  We walked the Catalan part. ending in . Stayed in Montserrat  and AIR Canserrat.(6 days)

An inner peace concept, next to the pilgrim seeks internal treasures:, a new direction or course in life, confirmation of a major life choice, forgiveness.  

A night at a nunnery, Casa Jesus Maria albergue 30^E pp and breakfast in Loiola! for a good start.  Ignacio (http://caminoignaciano.org/) also started his route here.The route to Zumarraga starts via motion detectors. Total of about 25 tunnels covering 20km. In Urettxu is our albergue 2 km uphill Manas the Basque prepares the food, breakfast and bed for 27^E pp. The tiled wood burning stove and soup keep us warm. Also the view is fantastic, showing the mountain of Arrantzazu, where we go tomorrow. Brinkola is the last village without a bar or a tienda, here we climb up to a dam (embalsa). we go over the top!  Through the snow, (in winter) along scheephuts and at 1000m we are still able to see poles and orange arrows at regular intervals indicating our direction. we get to Arantzazu which has a cloyster and a modern basilica. With some help we call Josepa, the host.

Arantzazu basilica 1969 , architectural saints de Olza y Laorga, iron portals by Chillada (Bask artist), “glas vidrienas” by Franciscaner Xabier Alvarez de Eulate, “mural with Maria” Ucio Munoz, ‘Mysterico’ is a sculpture in a foyer with transparant images next to the albergue.

We follow along the arrows. we cross the Camino Santiago from Irun to Vitoria. We come to Araia.  The road to Alba goes over another mountain-hill. The 1st  one we can go around but the 2^nd one with the ridge we have to cross over.  They are anyway very impressive and not that high. From the petrolstation we walk to Bikuna. Behind the farmers' shed we can take the hill and go up to the left of the route (badly indicated). We choose to cross a field and a muddy cowtrack and walk paralel uphill to the south. The sun is shining strong so we can feel the direction goes exactly right  on a greased wide grass path. We approach the mountain ridge to the GR indicated in red-white  and as well taking the Ignacio coming out of the valley, we go to the right on the ridgeside.  Little daffodils and jeneverberries, some snow and a beautifull view give us courage to go on. We stay high up on the hills of Puerto Opakua. Later down in Ullibarri we take a sandpath to Alda.  Nothing is open and in StVicente is a simple albergue without a kitchen (microwave or watercooker). No heating in March, so it is too cold: the man brings us back to Alda where a pension.(Casa Rural) has heating! A bath and a bed Okee. Price 36^E/2pers. Friendly. No breakfast, but that we have at Josés the next day with coffee-tea. It is in St.Vicente, and in the restaurant opposite his shop-bar that we get a credential stamp from a busy lady working the floor.

Day 5 .   This day  we walk over clear roads to Genevilla. Now there is nothing from Santa Cruz de Campezo onwards. Very nice. So we walk to Cabredo (calling them beforehand) in Navarra! In a big sala next to a communitycenter with a bar. We improvise a bed (no mattrass) that night. It is for free!

Day 6 To Laguardia…..district Alava regio Basque again, after a long days walk over the ridge of the Cantabria mountains with its carnivalesque hat rock, which we saw already from a long distance with snow on top. The weather gets nicer. The villages on their flanks are simple, old and lonely. Only one has a café and bakery which is by chance closed today.  People give us bread from the fridge. The sandysoft roads get longer and the grapefields larger. The distance is 24 km. In Laguardia, the agriculture herberge just has one habitación left out of 4. 60^E/2pers.  Plus a bottle of Rioja Alavesa. It is a citadel city and has a rich history because of the Basque winehouses which are here. The routes clear up on our way to Logroño. Huge winefields and sandy roads, the climate is different here. It is challenging in another way again physically and metally. In Fuenmajor we cross the Ebro river and go along  the railway tunnel, crossing the tracks later on. We are now really in Rioja. First towards Navaretta on the Ignation way. It seems as if Brother Ignacio got confronted with Santiago de Compostella pelgrims and thought hey it is better if  I go against that traffic. 90* he turns and walks to Logroño. We do the same already a little earlier, because of its long hills we get exhausted on our feet and try to reach it in time before this Easterweekend 2018. Processions every evening with a Jesus on a cross and pointy hat carriers and bigbands. Many pelgrims here from the Santiago route.

Ignacian way remains quite unknown. Maybe with more volunteers for albergues and more places- the sites will work. Better kitchen  facilities(watercooker and microwave and sink) and a shower and mattress! The routes are quite clear except  the one from San Ramon/Alda.  Buen salut, Koos y Mary

It's interesting that it follows the Camino Santiago in return (vuelta). Started in Lleida, Palau, Verdú, Cervera, Panadella, Igualada, Montserrat, Manresa.

Café

Igualada fair

Panadella Station

Panadella View

Artist-in-Residence place Canserrat offert me a great stay at the communal studios and I was able to place a work at the Bamboe Gallery during the Brucstock festival!