In Frómista: the Canal de Castilla

May 10, 2024

Frómista is a crossroads community. East to west, it’s an important stop on the French Camino, the best known of the many roads to Compostela. North to south it’s a stop on the Canal de Castilla, a waterway constructed beginning in the late 18th century to connect the heartland of the Castillian plain with the Bay of Biscay. Frómista is also a waypoint on Eurovelo 1, which comes in from Valladolid and Palencia in the south before turning east toward Burgos. It’s no wonder then that we see so much foot and bicycle traffic in our short stay here.

With our afternoon free and with nightfall not arriving until well after nine, we have plenty of time for a late afternoon walk. We both head for the Canal and then follow it north.

You can read all about it in the linked article, but the canal has an interesting history. It was initially conceived as a 400 km long transportation linkage, with the vision of barges shipping Castillian wheat to the port of Santander and returning worm the coast with goods imported from the Spanish colonies. In the end, it never made it to the coast: its northern terminus is at Alar del Rey, just south of Aguilar del Campoo; and its use as a transportation corridor was short-lived when it was made obsolete by the coming of the iron horse.

The route of the Canal de Castilla. It’s an inverted Y, with two branches at the south into different regions of the Castillian plain.

Some of the locks have been removed (in particular, the quadruple locks at Fromista we passed on the way into town), but parts of it are still navigable and support pleasure boats. For us it makes an attractive waterside greenway, just right for an afternoon walk. Rachael’s out the door first, walks twice as far (5.5 miles) and comes back enthused by her outing. I start a bit later and take my time just getting to the canal, stopping at a few spots on my way out of town.

I stopped for a shot of this bike propped up on the curb and was startled when an old guy came out of a door behind my back, hopped on it and biked off down the street.

Another bike in Frómista. Two’s enough. I’ve got a canal to get to.

Santa Maria church, the second of Frómista‘s three Romanesque churches. Two’s enough though. I’ve got a canal to get to.

A can at least slow down to admire Santa Maria’s fine stork collection though. There are three nests crowning its roofline, all occupied.

Looking back at Samara Maria’s church - unrestored, and to my eyes anyway more visually interesting than the renovated one.

OK. Now we’re finally out of town, after that leisurely quarter mile stroll. First up, the visually striking quadruple locks we stopped for on the way into town also.

Amazing to think that there were originally four tightly spaced locks here to manage this drop. I wonder how long it took barges to navigate through this short distance.

At the top of the locks is an information board with a photo from the past.

The view north from the top of the quadruple locks. Later a small tour boat will pass by here and perform a strategic u-turn just above the cascade.

One of Rachael’s shots, and one I’m glad she took because I’d meant to myself. Reeds are piled up against the one remaining lock at the top, and in the distance is the small tour boat.

Like I said, Frómista is at an important crossroad.

A bit of heritage canal infrastructure, maybe a storage warehouse.

Along the canal. I’ll just see a mile or so of this and Rachael quite a bit more, but it’s obviously good for as long an outing as you want on foot or bike.

Rachael and I exchange words and then she heads back to town while I continue on for another half mile before turning back myself.

Back at the quadruple locks again, just before returning to town. There were bike travelers here every time we passed this spot.

The guy on the left is a stonechat of course, but the one on the right is about half his size. Both were on the same utility line, and stayed put long enough for a decent shot. I was sure the smaller one was a new bird, until I studied it later - it’s just another stonechat too, but a fledgling. No wonder dad is staying put, keeping watch.

An interesting eroded wall, with the remaining tiles acting like a resistant bed protecting the sandstone below.

The storks are still hanging out on Santa Maria’s roofline.

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Carolyn van HoeveHello! Yes, the Pyrenees! Picking up our stored bikes near Paris, making our way down France (using a few trains) and traversing the Spanish Pyrenees from San Sebastian, following Lyle/Kirstens trail (and your trail further on). Crossing back into France with stops in Ceret, Collioure, then a train from Toulouse back to Paris. Very Excited! A six week tour this time from the beginning of September. Maybe next year we'll get to do a full 90 days. Here's hoping.
I sent you an email some time ago, but I think it was to an old email address that you don't check very often.
Another great tour you're having!
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6 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Carolyn van HoeveNo, I remember you telling me this now. It sounds like a wonderful but ambitious trip. September should be a great time for it.
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6 months ago