900km on the Camino Frances: The Work of Angels Not of Men

So said King Filipe II and who are we to disagree. Burgos' cathedral is an incredible achievement, and one could spend days wandering around examining its riches, any of which could be the crown jewel in any museum anywhere. We spent three hours and came out pretty overwhelmed. Just imagine what it must have been like for a pilgrim several hundred years ago to see this grand edifice in the middle of a city of beautiful churches and towers. Of course that was the intention: to invoke awe and wonder at God's majesty that this place was built to serve.

What inspired awe and wonder in me was the speed in which it was built at a time when everything had to be hand carved and hefted into place. Originally a large but unexceptional Romanesque church, vision and enterprise changed this into one of the grandest gothic cathedrals in Europe. The first stone for this vast project was in place 1221, with the first mass given only 9 years later. The ceiling vaults were closed in 243, which means only 22 years of construction - in the 13th century!

It was added to over the following 500 years or so, with each richly carved vault, wood carving or painting or gold retablo or wrought iron gate increasing its grandeur. I think I will have the let the photos take it from here.