The refuge, Col de Banyuls

We were hiking up near the Spanish border this morning. This refuge is just on the Spanish side and was presumably once a border post. The sign on the right indicates that it is on one of the 'caminos', the pilgrim roads that go from all over Europe to Santiago de Compostela. The sign in the centre tells that a Spanish anarchist was held here after being captured in 1977, and that he was 'tortured to death' in a Spanish prison the following year (Wikipedia says he died from a beating after a failed escape attempt). I read his history and found that he was smuggling photocopiers from France to post-Franco Spain - the power of the written-word, pre-Internet !

[Bob Zwolinsky]

Are you doing the whole route from the border to Santiago de Compostela? I've only been there once while on a cruise and intend to go back one day.

[bkb in the city]

Great shot

[Tim L]

@bob65 No, I have friends who are planning to do it, from various starting points - Le Puy en Velay, Narbonne. 1000 miles from Le Puy, they must be mad !. Thinking about the Sentier Cathare in September/October, 270km in 12 days is more my style.