Interesting Photo Exposition in Arzua (on the Camino) – 38km before Santiago de Compostela,

Bruno Lernout, an experienced walker, writer, philosopher, and guide, exhibits photos of the Balkans and the Silk Road at the Mary Magdalena chapel. This captivating exhibition opens from 17:00 to 20:00, Monday to Sunday, and the entrance is free. Location on Google maps here. It is a great past-walking activity for your afternoon in Arzua, the most typical stop of pilgrims with two more days of walking left to Santiago.

This Belgian, who has lived in Spain (Marbella, Mallorca, Tenerife, Madrid, Ojén, Barcelona) since 1978 and in Arzúa since 2014, has worked as a guide for many years, first accompanying North Americans on hiking tours in Spain and France (including the Camino) and later Spaniards on expeditions through the Balkans (Albania, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro) and Central Asia (Uzbekistán, Kirguizistán and China).

– One picture from the exposition, to give you an idea what you can see there.

On one of his tours, his group wanted to know how he had ended up in Spain and what had made him move to Galicia. When that story was such a success, the following days he continued to tell stories about his life and eventually wrote a book based on these entertaining stories. He called this book LIVE & LEARN as he considers that behind each of these experiences there is a lesson to be learned.

– Cover  of Bruno’s book, the Spanish version. Vivir y aprender means Live and learn.

He also wrote a book about the Bible, called WISE PEOPLE RECTIFY in which he points out that, by processing the information in Genesis, one can discover that its author knew the orbit of Mars thousands of years before Kepler calculated this in 1609.

As he publishes his work himself, these books are only sold in Arzúa, but he sends them to people who live in Spain for the same price.

Bruno is also the author of the WALL OF WISDOM at km. 33, which are philosophical messages that include TRAVEL BROADENS THE MIND quotes from people such as Lao Tse, Hemingway and Mark Twain, Saint Augustine and Robert Louis Stevenson. Location and reviews on Google maps here. You will walk past the Wall of Wisdom on your way from Arzua to Santiago. Definitely a good place to make a rest and reflect a bit on both your camino and life…