On our rest day in Pamplona, the second day we were there, I decided to go in the cathedral as an artist. I had studied this cathedral last quarter, it was one of five cathedrals I studied and planed to visit while in Spain. As soon as I entered I realized how completely different it was seeing the arching ceilings in person than through the computer.

My plan was to draw each of the cathedrals in a small sketch book I had with me. I had prepared for each excursion by writing a quick blurb about the cathedral and an interesting aspect of each. The Pamplona cathedral was said to have the best cloister in all of Europe ( a cloister is a open covered walkway around a courtyard often bordering a cathedrals chapel). Once in it I realized why it was considered the best, the detailing on the arches were so thin and precise the carved stone looked like cut wood bent into designs, so light and delicate. The portals to each doorway contained sculptures of the life and death of Mary that were so intricate my only hope of replication was in a picture.

After drawing for thirty minutes, shivering from the outside wind and rainy weather, and trying to get every detail of the cloister, I decided to just enjoy the drawing process. In my last program we touched on why drawing was important and how it can help people connect to their surroundings. In drawing we spend time observing and studying one subject, observing something for that much time you gain an appreciation for the object and all its shapes and values. I took some time drawing and enjoying the place I was in, using my art as a form of meditation and a way to remind myself to be present in my visit to this magnificent feat of architecture. In sitting there for a few hours doing a mindless task of replicating a ancient place of worship when I could have snapped a picture taking me less that ten minutes to visit the whole church. Drawing forced me to slow down and focus on every shadow that was cast by every small notch in the wall. Taking time to slow down from our modern lives that have made every task quick and mindless into a mindful process has been a major theme in my Camino experience. Along with drawing the cathedral, walking the Camino instead of driving or biking it is a form of slowing down from our modern lives.