Friday 17 July 2015
ANA MARIA'S INJURY UPDATE
Ana María went to see our sports physio today about her foot. It turns out she has a stress fracture of the second metatarsal! Luckily the treatment she undertook whilst on the walk i.e. applying ice, anti-inflammatory gel and putting her foot up, paid off and there is no permanent damage. The treatment continues with no serious walking allowed for several days. In the meantime we have been relaxing today visiting our grandson, Austin.
Wednesday 8 July 2015
DAY 58 - CORCUBION TO CAPE FINISTERRE - 20 KMS
Woke up this morning to brilliant sunshine. What a contrast to yesterday! We set off at 7:30am a bit later than usual and immediately encountered the main challenge of the day. A very steep and rocky climb! Once we got our second wind, the rest of the day was plain sailing (forgive the pun!). Through lovely mountain tracks, woods and meadows with fantastic views of the coast below. Lovely sunshine and a cool breeze as well. What a fantastic day to end our very long walk!
We reached Finisterre in good time. Then came the very long walk along the coastal path through Finisterre and the trek to Cape Finisterre, a few kilometres further along. When we reached the kilometre zero marker and the end of our 800 mile walk, we hugged, said "well done!" to each other and found no other words to describe how we felt.
It is amazing that one can walk so many miles almost without realising it. I remember a quote that goes “You never know what's around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you've climbed a mountain.” In our case several!
This has been without any doubt the toughest walk we have ever done. No doubt it will take us a few days to remember everything we have been through during the past 58 days, but this walk has taken us to the very limits and beyond that which we thought we were capable of doing. We will remember the good moments and the not so good moments, the laughs we've had on the way, which have been many and frequent, the fleeting moments nourished by exhaustion when we thought of giving up only to immediately put such mad thoughts out of our minds, the fantastic people we have met on the way, my 70th birthday, blisters, more blisters, even more blisters, Ana Maria's swollen foot, the dreadful attack by a swarm of very aggressive bees, having our packs rifled through and an item stolen, the daily discipline we have had to observe irrespective of how one felt, mostly 05:15am alarm call, dressing, breakfast at 6:00am, on the road by 06:30am, six or seven hours walking, sometimes more, arriving at our destination, having a shower, washing our clothes, hoping they will have dried by morning, having something to eat, chatting with fellow walkers, writing the blog in English and Spanish, posting it subject to wifi connections, going to bed.....only to repeat the same procedure the following day, urged on by words of encouragement from relatives and friends and by all of you who have shared our journey. Thank you for being there with us throughout our adventure. Your presence has helped us on our way, on our Camino.
Tonight we went back to Cape Finisterre (this time by taxi) to see the sunset at 10:17pm. What a wondrous sight and what a fantastic end to a fantastic day to a fantastic journey!
Tomorrow afternoon we take a bus to Santiago, where we will stay until Saturday, when we fly home. Home to see our children and our grandchildren whom we haven't seen in two months! We hope that one day our grandchildren will spot our Footsteps on the Camino and may be tempted to follow them. It may show them that no matter what obstacles life puts in your way, all things are possible, if you try. We have tried and on this occasion at least, we have succeeded. ULTREIA!
We reached Finisterre in good time. Then came the very long walk along the coastal path through Finisterre and the trek to Cape Finisterre, a few kilometres further along. When we reached the kilometre zero marker and the end of our 800 mile walk, we hugged, said "well done!" to each other and found no other words to describe how we felt.
It is amazing that one can walk so many miles almost without realising it. I remember a quote that goes “You never know what's around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you've climbed a mountain.” In our case several!
This has been without any doubt the toughest walk we have ever done. No doubt it will take us a few days to remember everything we have been through during the past 58 days, but this walk has taken us to the very limits and beyond that which we thought we were capable of doing. We will remember the good moments and the not so good moments, the laughs we've had on the way, which have been many and frequent, the fleeting moments nourished by exhaustion when we thought of giving up only to immediately put such mad thoughts out of our minds, the fantastic people we have met on the way, my 70th birthday, blisters, more blisters, even more blisters, Ana Maria's swollen foot, the dreadful attack by a swarm of very aggressive bees, having our packs rifled through and an item stolen, the daily discipline we have had to observe irrespective of how one felt, mostly 05:15am alarm call, dressing, breakfast at 6:00am, on the road by 06:30am, six or seven hours walking, sometimes more, arriving at our destination, having a shower, washing our clothes, hoping they will have dried by morning, having something to eat, chatting with fellow walkers, writing the blog in English and Spanish, posting it subject to wifi connections, going to bed.....only to repeat the same procedure the following day, urged on by words of encouragement from relatives and friends and by all of you who have shared our journey. Thank you for being there with us throughout our adventure. Your presence has helped us on our way, on our Camino.
Tonight we went back to Cape Finisterre (this time by taxi) to see the sunset at 10:17pm. What a wondrous sight and what a fantastic end to a fantastic day to a fantastic journey!
Tomorrow afternoon we take a bus to Santiago, where we will stay until Saturday, when we fly home. Home to see our children and our grandchildren whom we haven't seen in two months! We hope that one day our grandchildren will spot our Footsteps on the Camino and may be tempted to follow them. It may show them that no matter what obstacles life puts in your way, all things are possible, if you try. We have tried and on this occasion at least, we have succeeded. ULTREIA!
DIA 58 - CORCUBIÔN A FINISTERRA
Hoy completamos el epílogo del Camino de Santiago a Finisterra.
Un hermoso día, claro, sin mucho calor y con una brisa agradable.
Después de una subida empinada por sendero pedregoso salimos a una carretera y caminamos por asfalto hasta la playa de Sardiñero. De ahí subimos por otro sendero hasta la cima de la montaña donde había unas vistas increíbles al mar, playas y con el faro de Finisterra a lo lejos. Todo lo que no pudimos ver ayer hoy fue increíblemente claro y hermoso.
Bajamos hasta la playa y continuamos por el paseo marítimo hasta Finisterra. Llegando al puerto subimos 3 kms por carretera hasta el faro. Este lugar se conocía antiguamente como 'el fin del mundo'. Allí se encuentra el mojón de 0 kms que señala el fin del Camino! Una mezcla de emociones al terminar nuestra gran aventura: satisfacción, alegría, alivio, tristeza y un deje espiritual. Ese momento vivirá para siempre en nuestra memoria...
Esta noche volvimos al faro (pero esta vez en taxi!) para ver la puesta del sol. Un espectáculo increíble! Había gran visibilidad y mucha gente se reunió para verlo, muchos de ellos caminantes/peregrinos que, como nosotros, han terminado sus Caminos.
Comparto un poema de Antonio Machado, muy especial para mí:
Caminante, son tus huellas
el camino y nada mas;
Caminante, no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar.
Al andar se hace el camino,
y al volver la vista atrás
se ve la senda que nunca
se ha de volver a pisar.
Caminante no hay camino
sino estelas en la mar.
Un hermoso día, claro, sin mucho calor y con una brisa agradable.
Después de una subida empinada por sendero pedregoso salimos a una carretera y caminamos por asfalto hasta la playa de Sardiñero. De ahí subimos por otro sendero hasta la cima de la montaña donde había unas vistas increíbles al mar, playas y con el faro de Finisterra a lo lejos. Todo lo que no pudimos ver ayer hoy fue increíblemente claro y hermoso.
Bajamos hasta la playa y continuamos por el paseo marítimo hasta Finisterra. Llegando al puerto subimos 3 kms por carretera hasta el faro. Este lugar se conocía antiguamente como 'el fin del mundo'. Allí se encuentra el mojón de 0 kms que señala el fin del Camino! Una mezcla de emociones al terminar nuestra gran aventura: satisfacción, alegría, alivio, tristeza y un deje espiritual. Ese momento vivirá para siempre en nuestra memoria...
Esta noche volvimos al faro (pero esta vez en taxi!) para ver la puesta del sol. Un espectáculo increíble! Había gran visibilidad y mucha gente se reunió para verlo, muchos de ellos caminantes/peregrinos que, como nosotros, han terminado sus Caminos.
Comparto un poema de Antonio Machado, muy especial para mí:
Caminante, son tus huellas
el camino y nada mas;
Caminante, no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar.
Al andar se hace el camino,
y al volver la vista atrás
se ve la senda que nunca
se ha de volver a pisar.
Caminante no hay camino
sino estelas en la mar.
DAY 58 - CORCUBION TO CAPE FINISTERRE
WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THE LEGENDARY END OF THE WORLD!
¡HEMOS LLEGADO AL LEGENDARIO FIN DEL MUNDO!
After more than 800 miles we completed our walk today arriving at Km 0 in Cape Finisterre at 12:15pm. More details later.
Después de más de 1200kms hemos completado nuestra caminata llegando al km 0 del Cabo de Finisterra. Mas información luego.
¡HEMOS LLEGADO AL LEGENDARIO FIN DEL MUNDO!
After more than 800 miles we completed our walk today arriving at Km 0 in Cape Finisterre at 12:15pm. More details later.
Después de más de 1200kms hemos completado nuestra caminata llegando al km 0 del Cabo de Finisterra. Mas información luego.
Tuesday 7 July 2015
DAY 57 - OLVEIROA TO CORCUBION - 23KMS
Today can best be described as foggy and wet, wet and foggy in equal measure!
We left at 07:30am engulfed in thick fog, the morning dew seeping into every pore of our rucksack, clothes and body. One hour later the soft rain came, almost like an English rain but much finer. We looked at each other and said "both weather forecasts we looked at said no rain today; it will pass".
By the time we realised this was not going to happen it was too late. We were soaked to the skin! Too late to don our ponchos so we carried on regardless. Five and a half hours later we arrived in Corcubion, looking like drowned rats! What miserable weather! One of the things we were looking forward to today was the first sight of the sea after nearly two months walking. We could not see beyond twenty metres! The sight from the top of the mountain overlooking the town of Cee is one of the most beautiful sights we saw on our last walk. Could we see it this time. No! From that vantage point one can normally see Finisterre in the far distance. No way, nothing!
It was only after negotiating a very long and very steep rocky path down to the seashore that we spied the sea, through the mist. After a brief stop at a bar for a coffee we carried on to Corcubion where we stopped for lunch. The lunch made up for the lost morning. Lovely fresh salad, pimientos de Padron, pulpo a la Gallega, Chipirones and gulas al ajillo, followed by cheesecake and coffee! And then on to the hotel for a shower and a siesta. This evening the sun has made an appearance and we are sitting out on a lovely terrace overlooking the bay, dreaming of tomorrow when we reach the end of our long Camino. Joy and sadness in equal measure at the thought of finishing.
Tomorrow we are promised sunshine. It will be a great day for us whatever happens. Another adventure almost over. To quote Ernest Hemingway "“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” So far this journey has been amazing. Thank you for sharing it with us. See you at the finish!
We left at 07:30am engulfed in thick fog, the morning dew seeping into every pore of our rucksack, clothes and body. One hour later the soft rain came, almost like an English rain but much finer. We looked at each other and said "both weather forecasts we looked at said no rain today; it will pass".
By the time we realised this was not going to happen it was too late. We were soaked to the skin! Too late to don our ponchos so we carried on regardless. Five and a half hours later we arrived in Corcubion, looking like drowned rats! What miserable weather! One of the things we were looking forward to today was the first sight of the sea after nearly two months walking. We could not see beyond twenty metres! The sight from the top of the mountain overlooking the town of Cee is one of the most beautiful sights we saw on our last walk. Could we see it this time. No! From that vantage point one can normally see Finisterre in the far distance. No way, nothing!
It was only after negotiating a very long and very steep rocky path down to the seashore that we spied the sea, through the mist. After a brief stop at a bar for a coffee we carried on to Corcubion where we stopped for lunch. The lunch made up for the lost morning. Lovely fresh salad, pimientos de Padron, pulpo a la Gallega, Chipirones and gulas al ajillo, followed by cheesecake and coffee! And then on to the hotel for a shower and a siesta. This evening the sun has made an appearance and we are sitting out on a lovely terrace overlooking the bay, dreaming of tomorrow when we reach the end of our long Camino. Joy and sadness in equal measure at the thought of finishing.
Tomorrow we are promised sunshine. It will be a great day for us whatever happens. Another adventure almost over. To quote Ernest Hemingway "“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” So far this journey has been amazing. Thank you for sharing it with us. See you at the finish!
DIA 57 - OLVEIROA A CORCUBIÔN
La etapa de hoy fue de 23 kms. La niebla fue aumentando a medida que avanzábamos. Casi todo el tiempo caminamos por senderos entre bosques. Un sube y baja como los últimos días pero no muy empinados. A la hora mas o menos empezó a caer una llovizna muy fina que terminó por empaparnos. Una fuerte bajada por un camino empedrado nos condujo hasta la entrada de Cee.
Habíamos esperado ver el mar por primera vez desde que salimos de Alicante y también el Cabo de Finisterra en la lejanía desde la cima de la montaña pero la niebla espesa no lo permitió. Lástima! Nos acordábamos de la hermosa vista que tuvimos hace cinco años pero... no pudo ser. Así es el Camino, nunca igual...
Dos kms después de Cee, caminando por al lado de la playa, llegamos a Corcubión, nuestra última parada antes de Finisterra. Allí recién paró la llovizna.
Tanto Cee como Corcubión fueron habitados por los celtas y sus habitantes se dedicaron por siglos a la pesca de ballenas y cachalotes. En la ensenada de Caneliñas hubo una factoría ballenera desde 1924 que se mantuvo activa hasta 1995, siendo la última en España en cerrar sus puertas.
Mañana llegaremos al cabo de Finisterra, nuestro destino final! Parece mentira que ya estemos tan cerca...
Habíamos esperado ver el mar por primera vez desde que salimos de Alicante y también el Cabo de Finisterra en la lejanía desde la cima de la montaña pero la niebla espesa no lo permitió. Lástima! Nos acordábamos de la hermosa vista que tuvimos hace cinco años pero... no pudo ser. Así es el Camino, nunca igual...
Dos kms después de Cee, caminando por al lado de la playa, llegamos a Corcubión, nuestra última parada antes de Finisterra. Allí recién paró la llovizna.
Tanto Cee como Corcubión fueron habitados por los celtas y sus habitantes se dedicaron por siglos a la pesca de ballenas y cachalotes. En la ensenada de Caneliñas hubo una factoría ballenera desde 1924 que se mantuvo activa hasta 1995, siendo la última en España en cerrar sus puertas.
Mañana llegaremos al cabo de Finisterra, nuestro destino final! Parece mentira que ya estemos tan cerca...
Monday 6 July 2015
DAY 56 - SANTA MARIÑA TO OLVEIROA - 14KMS
A very short day today - only 14 Kms! Our decision to allow an extra day to reach Finisterre is paying off. Ana Maria's foot has been swelling up again and a shorter day means more recuperation time. We have also been able to rest up a bit longer.
The walk today has been pleasant, although we have been walking mainly on narrow mountain roads. A very misty morning which meant we were unable to see the Embalse da Fervenza, normally a beautiful sight first thing in the morning. The scenery is still very reminiscent of that back home, with rolling hills full of various shades of green. Cornfields are still predominant, basking in very pleasant sunshine. Today we have a private room in an Albergue in the village of Olveiroa. There are lots of people here today as it is the place to stop for those doing a short stage, as we are, and those who have been walking some 35kms to reach here today!
Tomorrow we will see the sea for the first time since we started this walk back on the 12th of May. We remember the thrill well from our last walk through here five years ago. We will reach the coast at the town of Cee. As we will be approaching from a mountain top we have a very steep descent along a difficult track to negotiate before we can reach the coast. I will keep my knee strap handy, just in case. This time instead of stopping in Cee as we did last time, we will be continuing a few more kilometres to Corcubion. This way our last stage to Finisterre will be that little bit shorter. From the town of Finisterre to the lighthouse at Cape Finisterre is another three kilometres, and the end of the road for us! The finish is in sight (almost!).
The walk today has been pleasant, although we have been walking mainly on narrow mountain roads. A very misty morning which meant we were unable to see the Embalse da Fervenza, normally a beautiful sight first thing in the morning. The scenery is still very reminiscent of that back home, with rolling hills full of various shades of green. Cornfields are still predominant, basking in very pleasant sunshine. Today we have a private room in an Albergue in the village of Olveiroa. There are lots of people here today as it is the place to stop for those doing a short stage, as we are, and those who have been walking some 35kms to reach here today!
Tomorrow we will see the sea for the first time since we started this walk back on the 12th of May. We remember the thrill well from our last walk through here five years ago. We will reach the coast at the town of Cee. As we will be approaching from a mountain top we have a very steep descent along a difficult track to negotiate before we can reach the coast. I will keep my knee strap handy, just in case. This time instead of stopping in Cee as we did last time, we will be continuing a few more kilometres to Corcubion. This way our last stage to Finisterre will be that little bit shorter. From the town of Finisterre to the lighthouse at Cape Finisterre is another three kilometres, and the end of the road for us! The finish is in sight (almost!).
DÍA 56 - SANTA MARIÑA A OLVEIROA
La etapa de hoy era corta, de unos 14 kms hasta Olveiroa. Caminamos mayormente por asfalto pero al no hacermucho calor no tuvimos mayores problemas. Subimos por pista asfaltada la ladera del Monte Aro (la travesía original que atraviesa la montaña esta cerrada, en recuperación) y al bajar hay hermosas vistas a montañas y valles. Normalmente se ve también el embalse da Fervenza pero hoy la bruma cubrió el valle y fue imposible verlo. Cruzamos el puente sobre el río Xallas y unos kilómetros más adelante llegamos a nuestro destino, Olveiroa. El albergue privado con opción a habitaciones dobles y un restaurante al lado esta muy bien y tiene un hermoso hórreo al frente (granero de piedra típico de Galicia).
En Olveiroa se encuentran petroglifos de la edad de Bronce, dólmenes y túmulos. Lástima que están muy lejos para visitar a pié, otra vez será...
Finamente, gracias a todos por sus mensajes y palabras de aliento. Nos inspiran y animan a seguir adelante. Solo quedan dos días para llegar a Finisterra. Ultreia!!!
En Olveiroa se encuentran petroglifos de la edad de Bronce, dólmenes y túmulos. Lástima que están muy lejos para visitar a pié, otra vez será...
Finamente, gracias a todos por sus mensajes y palabras de aliento. Nos inspiran y animan a seguir adelante. Solo quedan dos días para llegar a Finisterra. Ultreia!!!
Sunday 5 July 2015
DAY 55 - NEGREIRA TO SANTA MARIÑA - 22KMS
Today we set off at 06:30am, feeling refreshed after a restful night. We expect to have to wait three hours before we can have breakfast, but unexpectedly find a bar open almost immediately. It's funny how the most simple things can bring such joy!
From there the day just gets better and better! A nice cool breeze blows gently as the path winds mercilessly up and down the hillsides, but not as acute or punishing as on the previous day. We do not mind having to walk on the road for a bit. The countryside beckons, looking beautiful with paths through oak and eucalyptus woods. Open fields full of corn greet our every turn. Then we start to be overtaken by fellow walkers, all much younger, moving at an alarming speed heading for destinations way past the one we have chosen for today. As we have been feeling very tired lately, we decide to add one more stage to our journey to Finisterre, so that we now plan to reach our final destination on the 8th of July, instead of the 7th. This way we can take it easier today.
Along the way we meet three young American girls, two from Texas and one from Iowa, a Spaniard from Barcelona who has started his walk in Oviedo, an Englishman from Bideford, four Spanish ladies we have been meeting on and off for the last few days, a young Dutch girl who passes us very quickly, angry that she got lost and started walking in the opposite direction for three kilometres before she realised her mistake, and a number of walkers coming in the opposite direction heading back from Finisterre to Santiago. After twelve kilometres we come across the first bar since Negreira. It is full of walkers already, but we manage to find a corner to sit in.
Suitably refreshed we march on another ten kilometres and reach Santa Mariña, a small village which boasts two Albergues, a municipal one and a private one. We have booked ahead at the private one "Casa Pepa". Then follows our daily ritual: we check in, we shower, we wash our clothes, we have lunch, we sleep for an hour, we prepare our blog in English and Spanish, we pray for a good wifi signal, we post, we have a drink and a small snack and then prepare our rucksacks ready for the off tomorrow. Then sleep, hoping for good things tomorrow!
From there the day just gets better and better! A nice cool breeze blows gently as the path winds mercilessly up and down the hillsides, but not as acute or punishing as on the previous day. We do not mind having to walk on the road for a bit. The countryside beckons, looking beautiful with paths through oak and eucalyptus woods. Open fields full of corn greet our every turn. Then we start to be overtaken by fellow walkers, all much younger, moving at an alarming speed heading for destinations way past the one we have chosen for today. As we have been feeling very tired lately, we decide to add one more stage to our journey to Finisterre, so that we now plan to reach our final destination on the 8th of July, instead of the 7th. This way we can take it easier today.
Along the way we meet three young American girls, two from Texas and one from Iowa, a Spaniard from Barcelona who has started his walk in Oviedo, an Englishman from Bideford, four Spanish ladies we have been meeting on and off for the last few days, a young Dutch girl who passes us very quickly, angry that she got lost and started walking in the opposite direction for three kilometres before she realised her mistake, and a number of walkers coming in the opposite direction heading back from Finisterre to Santiago. After twelve kilometres we come across the first bar since Negreira. It is full of walkers already, but we manage to find a corner to sit in.
Suitably refreshed we march on another ten kilometres and reach Santa Mariña, a small village which boasts two Albergues, a municipal one and a private one. We have booked ahead at the private one "Casa Pepa". Then follows our daily ritual: we check in, we shower, we wash our clothes, we have lunch, we sleep for an hour, we prepare our blog in English and Spanish, we pray for a good wifi signal, we post, we have a drink and a small snack and then prepare our rucksacks ready for the off tomorrow. Then sleep, hoping for good things tomorrow!
DÍA 55 - NEGREIRA A SANTA MARIÑA
La etapa de hoy fue de 22 kms. Al salir de Negreira pasamos por un gran arco de piedra que comunica la capilla con el pazo de Cotón del siglo XVIII. Poco después se ve una estatua que recuerda a los gallegos que emigraron buscando trabajo en otros países o lugares más propicios.
La primera parte fue un sube y baja, mayormente por bosques de eucaliptos y robles bordeados por helechos. En algunas partes el sendero esta encauzado por muros de piedra, cubiertos de musgo y rodeados de vegetación diversa. Hermoso!
Luego caminamos bastante por carretera y caminos de tierra con grandes plantaciones de maíz a ambos lados. También se ven algunas cabañas de vacas. Al pasar por el puente de Maroñas tuvimos que apartarnos para dejar pasar a un grupo de vacas rumbo a un tambo que nos miraban con curiosidad...
Poco después llegamos a la aldea de Santa Mariña donde pasaremos la noche en un albergue privado, dormitorio arriba con 14 camas y literas y bar con comida en la planta baja. Los que se quedan en este lugar son los que, como nosotros, no quieren hacer la etapa larga de más de 35 kms.
Hoy vimos a muchos peregrinos de varias nacionalidades en el camino, franceses, alemanes, americanos, españoles, canadienses, holandeses, etc. Algunos volviendo a Santiago.
Mañana seguimos a Olveira.
La primera parte fue un sube y baja, mayormente por bosques de eucaliptos y robles bordeados por helechos. En algunas partes el sendero esta encauzado por muros de piedra, cubiertos de musgo y rodeados de vegetación diversa. Hermoso!
Luego caminamos bastante por carretera y caminos de tierra con grandes plantaciones de maíz a ambos lados. También se ven algunas cabañas de vacas. Al pasar por el puente de Maroñas tuvimos que apartarnos para dejar pasar a un grupo de vacas rumbo a un tambo que nos miraban con curiosidad...
Poco después llegamos a la aldea de Santa Mariña donde pasaremos la noche en un albergue privado, dormitorio arriba con 14 camas y literas y bar con comida en la planta baja. Los que se quedan en este lugar son los que, como nosotros, no quieren hacer la etapa larga de más de 35 kms.
Hoy vimos a muchos peregrinos de varias nacionalidades en el camino, franceses, alemanes, americanos, españoles, canadienses, holandeses, etc. Algunos volviendo a Santiago.
Mañana seguimos a Olveira.
Saturday 4 July 2015
DAY 54 - SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA TO NEGREIRA - 23KMS
Another early morning start through the deserted streets of Santiago, down to the Obradoiro Square, past the Parador Nacional and down the hill, which eventually led to beautiful eucalyptus forests and leafy lanes reminiscent of Back home in Surrey.
What I hadn't bargained for were the endless climbs and descents From a height of 253m to160m, 220m,150m,200m, 150m, 175m and finally at Augapesada 58m. From there a very steep 2 km-long climb to Alto do Mar de Ovellas at 270m. I can tell you that I felt completely exhausted! I think our bodies are telling us enough is enough and that we need more rest. We have our flights booked for our return to the UK on the 11th so we don't have much leeway. We may have to take an extra day to complete the journey as we both feel very tired.
The highlight today was passing the Ponte Vella at Ponte Maceira. This is a XIV century bridge in a delightful setting. We remembered this well from our 2010 walk. A few kilometres later we arrived in Negreira, where tonight we are staying in a private Albergue with a room all to ourselves to see if we can get a bit of rest.
Let's see how we get on tomorrow!
What I hadn't bargained for were the endless climbs and descents From a height of 253m to160m, 220m,150m,200m, 150m, 175m and finally at Augapesada 58m. From there a very steep 2 km-long climb to Alto do Mar de Ovellas at 270m. I can tell you that I felt completely exhausted! I think our bodies are telling us enough is enough and that we need more rest. We have our flights booked for our return to the UK on the 11th so we don't have much leeway. We may have to take an extra day to complete the journey as we both feel very tired.
The highlight today was passing the Ponte Vella at Ponte Maceira. This is a XIV century bridge in a delightful setting. We remembered this well from our 2010 walk. A few kilometres later we arrived in Negreira, where tonight we are staying in a private Albergue with a room all to ourselves to see if we can get a bit of rest.
Let's see how we get on tomorrow!
DIA 54- SANTIAGO A NEGREIRA
Dejamos nuestro hotel a las 6.45 y nos dirigimos a la plaza de Obradoiro donde junto al parador nacional comienza el Camino a Finisterra.
Por calles, carreteras, caminos y senderos subimos y bajamos continuamente de 253 m de altura a 160, 220, 150, 200, 150, 175 para llegar a Augapesada a 58 m. Allí empieza una fuerte subida de 2 kms hasta el Alto do Mar de Ovellas a 270 m de altura. Menos mal que encontramos algunos bancos de piedra para sentarnos y recobrar el aliento y así poder llegar a la cima!
Gran parte de esta etapa es por bosques de robles y eucaliptos, éstos con su perfume característico. No hacía tanto calor pero sí mucha humedad.
Descendimos por asfalto hasta Ponte Maceira donde cruzamos el río Tambre por el magnífico puente medieval de Ponte Vella del siglo XIV, con una excelente vista panorámica.
Cinco kms más adelante llegamos a Negreira donde encontramos un buen albergue con opción de habitaciones individuales, toallas y sábanas de tela, no de papel... Todo un lujo!
Mañana estamos pensando hacer una etapa más corta; nos sentimos bastante cansados.
Friday 3 July 2015
DÍAS 52 Y 53 - SILLEDA A OUTEIRO Y SANTIAGO
La etapa de Silleda a Outeiro fue larga y bastante ardua pero logramos hacerla en 6 horas. Fuimos los primeros en llegar al albergue de Outeiro. Tuvimos que esperar 1/2 hora a que abrieran (a las 13.00)!
Caminamos por carretera, caminos asfaltados y semi-asfaltados y también por amplios senderos de tierra. Pasamos por bosques de robles y también de eucaliptos donde se sentía el perfume de estos. Temperatura más agradable de unos 27C y al salir temprano no nos afectó el calor.
Subimos y bajamos tramos empinados, difíciles, especialmente la bajada al puente sobre el río Ulla y luego la fuerte subida hacia Outeiro.
El albergue de Outeiro es el más cercano a Santiago con una etapa final de 18 kms y por lo tanto popular con los peregrinos. Tiene 36 literas/camas en dos habitaciones y estaba completo al final del día. A unos cuantos de los que se quedaron ya los conocíamos de días anteriores y fue divertido reunirnos y charlar con ellos. Se sentía el entusiasmo de todos por llegar a Santiago!
La etapa de Outeiro a Santiago de Compostela la hicimos muy temprano. Varios salieron a las 4.30 y como ya estábamos despiertos decidimos levantarnos y seguirlos. Salimos a las 5.20 con nuestras luces puestas ya que estaba oscuro. Había una hermosa luna llena!
El camino tenía sus subidas y bajadas pero no tan severas como las de ayer. La frescura de la mañana nos ayudó a completar la etapa sin problemas. Cruzamos también un puente sobre las vías del tren, en el lugar del trágico accidente de julio de 2013. Un momento muy triste recordando y pensando en tantas vidas perdidas.
Al entrar en Santiago hay que subir una calle muy larga y luego caminar por calles estrechas hasta el centro de la ciudad. El llegar a la plaza de Obradoiro es un momento muy especial, de gran emoción y compartido por todos los que completan los distintos Caminos. Es difícil de explicar ese sentimiento...
Encontramos nuestro hotel, dejamos las mochilas y fuimos a buscar nuestra Compostela, el certificado oficial como constancia de haber completado este Camino. Este se entrega al comprobar las entradas en la credencial donde hay sellos de cada una de las etapas.
Mañana continuamos hacia Finisterra.
Caminamos por carretera, caminos asfaltados y semi-asfaltados y también por amplios senderos de tierra. Pasamos por bosques de robles y también de eucaliptos donde se sentía el perfume de estos. Temperatura más agradable de unos 27C y al salir temprano no nos afectó el calor.
Subimos y bajamos tramos empinados, difíciles, especialmente la bajada al puente sobre el río Ulla y luego la fuerte subida hacia Outeiro.
El albergue de Outeiro es el más cercano a Santiago con una etapa final de 18 kms y por lo tanto popular con los peregrinos. Tiene 36 literas/camas en dos habitaciones y estaba completo al final del día. A unos cuantos de los que se quedaron ya los conocíamos de días anteriores y fue divertido reunirnos y charlar con ellos. Se sentía el entusiasmo de todos por llegar a Santiago!
La etapa de Outeiro a Santiago de Compostela la hicimos muy temprano. Varios salieron a las 4.30 y como ya estábamos despiertos decidimos levantarnos y seguirlos. Salimos a las 5.20 con nuestras luces puestas ya que estaba oscuro. Había una hermosa luna llena!
El camino tenía sus subidas y bajadas pero no tan severas como las de ayer. La frescura de la mañana nos ayudó a completar la etapa sin problemas. Cruzamos también un puente sobre las vías del tren, en el lugar del trágico accidente de julio de 2013. Un momento muy triste recordando y pensando en tantas vidas perdidas.
Al entrar en Santiago hay que subir una calle muy larga y luego caminar por calles estrechas hasta el centro de la ciudad. El llegar a la plaza de Obradoiro es un momento muy especial, de gran emoción y compartido por todos los que completan los distintos Caminos. Es difícil de explicar ese sentimiento...
Encontramos nuestro hotel, dejamos las mochilas y fuimos a buscar nuestra Compostela, el certificado oficial como constancia de haber completado este Camino. Este se entrega al comprobar las entradas en la credencial donde hay sellos de cada una de las etapas.
Mañana continuamos hacia Finisterra.
DAY 52/53- SILLEDA TO OUTEIRO AND SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA - 45KMS
Today we left at 6:00am but lost about 20 minutes after taking a wrong turn and heading in the wrong direction in the dark! The rest of the day though was great. We were able to sleep well last night and we were feeling good today. As it turned out we did our fastest walk today. 26kms in 6 hours. Not bad at all for two old crinklies (well one and a half!).
Apart from the first few kilometres along roads, the rest of the way was through beautiful shaded forests and mountain paths. The downside (there is always a downside!) was that there were a number of very steep ups and downs which tend to wreak havoc with the knees. On one particularly steep descent we saw a long train bridge which straddles the valley. This was under construction five years ago when we did our walk from Gibraltar. It was good to see it finished. We understand the high speed AVE trains will use this bridge on their approach to Santiago de Compostela.
We arrived at the Albergue in Outeiro too early and had to wait for it to open at 1:00pm. It has been improved since last time by the addition of a restaurant service, whereas before there was absolutely nothing to eat anywhere near the place!
Our German friends did not arrive until much later. They had decided to send their very heavy rucksacks ahead by taxi and the Hospitalera in charge of the Albergue would not let them in! They have a very strict code on only allowing bone fide pilgrims in the Albergue. If you don't have a rucksack, then you are obviously not one! Eventually their packs arrived and they were able to join us. As this is the last Albergue before Santiago it was virtually full with around 30 people.
TODAY SATURDAY WE REACHED SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA!
This is our third Camino but it is always a thrill when you walk up to the Cathedral, particularly after a long and very often painful journey. We decided to leave early this morning and at 05:20am we were on our way, totally in the dark, with a full moon shining down on us and our headlamps on. We wend our way through a long straight path through forests until first light. The path then continued through beautiful rolling hills an unending up and down motion which was exhausting! But we were spurred on by the fact that soon we would reach Santiago. No matter how many times you walk up to it, it is always something special. We saw very few pilgrims on the way, perhaps because it was so early but as soon as we spied the twin towers of the Cathedral, we also started seeing other walkers coming from the various Caminos that converge on Obradoiro square in Santiago. It was with a huge sense of achievement that we took the last few steps to the Cathedral!
After that we went to our hotel to freshen up and then headed for the pilgrim office to obtain our Compostela, the certificate that confirms we have done one of the Caminos de Santiago. At lunchtime we went to Casa Felisa where last time we were with our friends and fellow walkers, Phil and Miriam Watson and Bart and Linda Saudemont. We raised a glass to them, hoping that our paths will cross again in the not too- distant future!
Tomorrow we continue to Cape Finisterre, the fabled End of the World, where we will end our epic journey. We hope you will continue to join us on our journey.
On a final note we would like to send our congratulations and best wishes to Lt. Col. (Read) Mark Randall, former Commanding Officer, Royal Gibraltar Regiment, who tomorrow Saturday will be entering Gibraltar after a mammoth walk of over 2100 Kms from Cardiff Castle, in record time. Well done Mark! Fantastic achievement.
Apart from the first few kilometres along roads, the rest of the way was through beautiful shaded forests and mountain paths. The downside (there is always a downside!) was that there were a number of very steep ups and downs which tend to wreak havoc with the knees. On one particularly steep descent we saw a long train bridge which straddles the valley. This was under construction five years ago when we did our walk from Gibraltar. It was good to see it finished. We understand the high speed AVE trains will use this bridge on their approach to Santiago de Compostela.
We arrived at the Albergue in Outeiro too early and had to wait for it to open at 1:00pm. It has been improved since last time by the addition of a restaurant service, whereas before there was absolutely nothing to eat anywhere near the place!
Our German friends did not arrive until much later. They had decided to send their very heavy rucksacks ahead by taxi and the Hospitalera in charge of the Albergue would not let them in! They have a very strict code on only allowing bone fide pilgrims in the Albergue. If you don't have a rucksack, then you are obviously not one! Eventually their packs arrived and they were able to join us. As this is the last Albergue before Santiago it was virtually full with around 30 people.
TODAY SATURDAY WE REACHED SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA!
This is our third Camino but it is always a thrill when you walk up to the Cathedral, particularly after a long and very often painful journey. We decided to leave early this morning and at 05:20am we were on our way, totally in the dark, with a full moon shining down on us and our headlamps on. We wend our way through a long straight path through forests until first light. The path then continued through beautiful rolling hills an unending up and down motion which was exhausting! But we were spurred on by the fact that soon we would reach Santiago. No matter how many times you walk up to it, it is always something special. We saw very few pilgrims on the way, perhaps because it was so early but as soon as we spied the twin towers of the Cathedral, we also started seeing other walkers coming from the various Caminos that converge on Obradoiro square in Santiago. It was with a huge sense of achievement that we took the last few steps to the Cathedral!
After that we went to our hotel to freshen up and then headed for the pilgrim office to obtain our Compostela, the certificate that confirms we have done one of the Caminos de Santiago. At lunchtime we went to Casa Felisa where last time we were with our friends and fellow walkers, Phil and Miriam Watson and Bart and Linda Saudemont. We raised a glass to them, hoping that our paths will cross again in the not too- distant future!
Tomorrow we continue to Cape Finisterre, the fabled End of the World, where we will end our epic journey. We hope you will continue to join us on our journey.
On a final note we would like to send our congratulations and best wishes to Lt. Col. (Read) Mark Randall, former Commanding Officer, Royal Gibraltar Regiment, who tomorrow Saturday will be entering Gibraltar after a mammoth walk of over 2100 Kms from Cardiff Castle, in record time. Well done Mark! Fantastic achievement.
Wednesday 1 July 2015
DÍA 51 - LALIN A SILLEDA
Una etapa de 18 kms hasta Silleda. Carretera y asfalto por unos 6 kms y luego senderos por bosques, campos y arboledas. Muy bonito aunque bastante difícil en partes con subidas y bajadas empinadas con muchas piedras. Pasamos también por algunos pueblos y cruzamos un antiguo puente romano muy alto con hermosas vistas al río.
Nos encontramos y caminamos los últimos 7 kms con una pareja de estudiantes alemanes, Nora y Lászlo que están viajando por Europa antes de empezar sus respectivos Masters. Muy simpáticos y el caminar juntos fue muy agradable. Llevan mucho peso en las mochilas y Nora tiene problemas con los piés (muchas ampollas!). Ellos terminan en Santiago así que solo les quedan dos días para llegar. Nora y Lászlo continuaron su etapa hasta otro pueblo. Esperamos verlos nuevamente mañana o en Santiago.
Mañana nos espera una etapa bastante larga y difícil.
Nos encontramos y caminamos los últimos 7 kms con una pareja de estudiantes alemanes, Nora y Lászlo que están viajando por Europa antes de empezar sus respectivos Masters. Muy simpáticos y el caminar juntos fue muy agradable. Llevan mucho peso en las mochilas y Nora tiene problemas con los piés (muchas ampollas!). Ellos terminan en Santiago así que solo les quedan dos días para llegar. Nora y Lászlo continuaron su etapa hasta otro pueblo. Esperamos verlos nuevamente mañana o en Santiago.
Mañana nos espera una etapa bastante larga y difícil.
DAY 51 - LALIN TO SILLEDA - 18KMS
This morning it was decidedly cooler than yesterday and overcast, making for very clammy conditions. We set off later than usual at around 7:30am after our usual....well you know what!
The first few kilometres were up and down Tarmac paths, dodging main roads and motorways and walking through trading estates. Not very nice! After that the path went cross-country through very pleasant valleys, wooded areas and the inevitable villages. Today we met two very nice young Germans, Nora and Lászlo, who have taken time out before doing their Masters degrees, to travel around Europe. They were both carrying far too much weight and Nora was suffering from severe blisters. We travelled together for two or three hours until we reached Silleda. They had to carry on a few more Kms as someone had offered to take some of their luggage forward and they did not want to lose it! We have agreed to try and meet up tomorrow either on the Camino or in the Albergue in Outeiro, where we are heading tomorrow.
The first few kilometres were up and down Tarmac paths, dodging main roads and motorways and walking through trading estates. Not very nice! After that the path went cross-country through very pleasant valleys, wooded areas and the inevitable villages. Today we met two very nice young Germans, Nora and Lászlo, who have taken time out before doing their Masters degrees, to travel around Europe. They were both carrying far too much weight and Nora was suffering from severe blisters. We travelled together for two or three hours until we reached Silleda. They had to carry on a few more Kms as someone had offered to take some of their luggage forward and they did not want to lose it! We have agreed to try and meet up tomorrow either on the Camino or in the Albergue in Outeiro, where we are heading tomorrow.
DAY 50 - CEA TO LALIN - 17KMS
An early morning start to try and and avoid the heat expected to reach 40C degrees today! Last night from the terrace of our Albergue we could see thick smoke from a large fire that appeared to be a little bit too close for comfort!
After a brief visit to a local bakery where they were making the famous CEA bread, and a 6:00am breakfast of coffee and oily toast we set off for Lalin, our destination for the day. We walked mainly on some major and some minor roads passing through some interesting villages. One in particular, Piñor, caught my eye. It has more than twelve companies making coffins. Surely this must be the coffin capital of Spain! Very macabre!
After 17 Kms or so we reached Castro do Dozon. By this time the temperature had reached 38 degrees and we still had another 17 Kms or so to go! We took refuge in a local bar where a number of fellow walkers had gathered to cool down and decide what to do next. There we met Pepe, Antonia and Carlos who own the La Reja Restaurant in Jimena de la Frontera, not far from Gibraltar. After a lot of deliberation we decided it was potentially dangerous for us oldies to continue walking in the extreme heat. We therefor waited a few hours for a bus which took us to Lalin in about 12 minutes! Pepe and Co. Decided to go a bit further to Laxe.
When we arrived in Lalin, Francisco, a Spanish gentleman who had been on the bus with us, offered to show us to a local hotel. Francisco turned out to be a teacher at a local Institute teaching accounting and maths. He seemed to be a very nice man and we chatted all the way to the hotel. Along the way he pointed out a monument to Joaquín Lóriga Taboada, a famous Spanish airman, who in 1926 had been the first to fly from Madrid to the Philippines, only to due the following year in an aircraft accident.
After a brief visit to a local bakery where they were making the famous CEA bread, and a 6:00am breakfast of coffee and oily toast we set off for Lalin, our destination for the day. We walked mainly on some major and some minor roads passing through some interesting villages. One in particular, Piñor, caught my eye. It has more than twelve companies making coffins. Surely this must be the coffin capital of Spain! Very macabre!
After 17 Kms or so we reached Castro do Dozon. By this time the temperature had reached 38 degrees and we still had another 17 Kms or so to go! We took refuge in a local bar where a number of fellow walkers had gathered to cool down and decide what to do next. There we met Pepe, Antonia and Carlos who own the La Reja Restaurant in Jimena de la Frontera, not far from Gibraltar. After a lot of deliberation we decided it was potentially dangerous for us oldies to continue walking in the extreme heat. We therefor waited a few hours for a bus which took us to Lalin in about 12 minutes! Pepe and Co. Decided to go a bit further to Laxe.
When we arrived in Lalin, Francisco, a Spanish gentleman who had been on the bus with us, offered to show us to a local hotel. Francisco turned out to be a teacher at a local Institute teaching accounting and maths. He seemed to be a very nice man and we chatted all the way to the hotel. Along the way he pointed out a monument to Joaquín Lóriga Taboada, a famous Spanish airman, who in 1926 had been the first to fly from Madrid to the Philippines, only to due the following year in an aircraft accident.
DÍA 50 - CEA A LALIN
Anoche vimos un incendio forestal desde la terraza del albergue. Por el humo que se veía parece que era serio. Con la ola de calor que estamos pasando han habido varios incendios forestales.
Salimos temprano del albergue y a las 6am estábamos delante del bar Sol y Luna esperando que abrieran para tomar el desayuno. En camino al bar pasamos por el Horno de Pepita donde ya estaban preparando el pan.
Caminamos 17 kms hasta Castro de Dozón. Llegamos a las 11 y ya hacia mucho calor. Seguir otros 17-18 kms por carretera hasta Lanin con 38C al sol era demasiado así que decidimos tomar un autobús hasta allí. Mis piés lo agradecieron!
Viajó con nosotros unos españoles de Jimena de la Frontera. Pepe, Antonia y Carlos, el hijo. Ellos siguieron para tener una etapa corta hoy (problemas de piés). Francisco, un señor mayor de Castro bajó con nosotros e insistió en mostrarnos el camino hasta un hotel que conocía. Francisco es maestro de instituto y enseña contabilidad y matemáticas. Hace ese viaje todos los días porque prefiere la vida tranquila del pueblo.
Lanin es una ciudad moderna, de 10.000 habitantes, conocida por la fabricación de ropa de vestir. Visitamos la iglesia local y vimos el monumento en homenaje a Joaquín Lóriga Taboada, famoso piloto gallego que participó en el primer vuelo de Madrid a Filipinas en 1926 y falleció un año después en un accidente de aviación en Madrid.
Mañana seguimos a Silleda.
Salimos temprano del albergue y a las 6am estábamos delante del bar Sol y Luna esperando que abrieran para tomar el desayuno. En camino al bar pasamos por el Horno de Pepita donde ya estaban preparando el pan.
Caminamos 17 kms hasta Castro de Dozón. Llegamos a las 11 y ya hacia mucho calor. Seguir otros 17-18 kms por carretera hasta Lanin con 38C al sol era demasiado así que decidimos tomar un autobús hasta allí. Mis piés lo agradecieron!
Viajó con nosotros unos españoles de Jimena de la Frontera. Pepe, Antonia y Carlos, el hijo. Ellos siguieron para tener una etapa corta hoy (problemas de piés). Francisco, un señor mayor de Castro bajó con nosotros e insistió en mostrarnos el camino hasta un hotel que conocía. Francisco es maestro de instituto y enseña contabilidad y matemáticas. Hace ese viaje todos los días porque prefiere la vida tranquila del pueblo.
Lanin es una ciudad moderna, de 10.000 habitantes, conocida por la fabricación de ropa de vestir. Visitamos la iglesia local y vimos el monumento en homenaje a Joaquín Lóriga Taboada, famoso piloto gallego que participó en el primer vuelo de Madrid a Filipinas en 1926 y falleció un año después en un accidente de aviación en Madrid.
Mañana seguimos a Silleda.
Monday 29 June 2015
DÍA 49 - ORENSE A SAN CRISTOVO DE CEA
Hoy una etapa más corta, de 18 kms. Salimos temprano para evitar el intenso calor. Por carretera y senderos por bosques y arboledas con alguna sombra que hicieron la etapa más llevadera. Unos peregrinos que llegaron después que nosotros contaron que vieron un incendio en la ladera de la montaña y helicópteros tratando de apagar el fuego. Me alegro de no haberlo visto.
Hoy charlamos con Elisa, una señora de 84 años que estaba dando de comer a sus gallinas. Nos animó a seguir con las famosas palabras 'ánimo, ya queda poco'.
El albergue ha deteriorado mucho desde la última vez pero no hay otro alojamiento en el pueblo. Hay 24 peregrinos en el albergue. Hace muchísimo calor y esta tarde nos refugiamos en el único bar con aire acondicionado y Wifi aunque esta casi a la salida de Cea!
Este pueblo es famoso por su pan moreno y sus hornos de pan. Probamos el pan a la hora del almuerzo y la verdad es que está sabroso!
Espero que podamos descansar esta noche; hace mucho calor y hay muchos en el albergue!
Hoy charlamos con Elisa, una señora de 84 años que estaba dando de comer a sus gallinas. Nos animó a seguir con las famosas palabras 'ánimo, ya queda poco'.
El albergue ha deteriorado mucho desde la última vez pero no hay otro alojamiento en el pueblo. Hay 24 peregrinos en el albergue. Hace muchísimo calor y esta tarde nos refugiamos en el único bar con aire acondicionado y Wifi aunque esta casi a la salida de Cea!
Este pueblo es famoso por su pan moreno y sus hornos de pan. Probamos el pan a la hora del almuerzo y la verdad es que está sabroso!
Espero que podamos descansar esta noche; hace mucho calor y hay muchos en el albergue!
DAY 49 - OURENSE TO CEA - 18KMS
A short day today on roads and some country paths, trying to avoid the midday sun. The temperature today was supposed to reach 40C! We had stocked up extra water just in case. Some walkers who arrived a couple of hours after us reported a fire on the side of a mountain, with four helicopters dropping water. Glad we missed that.
This afternoon in the Albergue, which already houses 24 "pilgrims", the heat is unbearable. Don't know if we will get any sleep tonight! Tomorrow the temperature is forecast to rise again. Ouch!
This afternoon in the Albergue, which already houses 24 "pilgrims", the heat is unbearable. Don't know if we will get any sleep tonight! Tomorrow the temperature is forecast to rise again. Ouch!
Sunday 28 June 2015
DAY 47/48- XUNQUEIRA DE AMBIA TO ORENSE - 27 KMS
Another early morning start to avoid the midday heat! The way today was mainly on roads except for the odd up and down goat tracks trying to shortcut bends! Initially we got very lost leaving Xunqueira and must have walked an extra couple of kilometres at least! Once we found our way we went through a myriad of little villages, most now looking much more prosperous than those in previous days. Closer to Ourense we went through the inevitable industrial parks, churning out their pollution in marked contrast to the beautiful scenes up on the mountain sides!
Tonight we stay in a beautiful Albergue, where we stayed five years ago, a converted former monastery. The temperature has been rising all day and now at 9:30pm is 25C degrees. Impossible to sleep. Tomorrow the high will be 32 and on Monday 36. Tomorrow 28th June, marks my 70th birthday and we have decided to take a rest day here in Ourense. We will be transferring from the Albergue into one of the top hotels here and we are looking forward to having air conditioning the most! Today I got an advance birthday present from Ana Maria. She did my washing for me! She knows that of all the things we do on the Camino, washing clothes as soon as we arrive anywhere is the one thing I really hate doing! Sometimes the simple pleasures in life are the best!
DAY 48 - REST DAY IN OURENSE AND MY 70th BIRTHDAY!
Our rest day in Ourense has been just that. A lot of rest a very very good lunch, the odd glass of wine and air-conditioned comfort. Tomorrow we are back in business and some 25 Kms await us! We hope to reach Santiago de Compostela in four days time and from there another four to Cape Finisterre.
As you can see from this late post, we have had problems posting our daily blogs. I hope to catch up with all those who have sent me greetings on my birthday but in the meantime many thanks to everyone for thinking of me today and thus making this a special day.
Tonight we stay in a beautiful Albergue, where we stayed five years ago, a converted former monastery. The temperature has been rising all day and now at 9:30pm is 25C degrees. Impossible to sleep. Tomorrow the high will be 32 and on Monday 36. Tomorrow 28th June, marks my 70th birthday and we have decided to take a rest day here in Ourense. We will be transferring from the Albergue into one of the top hotels here and we are looking forward to having air conditioning the most! Today I got an advance birthday present from Ana Maria. She did my washing for me! She knows that of all the things we do on the Camino, washing clothes as soon as we arrive anywhere is the one thing I really hate doing! Sometimes the simple pleasures in life are the best!
DAY 48 - REST DAY IN OURENSE AND MY 70th BIRTHDAY!
Our rest day in Ourense has been just that. A lot of rest a very very good lunch, the odd glass of wine and air-conditioned comfort. Tomorrow we are back in business and some 25 Kms await us! We hope to reach Santiago de Compostela in four days time and from there another four to Cape Finisterre.
As you can see from this late post, we have had problems posting our daily blogs. I hope to catch up with all those who have sent me greetings on my birthday but in the meantime many thanks to everyone for thinking of me today and thus making this a special day.
DAY 46 - LAZA TO XUNQUEIRA DE AMBÍA - 35KMS
Today Friday, we decided to go for it! Alarm clock at 5:15am and on the road at 6:00am! Beautiful calm chilly morning. Headlamps on because it was still dark and we had to negotiate roads! Once again we climbed and climbed and climbed from 485m to almost 1000m, to the village of Alberguería, where we arrived three hours later and had our first coffee of the day. There is nothing very remarkable about this village save that there is a bar where pilgrims note on a "Vieira", a clam shell, their name and the date they passed through. There are hundreds if not thousand of these shells lining all the walls and ceilings. We had been there before in June 2010 so we searched for ours. It took us 20 minutes to find! By sheer coincidence we found another shell signed by Gibraltarians Freddie and Christine Vasquez, also dated June 2010. I've included a photo of their shell so if anyone has them as friends on Facebook I would be grateful if you can share this post with them. We have left another shell marking our current walk from Alicante to Finisterre and Muxia.
Suitably refreshed, we left Alberguería first on a minor road and then on a path cross-country with the usual up and down stoney paths, goat tracks and practically every hideous form of torture they could conceive! We arrived in Vilar dos Barrios a couple of hours later. Here we had to decide whether to stay the night or carry on another three and a half hours. We opted for the latter and arrived in Xunqueira de Ambiance, completely exhausted but delighted to have accomplished a 22 mile trek!
Better news for tomorrow is that we have a shorter day (only 23 Kms) to Ourense, where we will stay at the local Albergue and then transfer to a 5 star hotel on Sunday to celebrate my 70th birthday and a well deserved rest. Something is going on in Ourense over the weekend and there were no suitable hotel rooms available for Saturday night.
Suitably refreshed, we left Alberguería first on a minor road and then on a path cross-country with the usual up and down stoney paths, goat tracks and practically every hideous form of torture they could conceive! We arrived in Vilar dos Barrios a couple of hours later. Here we had to decide whether to stay the night or carry on another three and a half hours. We opted for the latter and arrived in Xunqueira de Ambiance, completely exhausted but delighted to have accomplished a 22 mile trek!
Better news for tomorrow is that we have a shorter day (only 23 Kms) to Ourense, where we will stay at the local Albergue and then transfer to a 5 star hotel on Sunday to celebrate my 70th birthday and a well deserved rest. Something is going on in Ourense over the weekend and there were no suitable hotel rooms available for Saturday night.
Thursday 25 June 2015
DAY 45 - CAMPOBECERROS TO LAZA - 15KMS
After a very restful night in the Albergue where we were completely on our own, we carried on towards Laza, our destination for the day. Up and down the mountains we went in what has now become a familiar pattern! Up to 995m and then down to 485m. Again stunning scenery although today marred by flies which seemed to be everywhere. On the road we met an elderly gentleman on his way to the fields who among other things mentioned that he had never experienced so many flies in his lifetime!
We went through various small villages, mostly abandoned although we spotted the odd new building here and there. Maybe people are building/buying weekend mountain retreats? Our last stop before Laza was As Eiras, a very small village. Here we were surprised to find a rest point for pilgrims doing the Camino. There was an array of cold soft drinks, biscuits, tea, coffee and biscuits. All free but just asking for a donation towards costs. All of this from a very small group of friendly villagers! It restores your faith in humankind!
From this point on we walked on a narrow mountain road going downhill all the time, which is better than going uphill but hard on the knees! Six kilometres later we reached Laza and a very nice Albergue that we remembered from last time. So far there are eight of us with I expect more arriving later.
Tomorrow we have another choice to make 21 Kms or 31kms. Normally we would take the latter option but tomorrow we will play it by ear as our feet are not in the best condition.
We went through various small villages, mostly abandoned although we spotted the odd new building here and there. Maybe people are building/buying weekend mountain retreats? Our last stop before Laza was As Eiras, a very small village. Here we were surprised to find a rest point for pilgrims doing the Camino. There was an array of cold soft drinks, biscuits, tea, coffee and biscuits. All free but just asking for a donation towards costs. All of this from a very small group of friendly villagers! It restores your faith in humankind!
From this point on we walked on a narrow mountain road going downhill all the time, which is better than going uphill but hard on the knees! Six kilometres later we reached Laza and a very nice Albergue that we remembered from last time. So far there are eight of us with I expect more arriving later.
Tomorrow we have another choice to make 21 Kms or 31kms. Normally we would take the latter option but tomorrow we will play it by ear as our feet are not in the best condition.
DÍA 45 - CAMPOBECERROS A LAZA
Dejamos el pueblo después de un desayuno pobre de café con leche y una magdalena... Hoy DÍA 45 - CAMPOBECERROS A LAZA casi todo el tiempo por carretera de montaña, un sube y baja, y poco por senderos. El paisaje era fantástico desde lo alto. Los trabajos de construcción del AVE lo estropean un poco en ciertos lugares. Ayer no se notaba tanto ya que habrá un túnel de casi 11 kms! Lástima que este servicio de tren veloz no parará en ninguno de los pequeños pueblos por lo que estos no se beneficiarán. Es más, el pequeño tren que unía a estos pueblos con Orense ha dejado de funcionar lo que sí les causa problemas.
Hoy nuevamente hubo muchas moscas en el Camino; un campesino mayor nos comentó que nunca había experimentado algo igual en su vida. Es difícil de trabajar en el campo en esas condiciones.
No había ningún bar durante toda la etapa pero tuvimos una grata sorpresa cuando llegamos a As Eiras, un pequeño pueblo a 8 kms de Laza. Encontramos un pequeño rincón al lado del camino, un 'Punto de Apoyo' para los peregrinos donde nos pudimos sentar a descansar y donde había un termo con café y agua caliente para te, agua y algunas latas de bebida frías y algunos bizcochos y magdalenas para servirse. Tan sólo había una pequeña nota pidiendo un donativo. Una idea excelente!
Contentos y con más energía continuamos la marcha y bajando gradualmente los últimos 6 kms llegamos a Laza y al albergue que ya conocíamos de la vez anterior. Muy bueno, con todas las comodidades y dormitorios separados con 8 literas cada uno. Sólo 4 en el nuestro. Cada uno con sus llaves.
Mañana veremos hasta donde llegamos...
Hoy nuevamente hubo muchas moscas en el Camino; un campesino mayor nos comentó que nunca había experimentado algo igual en su vida. Es difícil de trabajar en el campo en esas condiciones.
No había ningún bar durante toda la etapa pero tuvimos una grata sorpresa cuando llegamos a As Eiras, un pequeño pueblo a 8 kms de Laza. Encontramos un pequeño rincón al lado del camino, un 'Punto de Apoyo' para los peregrinos donde nos pudimos sentar a descansar y donde había un termo con café y agua caliente para te, agua y algunas latas de bebida frías y algunos bizcochos y magdalenas para servirse. Tan sólo había una pequeña nota pidiendo un donativo. Una idea excelente!
Contentos y con más energía continuamos la marcha y bajando gradualmente los últimos 6 kms llegamos a Laza y al albergue que ya conocíamos de la vez anterior. Muy bueno, con todas las comodidades y dormitorios separados con 8 literas cada uno. Sólo 4 en el nuestro. Cada uno con sus llaves.
Mañana veremos hasta donde llegamos...
DIA 44 - AGUDIÑA A CAMPOBECERROS
Retomamos el Camino a unos 300m y salimos de Agudiña con mucha niebla por una carretera secundaria. Hay un desvío indicado por la constructora del AVE debido al tráfico de camiones que supone 7-8 kms extra para los peregrinos. Los Amigos del Camino de Agudiña mencionan que se puede seguir el Camino con precaución y eso es lo que decidimos hacer.
Fue un ascenso continuo y el tráfico constante de camiones de construcción y la espesa niebla lo hicieron bastante complicado, especialmente al no haber casi arcén! Aún cuando se disipó la niebla el paso de los camiones a ambos lados de la carretera nos acompañó por más de dos horas!
Lo más hermoso fue caminar por la cima de una cadena de montañas, viendo el embalse y lagos de As Portas a la derecha y los verdes valles a la izquierda. Una tranquilidad increíble y unas vistas inmejorables!
Pasamos por unas pequeñas aldeas, todas semi-abandonadas. En una de ellas, Venda do Teresa, hablamos con José Luis, uno de los 4 habitantes que quedan allí. Tuvo un accidente de trabajo hace unos años, recibió una buena compensación y su jubilación y volvió al pueblo donde nació. Primero se dedicó a ganado (300 vacas), luego a ovejas (100) y cabras (100) y ahora sólo tiene 50 vacas rubias típicas de Galicia cuya carne es muy apreciada. Ha comprado ya varias de las casas que quedaron vacías como una inversión para sus 2 hijos que viven en Madrid.
Seguimos subiendo y bajando, caminando la mayor parte del tiempo a un promedio de 1000m de altura hasta llegar a una fuerte pendiente de piedras sueltas, pizarra, que nos llevó a la entrada de Campobecerros, a 895m de altura.
Nos quedamos aquí, en un albergue bastante nuevo, con 18 literas y una buena terraza. Estamos solos! Será una noche muy tranquila...
Mañana a Laza!
Fue un ascenso continuo y el tráfico constante de camiones de construcción y la espesa niebla lo hicieron bastante complicado, especialmente al no haber casi arcén! Aún cuando se disipó la niebla el paso de los camiones a ambos lados de la carretera nos acompañó por más de dos horas!
Lo más hermoso fue caminar por la cima de una cadena de montañas, viendo el embalse y lagos de As Portas a la derecha y los verdes valles a la izquierda. Una tranquilidad increíble y unas vistas inmejorables!
Pasamos por unas pequeñas aldeas, todas semi-abandonadas. En una de ellas, Venda do Teresa, hablamos con José Luis, uno de los 4 habitantes que quedan allí. Tuvo un accidente de trabajo hace unos años, recibió una buena compensación y su jubilación y volvió al pueblo donde nació. Primero se dedicó a ganado (300 vacas), luego a ovejas (100) y cabras (100) y ahora sólo tiene 50 vacas rubias típicas de Galicia cuya carne es muy apreciada. Ha comprado ya varias de las casas que quedaron vacías como una inversión para sus 2 hijos que viven en Madrid.
Seguimos subiendo y bajando, caminando la mayor parte del tiempo a un promedio de 1000m de altura hasta llegar a una fuerte pendiente de piedras sueltas, pizarra, que nos llevó a la entrada de Campobecerros, a 895m de altura.
Nos quedamos aquí, en un albergue bastante nuevo, con 18 literas y una buena terraza. Estamos solos! Será una noche muy tranquila...
Mañana a Laza!
DAY 44 - A GUDIÑA TO CAMPOBECERROS - 21KMS
A 7:30am start today after a good breakfast of our usual "café con leche y tostadas con aceite". As I said in my last post, we were looking forward to today's trek over mountain peaks, passing through a number of small villages, most of them practically abandoned. It was indeed very much as I remembered from five years ago, even the heavy fog that made the first few kilometres somewhat dangerous on a minor road full of heavy construction traffic! What I had forgotten was how hard it was going up and down steep ascents and descents!
It was nonetheless very enjoyable. The scenery is absolutely stunning and one cannot help but feel that the Earth is something very special when you see such unspoilt natural beauty all around you. Absolute peace as well. Truly worth experiencing. Most of the trek is done at an altitude of around 1000 metres. As we went through one of the very small villages that dot the crest of these mountains, A Venda do Teresa, we came across a middle aged man walking along with his dogs. This turned out to be Jose Luis who was born and has lived there all his life! We asked him about a little old lady we had met there five years ago, who had told us a bit about life in those parts. He informed us that had been his mother who sadly had passed away since. Jose Luis was fifty six and had retired early due to a work related injury. Between his pension and the compensation he receives from his injury he gets 1500 Euros a month! He seems to be buying up most of the houses in the village as soon as anyone dies as an investment for his two children, both policemen who live in Madrid. There are now only four people living in the village. Jose Luis used to have 300 cattle, sold those and bought 100 sheep and 100 goats, sold those and now has a herd of 50 Golden Galician Cows. He also keeps chickens and pigs and his wife, who had kidney cancer a couple of years ago, but has now recovered, has a well-kept vegetable plot. Fresh water comes from a well. They are pretty well self-sufficient, and only go to the nearest big town occasionally to buy Oil, Flour, Salt and Sugar. Wow, what a life they lead!
Six hours later we came back to reality as we approached the village of Campobecerros, a small village nestled in a valley between hills. It's natural beauty now completely spoilt by a tunnel that is being built literally 100 metres from its houses, to take the AVE high speed train, which naturally will not stop there. The old railway line which carried a slower train that did stop there has now been abandoned. Such is the price we pay for progress. Today has given us much to think about what is really important in life.
I have to mention that the approach to Campobecerros is very well know on this Camino as something of a challenge! It is a very steep, very long, downhill path made of a very crumbly type of slate which is difficult to negotiate and must be hell when wet. Thankfully today was a sunny day with a very cool breeze blowing along the mountain tops all day. My foot, which was very painful yesterday, held up very well, until about 30 metres down the path, I twisted my ankle. It doesn't feel too bad and should last the course tomorrow which is a short 15 kilometres.
It was nonetheless very enjoyable. The scenery is absolutely stunning and one cannot help but feel that the Earth is something very special when you see such unspoilt natural beauty all around you. Absolute peace as well. Truly worth experiencing. Most of the trek is done at an altitude of around 1000 metres. As we went through one of the very small villages that dot the crest of these mountains, A Venda do Teresa, we came across a middle aged man walking along with his dogs. This turned out to be Jose Luis who was born and has lived there all his life! We asked him about a little old lady we had met there five years ago, who had told us a bit about life in those parts. He informed us that had been his mother who sadly had passed away since. Jose Luis was fifty six and had retired early due to a work related injury. Between his pension and the compensation he receives from his injury he gets 1500 Euros a month! He seems to be buying up most of the houses in the village as soon as anyone dies as an investment for his two children, both policemen who live in Madrid. There are now only four people living in the village. Jose Luis used to have 300 cattle, sold those and bought 100 sheep and 100 goats, sold those and now has a herd of 50 Golden Galician Cows. He also keeps chickens and pigs and his wife, who had kidney cancer a couple of years ago, but has now recovered, has a well-kept vegetable plot. Fresh water comes from a well. They are pretty well self-sufficient, and only go to the nearest big town occasionally to buy Oil, Flour, Salt and Sugar. Wow, what a life they lead!
Six hours later we came back to reality as we approached the village of Campobecerros, a small village nestled in a valley between hills. It's natural beauty now completely spoilt by a tunnel that is being built literally 100 metres from its houses, to take the AVE high speed train, which naturally will not stop there. The old railway line which carried a slower train that did stop there has now been abandoned. Such is the price we pay for progress. Today has given us much to think about what is really important in life.
I have to mention that the approach to Campobecerros is very well know on this Camino as something of a challenge! It is a very steep, very long, downhill path made of a very crumbly type of slate which is difficult to negotiate and must be hell when wet. Thankfully today was a sunny day with a very cool breeze blowing along the mountain tops all day. My foot, which was very painful yesterday, held up very well, until about 30 metres down the path, I twisted my ankle. It doesn't feel too bad and should last the course tomorrow which is a short 15 kilometres.
Tuesday 23 June 2015
DÍA 43 - LUBIAN A AGUDIÑA
Hoy pronosticaban lluvia y fuertes tormentas así que subimos al alto de A Canda (1.281m) por carretera y cruzamos el largo túnel para entrar en Galicia. Por suerte solo hubo una pequeña llovizna y no tuvimos que usar los ponchos.
Luego retomamos el Camino y por senderos anchos y estrechos subimos y bajamos por bosques, cruzando pequeños arroyos y sitios anegados por largas pasarelas de piedra. Pasamos un par de cancelas y caminamos un rato al lado del río Abredo.
Luego las flechas amarillas nos llevaron hacia la cumbre de una montaña por senderos estrechos y pedregosos y siempre en ascenso con vistas espectaculares a los valles y otras montañas.
Finalmente comenzamos el descenso y después de atravesar dos pequeños pueblos seguimos por la carretera nacional, siempre en descenso para llegar a Agudiña donde pasaremos la noche. Llegamos a las 3pm, muy cansados, y tuvimos que apresurarnos e ir directamente a almorzar ya que aquí cierran la cocina a las 15.30! Ducha, lavado de ropa y finalmente descanso y corta siesta tardía. Escribimos el informe de hoy y lo subiremos al blog y Facebook. La señal de Wifi es pobre así que posiblemente tendremos que subir las fotos mañana.
Luego retomamos el Camino y por senderos anchos y estrechos subimos y bajamos por bosques, cruzando pequeños arroyos y sitios anegados por largas pasarelas de piedra. Pasamos un par de cancelas y caminamos un rato al lado del río Abredo.
Luego las flechas amarillas nos llevaron hacia la cumbre de una montaña por senderos estrechos y pedregosos y siempre en ascenso con vistas espectaculares a los valles y otras montañas.
Finalmente comenzamos el descenso y después de atravesar dos pequeños pueblos seguimos por la carretera nacional, siempre en descenso para llegar a Agudiña donde pasaremos la noche. Llegamos a las 3pm, muy cansados, y tuvimos que apresurarnos e ir directamente a almorzar ya que aquí cierran la cocina a las 15.30! Ducha, lavado de ropa y finalmente descanso y corta siesta tardía. Escribimos el informe de hoy y lo subiremos al blog y Facebook. La señal de Wifi es pobre así que posiblemente tendremos que subir las fotos mañana.
DAY 43 - LUBIAN TO A GUDIÑA - 27KMS
The weather forecast predicted heavy rain this morning, with thunderstorms and possible hailstorms. In the end all we got, thankfully, was a light shower. We did not need any of our rain gear which had been stowed high in our rucksacks. Tomorrow all that can go back towards the bottom of the rucksacks as the weather forecast is for lots of sun!
The first few kilometres we climbed and climbed on the road heading for the mountain pass of A Canda, 1281 metres high, which we reached two hours later. All the time we waited for the onset of the heavy rains, which thankfully never materialised. Lots of building activity by the side of the road, concerning the proposed fast train "AVE" which will link Medina del Campo, Lubian and Ourense.
As the weather seemed to be stabilising we decided to continue our walk cross-country. An extremely tiring trek up and down the hills and valleys, through beautiful countryside with the most stunning views. Eventually we arrived in A Gudiña, completely exhausted! Today it's been my turn to have foot problems, with my old hockey injury flaring up, causing acute pain.
Tomorrow is a very long stage so we have decided to stop roughly half way, in Campobecerros. We are looking forward to the trek tomorrow where you walk along the crest of the mountains passing through a number of villages (mostly abandoned) at a height of around 1000 metres. I remember this stretch as one of the most enjoyable of our 2010 trek.
The first few kilometres we climbed and climbed on the road heading for the mountain pass of A Canda, 1281 metres high, which we reached two hours later. All the time we waited for the onset of the heavy rains, which thankfully never materialised. Lots of building activity by the side of the road, concerning the proposed fast train "AVE" which will link Medina del Campo, Lubian and Ourense.
As the weather seemed to be stabilising we decided to continue our walk cross-country. An extremely tiring trek up and down the hills and valleys, through beautiful countryside with the most stunning views. Eventually we arrived in A Gudiña, completely exhausted! Today it's been my turn to have foot problems, with my old hockey injury flaring up, causing acute pain.
Tomorrow is a very long stage so we have decided to stop roughly half way, in Campobecerros. We are looking forward to the trek tomorrow where you walk along the crest of the mountains passing through a number of villages (mostly abandoned) at a height of around 1000 metres. I remember this stretch as one of the most enjoyable of our 2010 trek.
Monday 22 June 2015
DÍA 42 - PUEBLA DE SANABRIA A LUBIAN
Caminamos mayormente por carretera, la N525, en parte debido a los desvíos por obras del AVE/carreteras y en parte para evitar un corto sendero por un bosque invadido por moscas, algunas de las cuales llegaban hasta la carretera. En camino nos encontraremos con Joe, un joven inglés que caminaba hacia Puebla, haciendo su propio Camino! También apareció José, el peregrino español de Asturianos.
Subimos hasta el puerto de Pardonelo de 1345m, uno más que Ben Nevis! Tuvimos que pasar un túnel sin casi arcén y justo antes de entrar pasó un coche tirando humo negro por el escape. Estaba tan mal que tuvimos que esperar unos 20 minutos para que se aclarara la humareda negra!
Al llegar a Aciberos retomamos el sendero y pasamos por el pueblo acompañados por Guillermo, un ex guardia civil que al retirarse a los 56 años (?!) volvió a vivir al pueblo donde nació. Nos mostró como encontrar la continuación del sendero a Lubián. Este sendero está en muy mal estado y había estado cerrado por un tiempo debido a obras de carretera. Conseguimos pasar por lugares llenos de piedras y yuyos, subiendo y bajando todo el tiempo en un zigzag interminable e infestado por moscas! También cruzamos un par de pequeños puentes y después de otra subida bastante brava entramos en Lubián, final de etapa! Hacia calor y humedad pero no llovió hasta más tarde, cuando llegó una fuerte tormenta. Nosotros a salvo en un pequeño hostal!
Mañana tendremos que subir a otro puerto de montaña, A Canda, un poco más bajo, de 1281m...
Subimos hasta el puerto de Pardonelo de 1345m, uno más que Ben Nevis! Tuvimos que pasar un túnel sin casi arcén y justo antes de entrar pasó un coche tirando humo negro por el escape. Estaba tan mal que tuvimos que esperar unos 20 minutos para que se aclarara la humareda negra!
Al llegar a Aciberos retomamos el sendero y pasamos por el pueblo acompañados por Guillermo, un ex guardia civil que al retirarse a los 56 años (?!) volvió a vivir al pueblo donde nació. Nos mostró como encontrar la continuación del sendero a Lubián. Este sendero está en muy mal estado y había estado cerrado por un tiempo debido a obras de carretera. Conseguimos pasar por lugares llenos de piedras y yuyos, subiendo y bajando todo el tiempo en un zigzag interminable e infestado por moscas! También cruzamos un par de pequeños puentes y después de otra subida bastante brava entramos en Lubián, final de etapa! Hacia calor y humedad pero no llovió hasta más tarde, cuando llegó una fuerte tormenta. Nosotros a salvo en un pequeño hostal!
Mañana tendremos que subir a otro puerto de montaña, A Canda, un poco más bajo, de 1281m...
DAY 42 - PUEBLA DE SANABRIA TO LUBIAN - 31KM
A long trek today which took us over eight hours (including some rest stops!). Today we had to walk mainly on roads, which was a little bit boring, save for the last six kilometres which was up and down steep mountain tracks. It was also an extremely tiring day as we were climbing the whole day up to the mountain pass of Padornelo, at 1345 metres one metre higher than Ben Nevis! At one point we had to cross a tunnel, but had to wait about 15 minutes for the tunnel to clear of fumes being emitted from a car churning black smoke from the exhaust. We were glad to see later on that the car had been pulled over by the Guardia Civil!
It was also the first time we saw a larger number of pilgrims, around ten, whereas previously we have been three or four. Near the mountain pass we met a young English lad Joe, from Devon coming the other way! We stopped for a chat with him and a Spanish man, Jose who we have met over the last couple of days. We wish Joe well on his own journey.
Today we were again plagued with flies, throughout the whole day, but particularly during the last few kilometres. Rain is predicted for tonight and tomorrow, which hopefully will get rid of the flies. Naturally we will get wet tomorrow, but that will be preferable to having to fight off flies every step of the way!
As you can appreciate from the map we have come a long way and we are slowly but surely getting nearer our final destination, Finisterre. We now hope to reach Ourense, on the 27th in time for my 70th Birthday on the 28th. We aim to reach Santiago de Compostela on the 3rd of July and Finisterre on the 7th. As with all things on the Camino this may change depending on what further adventures we have on the way!
Many thanks to all of you who are following our journey. I hope you enjoy our posts and the photos. I am delighted to say that we have people following us online from Gibraltar, UK, Spain, Holland, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, USA, Malaysia, Argentina and as from tomorrow, Mexico. We value your comments so please keep them coming. After a long day it is comforting to know there are people out there who are interested in what we are doing and who hopefully are enjoying the experience as much as we are!
Tomorrow we have roughly 25 Kms to cover. Unfortunately we have to climb to another mountain pass, this time to A Canda, which at only 1281m high should be an absolute doddle!
It was also the first time we saw a larger number of pilgrims, around ten, whereas previously we have been three or four. Near the mountain pass we met a young English lad Joe, from Devon coming the other way! We stopped for a chat with him and a Spanish man, Jose who we have met over the last couple of days. We wish Joe well on his own journey.
Today we were again plagued with flies, throughout the whole day, but particularly during the last few kilometres. Rain is predicted for tonight and tomorrow, which hopefully will get rid of the flies. Naturally we will get wet tomorrow, but that will be preferable to having to fight off flies every step of the way!
As you can appreciate from the map we have come a long way and we are slowly but surely getting nearer our final destination, Finisterre. We now hope to reach Ourense, on the 27th in time for my 70th Birthday on the 28th. We aim to reach Santiago de Compostela on the 3rd of July and Finisterre on the 7th. As with all things on the Camino this may change depending on what further adventures we have on the way!
Many thanks to all of you who are following our journey. I hope you enjoy our posts and the photos. I am delighted to say that we have people following us online from Gibraltar, UK, Spain, Holland, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, USA, Malaysia, Argentina and as from tomorrow, Mexico. We value your comments so please keep them coming. After a long day it is comforting to know there are people out there who are interested in what we are doing and who hopefully are enjoying the experience as much as we are!
Tomorrow we have roughly 25 Kms to cover. Unfortunately we have to climb to another mountain pass, this time to A Canda, which at only 1281m high should be an absolute doddle!
Sunday 21 June 2015
DIA 41 - ASTURIANOS A PUEBLA DE SANABRIA
Salimos del albergue y después de unos 400 m retomamos el camino. Primero por carretera y luego por senderos, subiendo y bajando mayormente por bosques de robles, cruzando un par de charcos y un pequeño arroyo. Muy tranquilo y bonito hasta pasar un par de aldeas. Luego por más bosques pero con tantísimas moscas que nos irritaban y no nos dejaban en paz!
Tanto es así que al llegar al ultimo pueblo decidimos ir los últimos 6 kms por carretera!
Puebla de Sanabria es un hermoso pueblo con su casco antiguo a lo alto de la colina. Las casas son todas de piedra y tiene varias iglesias y un castillo. Desde la cima hay vistas magnificas al río Tera y líneas de montañas a lo lejos.
Mañana seguiremos a Requejo y Lubian si todo sale bien y no hay problemas con el camino: desvíos, obras, construcción de la línea del AVE (tren de alta velocidad), etc, etc.
Tanto es así que al llegar al ultimo pueblo decidimos ir los últimos 6 kms por carretera!
Puebla de Sanabria es un hermoso pueblo con su casco antiguo a lo alto de la colina. Las casas son todas de piedra y tiene varias iglesias y un castillo. Desde la cima hay vistas magnificas al río Tera y líneas de montañas a lo lejos.
Mañana seguiremos a Requejo y Lubian si todo sale bien y no hay problemas con el camino: desvíos, obras, construcción de la línea del AVE (tren de alta velocidad), etc, etc.
DAY 41 - ASTURIANOS TO PUEBLA DE SANABRIA
Today we left our very peaceful Albergue at around 7:00am and made our way to Puebla de Sanabria, a beautiful town perched on top of a hill, where we last stayed 5 years ago when we did our epic walk from Gibraltar to La Coruña.
At the beginning we had to go on the road for a short while. After that it was all cross-country through woods and heathland. Again we noticed this fungus that seems to be destroying all vegetation. It was sad to note some old oak trees that have been infected. I hope very much that this does not cross over to the UK,
Of particular note today was the proliferation of flies. Hundreds of flies everywhere, making walking difficult as you have to swat the flies while trying to make sure you avoid any big stones on the paths. When we got to Otero de Sanabria, the last village before our destination, we talked to some of the villagers and complained about the flies. They all said "and yes, be careful there are a lot of bees around, as well". No sooner had they said that we both decided going on the road was a much better bet. After a long 6 kilometres we arrived at the outskirts of Puebla de Sanabria, where we stopped at an Hotel to have breakfast at 10:30am. Shortly after we arrived at our Hotel, the same one where we stayed those five years ago. It has been refurbished and is very comfortable.
There are two pharmacies in town yet both were closed and we had to hire a taxi to go the next village to buy some much needed medical supplies for our feet etc. Tomorrow we leave at 6:00am heading for Lubian, some 28 kilometres away.
At the beginning we had to go on the road for a short while. After that it was all cross-country through woods and heathland. Again we noticed this fungus that seems to be destroying all vegetation. It was sad to note some old oak trees that have been infected. I hope very much that this does not cross over to the UK,
Of particular note today was the proliferation of flies. Hundreds of flies everywhere, making walking difficult as you have to swat the flies while trying to make sure you avoid any big stones on the paths. When we got to Otero de Sanabria, the last village before our destination, we talked to some of the villagers and complained about the flies. They all said "and yes, be careful there are a lot of bees around, as well". No sooner had they said that we both decided going on the road was a much better bet. After a long 6 kilometres we arrived at the outskirts of Puebla de Sanabria, where we stopped at an Hotel to have breakfast at 10:30am. Shortly after we arrived at our Hotel, the same one where we stayed those five years ago. It has been refurbished and is very comfortable.
There are two pharmacies in town yet both were closed and we had to hire a taxi to go the next village to buy some much needed medical supplies for our feet etc. Tomorrow we leave at 6:00am heading for Lubian, some 28 kilometres away.
DAY 40 - RIONEGRO DEL PUENTE TO ASTURIANOS - 28KM
Today's highlight must be Ana Maria's ability to finish this long day's trek without any problems with her foot. She has been treating the foot with ice twice a day, plus a strong anti-inflammatory cream. At the same time she has been tying her boot a different way which avoids putting any pressure on the top of the boot. This combination appears to be working.
We started with the intention of seeing how we went and with a couple of options of cutting the trek short. In the end this was not necessary and we went through village after village with me saying "how's the foot - shall we stop" and Ana Maria saying "the foot is better than ever, let's carry on" and this is how it went, even after two stiff climbs. We went through Mombuey, Valderemilla, Cernadilla, San Salvador de Pozuelo (where we stayed the night in 2010), Entrepeñas and Asturianos. On the approach to Asturianos, the route has been changed from that shown on the guide, due to the building of several new roads, and in the end the planned 25kms turned into 28kms. Job well done!
The Albergue in Asturianos (a small village) is five years old and takes 6 people. At the time of writing we are only three. It is situated on the outskirts of the village in a very tranquil spot. After a good lunch and the odd beer and a few glasses of wine, we are ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow we are going to play it safe and will only do some 15 kilometres, stopping in Puebla de Sanabria, which is a beautiful town in which we also stayed five years ago.
Apart from a few short walks on roads, most of the trek was cross-country, with a couple of very strong climbs which rather took the wind out of our sails for a while! A very enjoyable day!
We started with the intention of seeing how we went and with a couple of options of cutting the trek short. In the end this was not necessary and we went through village after village with me saying "how's the foot - shall we stop" and Ana Maria saying "the foot is better than ever, let's carry on" and this is how it went, even after two stiff climbs. We went through Mombuey, Valderemilla, Cernadilla, San Salvador de Pozuelo (where we stayed the night in 2010), Entrepeñas and Asturianos. On the approach to Asturianos, the route has been changed from that shown on the guide, due to the building of several new roads, and in the end the planned 25kms turned into 28kms. Job well done!
The Albergue in Asturianos (a small village) is five years old and takes 6 people. At the time of writing we are only three. It is situated on the outskirts of the village in a very tranquil spot. After a good lunch and the odd beer and a few glasses of wine, we are ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow we are going to play it safe and will only do some 15 kilometres, stopping in Puebla de Sanabria, which is a beautiful town in which we also stayed five years ago.
Apart from a few short walks on roads, most of the trek was cross-country, with a couple of very strong climbs which rather took the wind out of our sails for a while! A very enjoyable day!
DÍA 40 - RIONEGRO DEL PUENTE A ASTURIANOS
Hoy salimos temprano, a las 6.10am, para evitar el fuerte sol de la tarde. La primer parada fue en Mombuey dos horas más tarde donde encontramos el primer bar abierto y pudimos desayunar. En Mombuey hay una iglesia, atribuida a los Caballeros Templarios, que tiene una torre alta donde se ve la cabeza de un buey, en piedra, sobresaliendo en un lado de la misma.
La segunda parada fue en Cernadilla donde el único bar que existía lo han cerrado. Hablamos con una señora mayor que nos comentó que el alcalde decidió no abrir un bar como estaba planeado, aún bajo protesta de los locales. En este pueblo que fue muy importante hace años solo viven ahora 40 personas! Esta situación se repite en muchos de los pequeños pueblos que encontramos. Los jóvenes se van a vivir a las ciudades porque no ven un futuro y tan sólo los viejos se quedan. Al cerrar los bares, restaurantes, etc el pueblo poco a poco queda abandonado.
Esta etapa fue mayormente por senderos de tierra, pasando por varios bosques y áreas sin mucha vegetación. Un sube y baja todo el camino! Tuvimos que hacer dos desvíos por la construcción de carreteras y autovias que sumaron algunos kilómetros extra. Mi pié respondió bien, mejor que en los días pasados, y pudimos completar los 28 kms hasta Asturianos. El cambiar la forma de atar la bota y el continuar con el tratamiento de hielo y antiinflamatorios ha hecho diferencia.
Estamos en un pequeño pero bien acondicionado albergue, bastante nuevo, con gran espacio verde afuera. Sólo un peregrino más aquí. Buen lugar de descanso. Mañana una etapa bastante corta hasta Puebla de Sanabria.
La segunda parada fue en Cernadilla donde el único bar que existía lo han cerrado. Hablamos con una señora mayor que nos comentó que el alcalde decidió no abrir un bar como estaba planeado, aún bajo protesta de los locales. En este pueblo que fue muy importante hace años solo viven ahora 40 personas! Esta situación se repite en muchos de los pequeños pueblos que encontramos. Los jóvenes se van a vivir a las ciudades porque no ven un futuro y tan sólo los viejos se quedan. Al cerrar los bares, restaurantes, etc el pueblo poco a poco queda abandonado.
Esta etapa fue mayormente por senderos de tierra, pasando por varios bosques y áreas sin mucha vegetación. Un sube y baja todo el camino! Tuvimos que hacer dos desvíos por la construcción de carreteras y autovias que sumaron algunos kilómetros extra. Mi pié respondió bien, mejor que en los días pasados, y pudimos completar los 28 kms hasta Asturianos. El cambiar la forma de atar la bota y el continuar con el tratamiento de hielo y antiinflamatorios ha hecho diferencia.
Estamos en un pequeño pero bien acondicionado albergue, bastante nuevo, con gran espacio verde afuera. Sólo un peregrino más aquí. Buen lugar de descanso. Mañana una etapa bastante corta hasta Puebla de Sanabria.
Friday 19 June 2015
DAY 39 - OLLEROS DE TERA TO RIONEGRE DEL PUENTE - 16KM
Today we finished what we started yesterday. A short 16 kilometres to Rionegro del Puente. We were able to stop for about half an hour in Villar de Farfón, to enable Ana Maria to rest her foot. Tomorrow we have to do at least 22 Kms and possibly 25kms before we find somewhere to sleep so we are hoping "her" foot will behave!
The path today was very pleasant. First a few kilometres steadily climbing gently up the side of a mountain to then descend on the other side towards the dam and reservoir of Agavanzal. What a beautiful sight. Also very peaceful. There were some workmen on the dam itself clearing the road that traverses it, of small shrubs that grow in all the little crevices. Apparently this is done once a year!
We then went round about 60% of the reservoir along a very nice path for several more kilometres! One thing we have noticed in various parts we have walked on this trip, but particularly today, is that there is some type of white fungus that is slowly killing off all the vegetation, including trees! We wonder if anything is being done about this. At the end of this we came across the tiny village of Villar de Farfón, where we stopped by the side of the church for about half an hour.
From there we started to climb cross-country, along a narrow but fairly decent path, lined mainly with shrubs a lot of them infected with this fungus. At the end of several kilometres we had climbed to 850m. In the distance we could see the town of Rionegro del Puente, which we entered four hours after leaving Olleros de Tera. We are staying at the same Albergue where we stayed five years ago. We have a funny anecdote of that previous visit. When we arrived there were two pilgrims staying. One was a young Korean girl who came up to us and in very bad English appeared to be saying that there was a big rat inside the drawer of a wardrobe on the ground floor. We thought this rather ridiculous and felt that she meant something else. On closer examination we found a HUGE rat in the drawer! We beat a hasty retreat and called the "hospitalera" who in turn called her husband who came with a burly mate to eliminate the danger, while we drank a couple of beers in the local bar! What had happened was that workmen had been working nearby on some drains and had disturbed the rat who fled into our building! This time round we have made sure there are no intruders!
This is one of the better Albergues on this route. It's on two floors, built in 2006 and can house 24 people in comfort. It has a kitchen, a lounge area, washing and drying facilities and a library. It costs 7 Euros per person per night. It contrast in style with the more colourful one we enjoyed last night!
Tomorrow we face a different challenge, that is to see if Ana Maria's foot can last at least 22 Kms. We intend to start early in the morning so that we can rest several times on the way. Fingers crossed!
The path today was very pleasant. First a few kilometres steadily climbing gently up the side of a mountain to then descend on the other side towards the dam and reservoir of Agavanzal. What a beautiful sight. Also very peaceful. There were some workmen on the dam itself clearing the road that traverses it, of small shrubs that grow in all the little crevices. Apparently this is done once a year!
We then went round about 60% of the reservoir along a very nice path for several more kilometres! One thing we have noticed in various parts we have walked on this trip, but particularly today, is that there is some type of white fungus that is slowly killing off all the vegetation, including trees! We wonder if anything is being done about this. At the end of this we came across the tiny village of Villar de Farfón, where we stopped by the side of the church for about half an hour.
From there we started to climb cross-country, along a narrow but fairly decent path, lined mainly with shrubs a lot of them infected with this fungus. At the end of several kilometres we had climbed to 850m. In the distance we could see the town of Rionegro del Puente, which we entered four hours after leaving Olleros de Tera. We are staying at the same Albergue where we stayed five years ago. We have a funny anecdote of that previous visit. When we arrived there were two pilgrims staying. One was a young Korean girl who came up to us and in very bad English appeared to be saying that there was a big rat inside the drawer of a wardrobe on the ground floor. We thought this rather ridiculous and felt that she meant something else. On closer examination we found a HUGE rat in the drawer! We beat a hasty retreat and called the "hospitalera" who in turn called her husband who came with a burly mate to eliminate the danger, while we drank a couple of beers in the local bar! What had happened was that workmen had been working nearby on some drains and had disturbed the rat who fled into our building! This time round we have made sure there are no intruders!
This is one of the better Albergues on this route. It's on two floors, built in 2006 and can house 24 people in comfort. It has a kitchen, a lounge area, washing and drying facilities and a library. It costs 7 Euros per person per night. It contrast in style with the more colourful one we enjoyed last night!
Tomorrow we face a different challenge, that is to see if Ana Maria's foot can last at least 22 Kms. We intend to start early in the morning so that we can rest several times on the way. Fingers crossed!
DIA 39 - OLLEROS DE TERA A RÍONEGRO DEL PUENTE
La etapa de hoy fue agradable. Caminamos casi todo el tiempo por senderos de tierra. Subimos por espacios sin gran vegetación y luego por montes mediterráneos. Llegamos y cruzamos la represa de Agavanzal y luego bajando bordeamos la orilla del embalse por bastante tiempo antes de subir otra vez y llegar a Villar de Farfón donde nuevamente el pueblo estaba desierto y el bar cerrado!
Continuamos subiendo paulatinamente hasta llegar a los 850 m para luego comenzar el descenso a Ríonegro del Puente a 800 m de altura.
Entramos al pueblo cruzando el puente antiguo sobre el río Negro y llegamos a la gran plaza, donde están el ayuntamiento, el albergue y el santuario de la Virgen de la Carballeda de la cofradía de los Falifos. Carballo es una palabra gallega con la que denominan al roble.
La iglesia esta cerrada pero tuvimos suerte de ver a una señora que estaba haciendo arreglos en su interior unos permitió una corta visita. Aquí se encuentra una hermosa figura del apóstol Santiago de madera policromada del siglo XV. A la entrada del santuario, en la parte izquierda se encuentra un nicho donde se dejaban a los bebés abandonados y que la cofradía se encargaba de criar y luego recibían el nombre de "Caballés", apellido que todavía es común en esta región.
Nos quedamos en el albergue que tiene lugar para 24 personas en dos pisos y que está en muy buenas condiciones. Ya lo conocíamos de nuestra caminata anterior del 2010. De momento sólo estamos nosotros y un español aquí.
Continuamos subiendo paulatinamente hasta llegar a los 850 m para luego comenzar el descenso a Ríonegro del Puente a 800 m de altura.
Entramos al pueblo cruzando el puente antiguo sobre el río Negro y llegamos a la gran plaza, donde están el ayuntamiento, el albergue y el santuario de la Virgen de la Carballeda de la cofradía de los Falifos. Carballo es una palabra gallega con la que denominan al roble.
La iglesia esta cerrada pero tuvimos suerte de ver a una señora que estaba haciendo arreglos en su interior unos permitió una corta visita. Aquí se encuentra una hermosa figura del apóstol Santiago de madera policromada del siglo XV. A la entrada del santuario, en la parte izquierda se encuentra un nicho donde se dejaban a los bebés abandonados y que la cofradía se encargaba de criar y luego recibían el nombre de "Caballés", apellido que todavía es común en esta región.
Nos quedamos en el albergue que tiene lugar para 24 personas en dos pisos y que está en muy buenas condiciones. Ya lo conocíamos de nuestra caminata anterior del 2010. De momento sólo estamos nosotros y un español aquí.
Thursday 18 June 2015
DÍA 38 - SANTA MARTA DE TERA A OLLEROS DE TERA
Una etapa corta hoy. Mi pie esta mejor pero me pareció mejor no forzarlo para llegar a Ríonegro del Puente. Caminamos 15 kms y mañana serán otros tantos.
La primera parte fue por un sendero al lado del río Tera, luego por bosques y por carretera cruzamos el puente sobre el Tera en su parte más ancha. Hermosa vista! Luego senderos al lado de plantaciones de maíz y más bosques para después ir por camino de tierra al lado de canales de riego por varios kilómetros. Llegamos a Olleros de Tera y pudimos desayunar. Otros bares en pueblos anteriores no abrían hasta el mediodía!
Hay un albergue aquí y no esta mal así que aprovecharemos para darle un respiro al pié y tomarlo tranquilo.
En Olleros no hay mucho que ver pero tiene una iglesia interesante con escalones estrechos de piedra hasta el campanario donde Robert hizo de modelo para la foto obligada! También hay una señal de la vía romana número XVII.
Hoy volvimos a encontrar en Olleros a un grupo de 16 peregrinos de Puerto Rico que están haciendo el camino por 12 días, con soporte de minibuses y transporte de mochilas. Ayer los vimos en la iglesia de Santa Marta.
Mañana seguiremos a Ríonegro del Puente.
La primera parte fue por un sendero al lado del río Tera, luego por bosques y por carretera cruzamos el puente sobre el Tera en su parte más ancha. Hermosa vista! Luego senderos al lado de plantaciones de maíz y más bosques para después ir por camino de tierra al lado de canales de riego por varios kilómetros. Llegamos a Olleros de Tera y pudimos desayunar. Otros bares en pueblos anteriores no abrían hasta el mediodía!
Hay un albergue aquí y no esta mal así que aprovecharemos para darle un respiro al pié y tomarlo tranquilo.
En Olleros no hay mucho que ver pero tiene una iglesia interesante con escalones estrechos de piedra hasta el campanario donde Robert hizo de modelo para la foto obligada! También hay una señal de la vía romana número XVII.
Hoy volvimos a encontrar en Olleros a un grupo de 16 peregrinos de Puerto Rico que están haciendo el camino por 12 días, con soporte de minibuses y transporte de mochilas. Ayer los vimos en la iglesia de Santa Marta.
Mañana seguiremos a Ríonegro del Puente.
DAY 38 - SANTA MARTA DE TERA TO OLLEROS DE TERA
Today the hike should have been 28 Kms to Rionegro del Puente, but we stopped after 15kms as Ana Maria's foot was beginning to hurt. Tomorrow we will do the balance. Although we lose a day it will give Ana Maria a better chance to let the foot heal.
The path today has been very pleasant. First through woods, then zig-zagging along the edge of fields mainly planted with corn, followed by an extremely long irrigation canal. This led straight to this small village, which boasts a private "Albergue" which costs the princely sum of 6 Euros each!
The path today has been very pleasant. First through woods, then zig-zagging along the edge of fields mainly planted with corn, followed by an extremely long irrigation canal. This led straight to this small village, which boasts a private "Albergue" which costs the princely sum of 6 Euros each!
Wednesday 17 June 2015
DIA 37 - BENAVENTE A SANTA MARTA DE TERA
Hoy hicimos una etapa más corta. Caminamos bastante por carretera para acortar el trayecto. Luego tomamos el camino señalizado con las flechas y caminamos por un sendero entre árboles y al lado del río Tera con buenas vistas al mismo. En un momento tuvimos problemas siguiendo las flechas que nos llevaron hasta la misma orilla del río con enormes piedras y difícil de pasar. Conseguimos retomar otro sendero que luego se convirtió en un pastizal que tuvimos que atravesar con dificultad para subir nuevamente a la carretera.
En Santa Marta de Tera hay un buen albergue que compartimos con otros 4 peregrinos que vienen de la Vía de la Plata.
Visitamos la iglesia que es la más antigua de la provincia de Zamora y donde se encuentra la figura más antigua de Santiago Peregrino, símbolo del Camino de Santiago y Sanabrés. La iglesia y figura son del siglo XII.
En Santa Marta de Tera hay un buen albergue que compartimos con otros 4 peregrinos que vienen de la Vía de la Plata.
Visitamos la iglesia que es la más antigua de la provincia de Zamora y donde se encuentra la figura más antigua de Santiago Peregrino, símbolo del Camino de Santiago y Sanabrés. La iglesia y figura son del siglo XII.
DAY 37- BENAVENTE TO SANTA MARTA DE TERA - 20kms
The day went well with Ana Maria being able to last the distance. She finished with her foot slightly swollen but not to the extent of previous days. In order to cut distances we walked for a while on the road and then carried on the marked path. This was beautiful as most of the way the path follows the river Tera.
At one point the arrow that marks the way had been moved and pointed the wrong way and before we knew it we were right down to the river bank without a way out. Eventually we managed to scramble out and got back on the road. The weather was fine today. No rain and temperatures in the low twenties.
Tomorrow the journey is 28 Kms but we have the opportunity of stopping at 13 and 21kms so we will see how Ana Maria's foot is and take the decision then, either to stop or to carry on to Rionegro del Puente.
At one point the arrow that marks the way had been moved and pointed the wrong way and before we knew it we were right down to the river bank without a way out. Eventually we managed to scramble out and got back on the road. The weather was fine today. No rain and temperatures in the low twenties.
Tomorrow the journey is 28 Kms but we have the opportunity of stopping at 13 and 21kms so we will see how Ana Maria's foot is and take the decision then, either to stop or to carry on to Rionegro del Puente.
Tuesday 16 June 2015
DÍA 35-36 - BENAVENTE
Llegamos anoche a Benavente y hoy nos preparamos para reemprender nuestra caminata mañana. Visitamos el centro, un par de iglesias, el teatro Reina Sofía (edificio de 1928), los paseos de la Mota y finalmente el Parador de Turismo "Rey Fernando II de León". Este palacio fue uno de los alcázares más suntuosos de España. Hoy sólo se conserva la llamada Torre del Caracol del siglo XVI cuyo techo está cubierto por un magnífico artesonado morisco procedente del desaparecido convento de San Román del Valle.
En total caminamos unos 10 kms en preparación para mañana, claro que sin mochilas!
En total caminamos unos 10 kms en preparación para mañana, claro que sin mochilas!
DAYS 35/36 - RESTING IN BENAVENTE - TOMORROW WE CARRY ON!
Our enforced rest seems to be paying off and Ana Maria's foot seems to be much better. We have consequently decided to re-commence our journey tomorrow. The trek tomorrow should be around 30kms, which might be too long for Ana Maria. We hope to shortcut the route by walking partly on roads which should reduce the distance by some eight Kms. Fingers crossed!
Today we have been sightseeing in Benavente, where there is really not much to see. The building which now houses the National Parador used to be one of the most sumptuous palaces in Spain. Now only the XVI century Spiral Tower exists. It has a magnificent Moorish coffered ceiling originating from the former convent of San Román Del Valle.
Today we have been sightseeing in Benavente, where there is really not much to see. The building which now houses the National Parador used to be one of the most sumptuous palaces in Spain. Now only the XVI century Spiral Tower exists. It has a magnificent Moorish coffered ceiling originating from the former convent of San Román Del Valle.
Sunday 14 June 2015
DAY 34 - RESTING IN MEDINA DEL CAMPO
This morning we made enquiries about taking a bus or train to the next village only to find there are none! The alternative was for us to walk there but we were concerned about Ana Maria's foot. Consequently we went to the local medical centre where they have told Ana Maria to rest for two to three more days before attempting to do a full days hike. At the same time I seem to have developed some allergic reaction to the bee stings of a few days ago with swelling in my left ear, right arm and my neck. So now I have to take a few doses of antihistamine tablets etc for the next three days!
As Ana Maria is unable to walk any distance at present and there is heavy rain predicted for the next couple of days, we have decided to move on to the town of Benavente. Apparently there is one bus that will take us there tomorrow evening at 19:30. This will mean skipping about 120kms of our planned route, but we feel there is no other feasible alternative. If we get stuck in one of the smaller villages, it could become a bigger problem!
We are not going to be too apologetic about this as we reckon we have already travelled around 700kms and from Benavente to Finisterre we still have at least 600kms to go! If our bodies are up to it, we are determined to complete this walk, albeit that it will take us somewhat longer than planned.
As Ana Maria is unable to walk any distance at present and there is heavy rain predicted for the next couple of days, we have decided to move on to the town of Benavente. Apparently there is one bus that will take us there tomorrow evening at 19:30. This will mean skipping about 120kms of our planned route, but we feel there is no other feasible alternative. If we get stuck in one of the smaller villages, it could become a bigger problem!
We are not going to be too apologetic about this as we reckon we have already travelled around 700kms and from Benavente to Finisterre we still have at least 600kms to go! If our bodies are up to it, we are determined to complete this walk, albeit that it will take us somewhat longer than planned.
DÍA 34 - DESCANSO EN ARÉVALO
Hoy descanso. Visitamos el castillo que está bastante cerca del hotel. El castillo/fortaleza de la Mota se construyó entre los siglos XII y XV. La Torre del Homenaje tiene 5 pisos y una altura de 42 metros.
Fuimos al Centro de Salud donde me examinaron el pié nuevamente y reiteraron la recomendación de descanso y tratamiento con antiinflamatorios. Hay progreso y la inflamación está disminuyendo. Robert a su vez necesitó consejo médico por las picaduras de las abejas que le siguen irritando. Pastillas y crema antihistamínica por unos días solucionarán el problema.
Mañana lloverá todo el día así que tomaremos el único autobús que pasa por aquí (a las 19.30) y que va en la dirección que queremos, hacia Benavente. No hay otro medio ni paradas en otros pueblos anteriores del Camino!
Fuimos al Centro de Salud donde me examinaron el pié nuevamente y reiteraron la recomendación de descanso y tratamiento con antiinflamatorios. Hay progreso y la inflamación está disminuyendo. Robert a su vez necesitó consejo médico por las picaduras de las abejas que le siguen irritando. Pastillas y crema antihistamínica por unos días solucionarán el problema.
Mañana lloverá todo el día así que tomaremos el único autobús que pasa por aquí (a las 19.30) y que va en la dirección que queremos, hacia Benavente. No hay otro medio ni paradas en otros pueblos anteriores del Camino!
Saturday 13 June 2015
DÍA 33 - ARÉVALO A MEDINA DEL CAMPO
Hoy viajamos en tren hasta Medina. No había taxis y Marian, la recepcionista del hotel sé ofreció y nos llevó a la estación. Buen detalle de la Posada!
El viaje en tren fue de sólo 19 minutos! Pensar que nos hubiera llevado todo el día caminando... claro que a 155 kms/hora se llega rápido a cualquier lugar.
Medina del Campo es una ciudad simpática con un casco histórico. Vimos la Plaza Mayor y visitamos la Colegiata y el Palacio Real Testamentario, donde falleció Isabel de Castilla a los 54 años, al día siguiente de terminar y firmar su testamento.
En camino al hotel Robert no pudo resistir comerse un gran pastel con merengue!
Después de un buen descanso nos llegamos a la Feria del Caballo donde vimos algunos hermosos ejemplares y jinetes demostrando su destreza.
Mañana descansamos aquí, en Medina. La lesión del pie esta mejorando y tal como nos aconsejaron, un día más de reposo sería beneficioso.
El viaje en tren fue de sólo 19 minutos! Pensar que nos hubiera llevado todo el día caminando... claro que a 155 kms/hora se llega rápido a cualquier lugar.
Medina del Campo es una ciudad simpática con un casco histórico. Vimos la Plaza Mayor y visitamos la Colegiata y el Palacio Real Testamentario, donde falleció Isabel de Castilla a los 54 años, al día siguiente de terminar y firmar su testamento.
En camino al hotel Robert no pudo resistir comerse un gran pastel con merengue!
Después de un buen descanso nos llegamos a la Feria del Caballo donde vimos algunos hermosos ejemplares y jinetes demostrando su destreza.
Mañana descansamos aquí, en Medina. La lesión del pie esta mejorando y tal como nos aconsejaron, un día más de reposo sería beneficioso.
DAY 33 - RESTING IN MEDINA DEL CAMPO
Ana Maria's foot is still swollen, but less painful. This morning we took a 19 minute train journey to Medina del Campo, where we have booked an hotel and where we will stay for another 24 hours or until Ana Maria can continue walking. Our thanks to Miriam, the weekend hotel receptionist in Arevalo, who drove us to the station in her own car to ensure we got the train on time. There are only two taxis in Arevalo and they obviously do not get up early on a Saturday morning. This is Spain after all!
Medina is celebrating its patron, Saint Anthony with various activities today including a procession from the church earlier today and a horse fair this evening. Medina is steeped in history. It is where Queen Isabel La Catolica lived, where she made her last will and testament and where she died.
Medina is celebrating its patron, Saint Anthony with various activities today including a procession from the church earlier today and a horse fair this evening. Medina is steeped in history. It is where Queen Isabel La Catolica lived, where she made her last will and testament and where she died.
Friday 12 June 2015
DÍA 32 - ARÉVALO
Hoy decidimos no salir temprano de Arévalo. El pié izquierdo me dolía mucho al caminar y conseguimos ver a un podólogo en la Clínica del Pié muy cerca del hotel. Ramón Prieto, un muchacho muy simpático, es amigo de Angélica, la recepcionista del hotel y nos atendió de maravilla y no nos quiso cobrar por la consulta!
El problema es muscular, posiblemente un nervio atrapado que causa la inflamación y dolor. Aconsejó unos días de descanso, hielo, antiinflamatorios y masajes (trabajito para Robert!). Luego nos recomendó un restaurante cercano que pertenece a la familia y donde probamos la especialidad del lugar, cochinillo asado; exquisito! Creo que llegamos a conocer a casi toda la familia de Ramón.
Nos quedamos aquí, en la Posada de los 5 Linajes, una noche más y otro día en Medina del Campo, nuestra próxima etapa, a donde viajaremos mañana en tren. Si todo va bien reanudaremos nuestra caminata dentro de dos días.
Esta tarde dimos un corto paseo por la parte antigua de la ciudad y visitamos el castillo que fue residencia de la reina Isabel la Católica en su juventud y uno de sus lugares favoritos. Fue restaurado en los años cincuenta cuando se utilizó como silo para guardar trigo. Ahora alberga una exhibición con la selección más grande de semillas y espigas de trigo de toda Europa.
Nos quedamos aquí, en la Posada de los 5 Linajes, una noche más y otro día en Medina del Campo, nuestra próxima etapa, a donde viajaremos mañana en tren. Si todo va bien reanudaremos nuestra caminata dentro de dos días.
Esta tarde dimos un corto paseo por la parte antigua de la ciudad y visitamos el castillo que fue residencia de la reina Isabel la Católica en su juventud y uno de sus lugares favoritos. Fue restaurado en los años cincuenta cuando se utilizó como silo para guardar trigo. Ahora alberga una exhibición con la selección más grande de semillas y espigas de trigo de toda Europa.
DAY 32 - RESTING IN ARÉVALO
As we suspected, Ana Maria's foot was still swollen and painful, so we decided to seek medical help. The receptionist in our hotel, Angelica, has been very sweet, trying to help Ana Maria. She suggested going to the Foot Clinic, run by her friend, Ramon Prieto, located very close to the hotel.
The good news is that Ramon believes the problem is possibly a trapped nerve and with treatment can be overcome. The bad news is that Ana Maria has to rest at least two to three days before we can carry on. Ramon more or less instructed me to massage her foot over the next few days, which Ana Maria is naturally very pleased about! Treatment with ice cold packs, increased use of pain killers and a stronger analgesic cream should do the trick. Our thanks to Angelica and to Ramon, who refused to accept any payment for his consultation.
Tomorrow we are taking a train to our next stop, Medina del Campo where we will rest one day and then see if the foot is better. If it is, we will restart our journey or otherwise we will wait an extra day.
This afternoon we took a short walk to see some of Arévalo's sights, which are quite close to the hotel. Arévalo used to be a favourite place for the Spanish Royal family and Princess Isabel, later to become Queen Isabel La Catolica, spent most of her youth here.
The good news is that Ramon believes the problem is possibly a trapped nerve and with treatment can be overcome. The bad news is that Ana Maria has to rest at least two to three days before we can carry on. Ramon more or less instructed me to massage her foot over the next few days, which Ana Maria is naturally very pleased about! Treatment with ice cold packs, increased use of pain killers and a stronger analgesic cream should do the trick. Our thanks to Angelica and to Ramon, who refused to accept any payment for his consultation.
Tomorrow we are taking a train to our next stop, Medina del Campo where we will rest one day and then see if the foot is better. If it is, we will restart our journey or otherwise we will wait an extra day.
This afternoon we took a short walk to see some of Arévalo's sights, which are quite close to the hotel. Arévalo used to be a favourite place for the Spanish Royal family and Princess Isabel, later to become Queen Isabel La Catolica, spent most of her youth here.
Thursday 11 June 2015
DAY 31 - GOTARRENDURA TO ARÉVALO - 31KMS
During the night we were joined in our Albergue by some French cyclists, two of whom ended up occupying the two top bunks of our dorm. During the middle of the night one of them fell off and landed with a tremendous thump! Thankfully he did not appear to injure himself. We left early this morning before we could check on him!
We debated whether to walk today or not. It was raining heavily and the sky criss-crossed with lightning strikes. After a more detailed look at the weather forecast we decided to go. Ana Maria's foot, which had been swollen overnight seemed to be better so off we went. This could be classified as a big mistake! It rained non-stop for five solid hours by which time everything was soaked notwithstanding our rain capes! The paths were hopelessly water-logged so we ended up walking on the road. The wind was strong, blowing the rain onto our faces. Around midday the rain stopped but we still had two hours to go. Our elation at the lack of rain was short lived as all of sudden I got the runs and at the same time Ana Maria's foot started to get very painful. At the end of 31 kilometres we limped into Arévalo, feeling rather sorry for ourselves.
We debated whether to walk today or not. It was raining heavily and the sky criss-crossed with lightning strikes. After a more detailed look at the weather forecast we decided to go. Ana Maria's foot, which had been swollen overnight seemed to be better so off we went. This could be classified as a big mistake! It rained non-stop for five solid hours by which time everything was soaked notwithstanding our rain capes! The paths were hopelessly water-logged so we ended up walking on the road. The wind was strong, blowing the rain onto our faces. Around midday the rain stopped but we still had two hours to go. Our elation at the lack of rain was short lived as all of sudden I got the runs and at the same time Ana Maria's foot started to get very painful. At the end of 31 kilometres we limped into Arévalo, feeling rather sorry for ourselves.
To compensate we are staying in a very nice Posada, where we can have a good rest and where we have negotiated a special price for the night. The weather continues to threaten lots of rain and we believe Ana Maria may not be able to continue walking tomorrow. We are considering moving ourselves tomorrow by bus to the next town up, which is bigger and where AnaMaria can seek some medical attention, if necessary. Watch this space!
DÍA 31 - GOTARRENDURA A ARÉVALO
Dos bicigrinos franceses llegaron anoche y ocuparon las dos literas sobre las nuestras. Nuestro albergue completo! Cuando estaba casi dormida, cerca de la 1 de la mañana se escuchó un estrépito; uno de los bicigrinos se cayó de su litera! Fue un fuerte golpe pero menos mal que no fue grave.
Esta mañana salimos a las siete con lluvia, truenos y algunos relámpagos. Optamos ir por la carretera ya que los senderos estaban inundados. Llovió sin parar por 5 horas! Los últimos 15 kms pudimos hacerlos sin lluvia y en gran parte por un sendero a través de un bosque de pinos resinosos. Interesante ver como extraen la savia de los árboles. Este bosque tiene mas de ocho kms de longitud. Robert tuvo problemas de estomago y yo el pie izquierdo muy dolorido e inflamado.
Esta noche nos quedamos en un buen hotel (conseguimos precio especial de peregrinos) y mañana decidiremos como seguir dependiendo del estado de mi pie y de como nos encontremos. También pronostican más lluvia!
Esta mañana salimos a las siete con lluvia, truenos y algunos relámpagos. Optamos ir por la carretera ya que los senderos estaban inundados. Llovió sin parar por 5 horas! Los últimos 15 kms pudimos hacerlos sin lluvia y en gran parte por un sendero a través de un bosque de pinos resinosos. Interesante ver como extraen la savia de los árboles. Este bosque tiene mas de ocho kms de longitud. Robert tuvo problemas de estomago y yo el pie izquierdo muy dolorido e inflamado.
Esta noche nos quedamos en un buen hotel (conseguimos precio especial de peregrinos) y mañana decidiremos como seguir dependiendo del estado de mi pie y de como nos encontremos. También pronostican más lluvia!
DAY 30 - AVILA TO GOTARRENDURA - 25 Kms
After a very relaxing stay in Avila we set off this morning at 06:30am, having had some breakfast although alas not our usual toast with oil! The walk today was very pleasant, low rolling hills and soft underfoot as it had rained during the night.
The path today went through three small villages before reaching our destination Gotarrendura. At every village we were hoping to have a cup of coffee. NO SUCH LUCK! The only bar we could find was in the second village, Cardeñosa, which was naturally closed. In these parts they open at 11:00am! We had a banana and some dried fruit and nuts and carried on. The rest of the walk was mainly through fields and mainly flat.
We reached Gotarrendura at 12:00am having made very good time (for us!). Ana Maria, whose blisters were finally beginning to heal, ended up with her left foot quite swollen, with what looks like a possible sprain. We are a bit worried about this as tomorrow's trek is 28/30kms. We are also very worried as the weather is turning and the forecast is for heavy rain and strong winds, for most of tomorrow. This will make the tracks very muddy and we may have to go on the roads. If the visibility is poor, going on the roads here can be dangerous as drivers are not the most careful. We will see what tomorrow brings. Once we start there is no alternative but to finish as there are no buses that we could take if we find the going gets too bad.
Four French cyclists have just turned up and all of a sudden "our" Albergue has become quite crowded. At least, it's free!
The path today went through three small villages before reaching our destination Gotarrendura. At every village we were hoping to have a cup of coffee. NO SUCH LUCK! The only bar we could find was in the second village, Cardeñosa, which was naturally closed. In these parts they open at 11:00am! We had a banana and some dried fruit and nuts and carried on. The rest of the walk was mainly through fields and mainly flat.
We reached Gotarrendura at 12:00am having made very good time (for us!). Ana Maria, whose blisters were finally beginning to heal, ended up with her left foot quite swollen, with what looks like a possible sprain. We are a bit worried about this as tomorrow's trek is 28/30kms. We are also very worried as the weather is turning and the forecast is for heavy rain and strong winds, for most of tomorrow. This will make the tracks very muddy and we may have to go on the roads. If the visibility is poor, going on the roads here can be dangerous as drivers are not the most careful. We will see what tomorrow brings. Once we start there is no alternative but to finish as there are no buses that we could take if we find the going gets too bad.
Four French cyclists have just turned up and all of a sudden "our" Albergue has become quite crowded. At least, it's free!
DÍA 30 - ÁVILA A GOTARRENDURA
Salimos a las 6.30 después de un pequeño desayuno de magdalenas, tostadas 'Bimbo' confitura y café. Menos mal ya que al llegar a Cardeñosa el único bar del pueblo no abría hasta las 11!
A la salida de Ávila, después de pasar el río Adejar, nos encontramos con 'Los Cuatro Postes' lugar donde Santa Teresa se encontró con su primo cuando iban a ofrecerse como mártires. Desde 'Los Cuatro Postes' hay una vista magnifica de las murallas de Ávila.
Corto descanso en Cardeñosa y a seguir el Camino! Hoy no fue difícil; caminamos por campos y praderas con ganado suelto, abriendo y cerrando cancelas. Mucho más llano y después de un pasar un monte con matorrales y algunos árboles vimos muchos campos de trigo. Varios cruceros que marcan el Camino de Santiago y seguimos por un camino ancho de tierra para así llegar a Gotarrendura. Había viento y no hizo calor, nubes negras amenazando lluvia pero no llegó!
Nos quedamos en el albergue que aquí esta muy bien. Cuatro literas (estamos solos), baño limpio con muy buena ducha, lavarropas y fregadero, tendedero afuera y un saloncito con mesa y sillas.
En Gotarrendura vivieron los padres de Santa Teresa y se cree que ella nació aquí. De la finca quedan sólo las paredes exteriores y el palomar que tiene 500 años! Muy interesante de visitar. Criaban unas 3.000 palomas al año.
Mañana vamos a Arévalo, una etapa más larga.
A la salida de Ávila, después de pasar el río Adejar, nos encontramos con 'Los Cuatro Postes' lugar donde Santa Teresa se encontró con su primo cuando iban a ofrecerse como mártires. Desde 'Los Cuatro Postes' hay una vista magnifica de las murallas de Ávila.
Corto descanso en Cardeñosa y a seguir el Camino! Hoy no fue difícil; caminamos por campos y praderas con ganado suelto, abriendo y cerrando cancelas. Mucho más llano y después de un pasar un monte con matorrales y algunos árboles vimos muchos campos de trigo. Varios cruceros que marcan el Camino de Santiago y seguimos por un camino ancho de tierra para así llegar a Gotarrendura. Había viento y no hizo calor, nubes negras amenazando lluvia pero no llegó!
Nos quedamos en el albergue que aquí esta muy bien. Cuatro literas (estamos solos), baño limpio con muy buena ducha, lavarropas y fregadero, tendedero afuera y un saloncito con mesa y sillas.
En Gotarrendura vivieron los padres de Santa Teresa y se cree que ella nació aquí. De la finca quedan sólo las paredes exteriores y el palomar que tiene 500 años! Muy interesante de visitar. Criaban unas 3.000 palomas al año.
Mañana vamos a Arévalo, una etapa más larga.
Tuesday 9 June 2015
DAY 28 - SAN BARTOLOME DE PINARES TO AVILA - 30KMS AND DAY 29 - RESTING IN AVILA
A real roller-coaster of a day, climbing up and down hills, up steep rocky paths and then almost running down the other side! Terrible on the feet! It was also a long hot day although from time to time there was a very peasant breeze flowing.
When we left San Bartolome we met William, our Belgian friend and were shocked to see the state of his arms, which were badly scratched. He too had been stung by the bees, had run for it, lost his way and ended up crashing through brambles etc. I should mention that he is a very tough guy, a former Belgian Commando and currently Head of the Criminal Investigation department of the Belgian Police in Brussels! Last night we also met two young Americans, Jonathan and Paul, who are also heading to Santiago.
For the first time on this journey, we saw lots of herds of cows dotting the landscape and from time to time blocking our path. In those cases I always send Ana Maria up front - she has a way with animals(!). The entrance to Avila was very, very long. We could see the town in the distance but had to walk 11 kilometres before we finally made it in! On arriving at the main square we met an Argentine troubadour who serenaded us with a selection of folk music as we sipped a beer!
After our bee attack yesterday we are glad to have the opportunity of relaxing for a whole day in Avila tomorrow. The swelling has subsided but the stings are still painful, particularly those on our head (Ana Maria) and our necks (mainly me), arms, legs etc! We realised today that in our battle with the bees I lost my sunglasses. This was a blow as they were special, lightweight, practically indestructible, transition photochromic prescription glasses which will be impossible to replace on this trip. I thought of sending Ana Maria back to look for them but she didn't want to go for some reason! I'll try to buy a pair of sunglasses tomorrow.
We are now roughly halfway on our journey. We want to thank all those who are following our daily blogs and for the many good wishes we have received. Thank you also to the many who have shown concern whenever we get into a scrape - lets hope there won't be too many more of those. Thank you. Thank you.
DAY 29 - RESTING IN AVILA
Not much to report today as we have mainly just been lazing around. That said Ana Maria went sightseeing around the magnificent walls of Avila. I came to Avila a couple of years ago but as a couple we had last been here over 40 years ago. At the time we lived in Madrid and we came with friends of ours to have a picnic underneath some trees in a field with the impressive walls of Avila as a backdrop. Today the whole area is very built up and you can barely see the walls!
While Ana Maria was sightseeing, I went hunting for a pair of sunglasses and a couple of other things we needed. I had a haircut and a shave, as Ana did not like my new bearded look!
Tomorrow we leave for Gotarrenduras ( don't you love these names!) some 26 Kms away.
When we left San Bartolome we met William, our Belgian friend and were shocked to see the state of his arms, which were badly scratched. He too had been stung by the bees, had run for it, lost his way and ended up crashing through brambles etc. I should mention that he is a very tough guy, a former Belgian Commando and currently Head of the Criminal Investigation department of the Belgian Police in Brussels! Last night we also met two young Americans, Jonathan and Paul, who are also heading to Santiago.
For the first time on this journey, we saw lots of herds of cows dotting the landscape and from time to time blocking our path. In those cases I always send Ana Maria up front - she has a way with animals(!). The entrance to Avila was very, very long. We could see the town in the distance but had to walk 11 kilometres before we finally made it in! On arriving at the main square we met an Argentine troubadour who serenaded us with a selection of folk music as we sipped a beer!
After our bee attack yesterday we are glad to have the opportunity of relaxing for a whole day in Avila tomorrow. The swelling has subsided but the stings are still painful, particularly those on our head (Ana Maria) and our necks (mainly me), arms, legs etc! We realised today that in our battle with the bees I lost my sunglasses. This was a blow as they were special, lightweight, practically indestructible, transition photochromic prescription glasses which will be impossible to replace on this trip. I thought of sending Ana Maria back to look for them but she didn't want to go for some reason! I'll try to buy a pair of sunglasses tomorrow.
We are now roughly halfway on our journey. We want to thank all those who are following our daily blogs and for the many good wishes we have received. Thank you also to the many who have shown concern whenever we get into a scrape - lets hope there won't be too many more of those. Thank you. Thank you.
DAY 29 - RESTING IN AVILA
Not much to report today as we have mainly just been lazing around. That said Ana Maria went sightseeing around the magnificent walls of Avila. I came to Avila a couple of years ago but as a couple we had last been here over 40 years ago. At the time we lived in Madrid and we came with friends of ours to have a picnic underneath some trees in a field with the impressive walls of Avila as a backdrop. Today the whole area is very built up and you can barely see the walls!
While Ana Maria was sightseeing, I went hunting for a pair of sunglasses and a couple of other things we needed. I had a haircut and a shave, as Ana did not like my new bearded look!
Tomorrow we leave for Gotarrenduras ( don't you love these names!) some 26 Kms away.
Sunday 7 June 2015
DÍA 27 - CEBREROS A SAN BARTOLOME DE PINARES
Hoy empezamos el día subiendo por 'senderos de cabra' hasta la cima de la montaña, un sendero muy duro entre grandes rocas y piedras, tratando de espantar a los cientos de moscas que nos rodeaban y a las que parecía gustarle el repelente! Luego pasamos por unos bosques hermosos para después seguir subiendo por senderos pedregosos. Seguimos por terreno llano con poca vegetación. Al empezar a descender por la ladera, siempre siguiendo las flechas amarillas del camino, nos atacó un enjambre de abejas agresivas (africanas?) y tuvimos que retroceder unos 100 metros hasta que desistieron en su persecución y ataque. Nos picaron una docena de veces y fue muy doloroso! Tuvimos que sacar los agujones uno por uno pero fue difícil de quitar los que tenía en la cabeza, que dolor! Lo único bueno fue que por un rato los pies no dolían! Tuvimos que hacer un gran desvío y buscar una carretera que eventualmente nos llevó nuevamente al Camino. La bajada a San Bartolomé la hicimos por una carretera con unas vistas espectaculares de las montañas y valles y campos de lavanda al otro lado. No había mucho tráfico pero si bastantes ciclistas participando en una carrera o disfrutando de su paseo dominguero.
Mañana a Ávila, donde descansaremos un día!
Mañana a Ávila, donde descansaremos un día!
DAY 27 - CEBREROS TO SAN BARTOLOME DE PINARES - 19KMS
Today was a really tough day. We set off at 07:00 and started climbing up what can only be described as an overgrown goat track! This was probably the toughest climb we have ever faced and we had to stop several times to catch our breath! The climb was about a kilometre and climbed roughly 500 meters. It took us over one hour to climb!
Once at the top of the mountain we had stunning views of the surrounding countryside. We carried on walking across the mountain, over beautiful landscapes, full of wild lavender. Truly magnificent.
Then I got stung! At first we thought it was a Tabano, a type of blue bottle fly, but we were soon surrounded by what turned out to be a swarm of very aggressive bees. We have never encountered anything like this before and we hope never to again! It was a frightening experience. Both Ana Maria and I were stung about a dozen times each, before we managed to run away, with the bees in hot pursuit! Ana Maria got stung quite badly in her head, which was very painful while I got most of my stings in my neck, ears and arms. We still shudder every time we hear a buzzing sound! The annoying thing is that we found there were about thirty beehives ( probably set up without permission, right in the path of our Camino)
We had to take a long detour by road to avoid the bees and were glad to reach Cebreros. We opted for a Hostal instead of the Albergue to lick our wounds! Tomorrow we have a very long day to reach Avila, where we hope to rest for an extra day.
Once at the top of the mountain we had stunning views of the surrounding countryside. We carried on walking across the mountain, over beautiful landscapes, full of wild lavender. Truly magnificent.
Then I got stung! At first we thought it was a Tabano, a type of blue bottle fly, but we were soon surrounded by what turned out to be a swarm of very aggressive bees. We have never encountered anything like this before and we hope never to again! It was a frightening experience. Both Ana Maria and I were stung about a dozen times each, before we managed to run away, with the bees in hot pursuit! Ana Maria got stung quite badly in her head, which was very painful while I got most of my stings in my neck, ears and arms. We still shudder every time we hear a buzzing sound! The annoying thing is that we found there were about thirty beehives ( probably set up without permission, right in the path of our Camino)
We had to take a long detour by road to avoid the bees and were glad to reach Cebreros. We opted for a Hostal instead of the Albergue to lick our wounds! Tomorrow we have a very long day to reach Avila, where we hope to rest for an extra day.
DAY 26 - CADALSO DE LOS VIDRIOS TO CEBREROS
Today was one of those days when you think you have a relatively short day ahead and then you find they've changed the route and it's actually 26 Kms and not 21kms! That said it was a nice and varied day. First a really steep descent for several hundred meters along a narrow slippery rocky track. Later through a beautiful and tranquil forest with a really good track.
Later in the morning we arrived at the Toros de Guisando, stone statues of bulls thought to be of Celtic origins and predate Roman occupation in Spain. This spot was chosen to name Princess Isabel the successor to the throne of Castille and Leon in 1482.
We ended the day by crossing two medieval bridges and then enduring a really steep climb up an never-ending concrete road to reach Cebreros, completely exhausted! Tomorrow we leave for San Bartolome de Pinares, our final stop before Avila.
Later in the morning we arrived at the Toros de Guisando, stone statues of bulls thought to be of Celtic origins and predate Roman occupation in Spain. This spot was chosen to name Princess Isabel the successor to the throne of Castille and Leon in 1482.
We ended the day by crossing two medieval bridges and then enduring a really steep climb up an never-ending concrete road to reach Cebreros, completely exhausted! Tomorrow we leave for San Bartolome de Pinares, our final stop before Avila.
DIA 26 - CADALSO DE LOS VIDRIOS A CEBREROS
Un día largo, una etapa que estaba supuesto a ser de 21 kms terminó siendo de 26 kms! Han cambiado la ruta. Primero una fuerte bajada por senderos de mucha piedra y resbaladizos. Luego por bosques bonitos y tranquilos, caminos pecuarios y salida a una carretera principal con bastante tráfico. Otra carretera con poco tráfico nos llevó hasta los Toros de Guisando. Estas cuatro figuras de granito son de origen vetón. Fueron realizadas entre el siglo IV y I antes de Cristo, en plena Edad de Hierro.
Más carretera y luego camino de tierra pasando por unos puentes medievales de piedra. Por ultimo una subida muy severa bajo fuerte sol para llegar a Cebreros agotados.
El albergue parecía bueno pero por una avería no tenían agua caliente! Decidimos quedarnos en un hotel. Próxima parada San Bartolomé de Pinares.
Más carretera y luego camino de tierra pasando por unos puentes medievales de piedra. Por ultimo una subida muy severa bajo fuerte sol para llegar a Cebreros agotados.
El albergue parecía bueno pero por una avería no tenían agua caliente! Decidimos quedarnos en un hotel. Próxima parada San Bartolomé de Pinares.
Friday 5 June 2015
DÍA 25 - ESCALONA A CADALSO DE LOS VIDRIOS
Anoche hizo mucho calor en el albergue/acogida y compartiendo la habitación con otros 3 peregrinos y 2 bicigrinos fue difícil dormir. A las 5 se escuchó una alarma y aprovechamos para prepararnos para salir nosotros también. No se si fuimos los más rápidos o desesperados pero fuimos los primeros en emprender la marcha minutos antes de las 6!
Los primeros 5 kms fueron por carretera, muy poco tráfico y fresco! En Paredes de Escalona paramos a tomar nuestro desayuno de masitas 'paciencia' rellenas de chocolate hechas por María del Mar, bananas y agua! Los bares todos cerrados por supuesto!
Saliendo de Paredes fuimos por un sendero por las montañas, hermoso paisaje pero un poco cansino caminar por ese terreno por 9 kms. Grandes rocas y vistas a otras montañas aún más altas.
Los últimos 7 kms fueron por carretera secundaria hasta Cadalso. Hoy nos quedamos en un hostal para recuperar el sueño perdido anoche y descansar cómodamente.
''Cadalso' significa lugar alto, mientras que 'de los vidrios' hace referencia a la fabricación de este material que lo hizo famoso a finales del siglo XII. Ejemplo de ello es gran parte de la cristalería de la Real Botica del Monasterio del Escorial. Algunas piezas se encuentran en el museo Británico de Londres.
Actualmente se dedican a la viticultura y a la transformación de granito destinado a la construcción y elementos decorativos. Hay varias canteras cercanas.
Mañana seguimos a Cebreros.
Los primeros 5 kms fueron por carretera, muy poco tráfico y fresco! En Paredes de Escalona paramos a tomar nuestro desayuno de masitas 'paciencia' rellenas de chocolate hechas por María del Mar, bananas y agua! Los bares todos cerrados por supuesto!
Saliendo de Paredes fuimos por un sendero por las montañas, hermoso paisaje pero un poco cansino caminar por ese terreno por 9 kms. Grandes rocas y vistas a otras montañas aún más altas.
Los últimos 7 kms fueron por carretera secundaria hasta Cadalso. Hoy nos quedamos en un hostal para recuperar el sueño perdido anoche y descansar cómodamente.
''Cadalso' significa lugar alto, mientras que 'de los vidrios' hace referencia a la fabricación de este material que lo hizo famoso a finales del siglo XII. Ejemplo de ello es gran parte de la cristalería de la Real Botica del Monasterio del Escorial. Algunas piezas se encuentran en el museo Británico de Londres.
Actualmente se dedican a la viticultura y a la transformación de granito destinado a la construcción y elementos decorativos. Hay varias canteras cercanas.
Mañana seguimos a Cebreros.
DAY 25 - ESCALONA TO CADALSO DE LOS VIDRIOS - 22KM
Our son James is a keen and accomplished mountain climber. Today I remembered the three rules of mountaineering:
"It's always further than it looks, It's always taller than it looks and it's always harder than it looks"
These rules could well have been applied to our trek today. It all started badly. Last night we had a full complement of seven people filling our small albergue in Escalona. At 8:00pm the temperature in the sun was 42C degrees and 31C in the shade. The albergue was like an oven and it was impossible to sleep. I reckon that Ana Maria and I had about 3.5 to 4 hours sleep!
We therefore set off feeling pretty tired. The first five Kms by road to Paredes de Los Vidrios where we had hoped to find a bar open for breakfast. No such luck. Breakfast in the village square of a banana, a few "paciencias" ( lovely chocolate filled biscuits) made by Mari Mar, and water!
The next stage was a beautiful but very hard walk up the mountain side always climbing, over large rocky paths, with stunning scenery. This went on for some nine kilometres by which time we were pretty exhausted. We stopped several times to tend to our blisters which were suffering from the harsh conditions underfoot. Once out of the mountain paths we then had to endure a climb of some 8 kilometres up a secondary Tarmac road which took us nearly two and a half hours. Every time you thought you had reached the top, another climb beckoned round the next bend in the road. Had it gone on for much longer I don't think I could have made it to the top!
We arrived at 11:10am, a total journey time of 5 hours and 15 minutes, which given the conditions was pretty good going, at least for us!
This evening we decided to reject the offer of free accommodation in the local Polideportivo and opted instead for a very nice but inexpensive Hostal, complete with swimming pool. Unfortunately we don't have swimsuits so we've had to forgo the pleasure of a dip! Tonight we met up with our Belgian friend, William, who is staying at the Polideportivo, for a couple of beers!
Cadalso de Los Vidrios has an interesting past having been one of the major manufacturers of fine crystal in Europe. Sadly no more! We understand that examples of their wares can be found in the Monastery of El Escorial and in the British Museum in London.
It's just gone 8:00pm and we are off to bed to see what adventure awaits tomorrow. Just before we go, "por favor, dos cervezas más, y media racion de queso y jamon"
"It's always further than it looks, It's always taller than it looks and it's always harder than it looks"
These rules could well have been applied to our trek today. It all started badly. Last night we had a full complement of seven people filling our small albergue in Escalona. At 8:00pm the temperature in the sun was 42C degrees and 31C in the shade. The albergue was like an oven and it was impossible to sleep. I reckon that Ana Maria and I had about 3.5 to 4 hours sleep!
We therefore set off feeling pretty tired. The first five Kms by road to Paredes de Los Vidrios where we had hoped to find a bar open for breakfast. No such luck. Breakfast in the village square of a banana, a few "paciencias" ( lovely chocolate filled biscuits) made by Mari Mar, and water!
The next stage was a beautiful but very hard walk up the mountain side always climbing, over large rocky paths, with stunning scenery. This went on for some nine kilometres by which time we were pretty exhausted. We stopped several times to tend to our blisters which were suffering from the harsh conditions underfoot. Once out of the mountain paths we then had to endure a climb of some 8 kilometres up a secondary Tarmac road which took us nearly two and a half hours. Every time you thought you had reached the top, another climb beckoned round the next bend in the road. Had it gone on for much longer I don't think I could have made it to the top!
We arrived at 11:10am, a total journey time of 5 hours and 15 minutes, which given the conditions was pretty good going, at least for us!
This evening we decided to reject the offer of free accommodation in the local Polideportivo and opted instead for a very nice but inexpensive Hostal, complete with swimming pool. Unfortunately we don't have swimsuits so we've had to forgo the pleasure of a dip! Tonight we met up with our Belgian friend, William, who is staying at the Polideportivo, for a couple of beers!
Cadalso de Los Vidrios has an interesting past having been one of the major manufacturers of fine crystal in Europe. Sadly no more! We understand that examples of their wares can be found in the Monastery of El Escorial and in the British Museum in London.
It's just gone 8:00pm and we are off to bed to see what adventure awaits tomorrow. Just before we go, "por favor, dos cervezas más, y media racion de queso y jamon"
Thursday 4 June 2015
DÍA 24 NOVES A ESCALONA
Nos levantamos temprano y a las 5.45 estábamos en la casa de Felipe y Maria del Mar que insistieron en darnos el desayuno! A las 6.30 salimos para Escalona con Felipe que insistió en acompañarnos. Así fue que tuvimos un guía experto toda esta etapa; no tuvimos que preocuparnos en estudiar el camino ni buscar las flechas. En Quismondo, mitad de camino, paramos para tomar un café y luego seguimos a Escalona. Una etapa sin dificultad hasta la entrada al pueblo donde hay que pasar un puente sin arcén y con mucho trafico, bastante peligroso! Luego hubo que subir muchos escalones para finalmente llegar al pueblo mismo con un gran castillo y hermosas vistas al río Alberche desde lo alto. Felipe nos ayudó a encontrar el albergue y conseguir la llave de la Guardia Civil. De camino al albergue, a casi un kilómetro de distancia, nos encontramos con una pareja de franceses (haciendo el camino de Levante) y un belga. Tomamos en turno darnos una ducha y luego fuimos nuevamente al centro a esperar a la señora de Felipe que venia a recogerlo. Los invitamos a almorzar y se unió el belga al grupo. Comimos muy bien y en buena compañía. Nuestros nuevos amigos de Novés son muy simpáticos e insistieron en darnos fruta, masitas y pasas para el camino; también una pulsera con motivo de Santiago como recuerdo, hecha por la hija! Los recordaremos con cariño.
Hoy por la tarde hizo mucho calor, a las 8 pm todavía 31C! Mañana también saldremos temprano para Cadalso de los Vidrios para tratar de evitar el calor excesivo de la tarde. Por suerte una etapa no muy larga.
Hoy por la tarde hizo mucho calor, a las 8 pm todavía 31C! Mañana también saldremos temprano para Cadalso de los Vidrios para tratar de evitar el calor excesivo de la tarde. Por suerte una etapa no muy larga.
DAY 24 - NOVÉS TO ESCALONA - 20KM
This morning at 06:00 we were having breakfast with our new-found friend Felipe and MariMar in their house. Felipe insisted on coming with us to Escalona and we set off just after 06:30. Felipe talked non-stop all the way, eager to share his thoughts about the Camino, his village and life in General.
We stopped approximately half-way through in the village of Guismondo, to have a coffee and then continued on our way. Before we knew it we were looking at the wonderful sight of the castle of Escalona and the beautiful if rather steep entrance to the town. The Police brought the keys to the town's albergue, where we settled in to have a shower etc. Later, MariMar came to join us and we had lunch with them and also with another fellow walker from Belgium, William. Several other "pilgrims have joined our Albergue tonight and it looks as if we have full house for the first time on this route of Camino del Sureste.
Tomorrow we have around 20 Kms again when we wend our way towards Cadalso de Los Vidrios. Avila, our next rest stop, is getting that little bit closer!
We stopped approximately half-way through in the village of Guismondo, to have a coffee and then continued on our way. Before we knew it we were looking at the wonderful sight of the castle of Escalona and the beautiful if rather steep entrance to the town. The Police brought the keys to the town's albergue, where we settled in to have a shower etc. Later, MariMar came to join us and we had lunch with them and also with another fellow walker from Belgium, William. Several other "pilgrims have joined our Albergue tonight and it looks as if we have full house for the first time on this route of Camino del Sureste.
Tomorrow we have around 20 Kms again when we wend our way towards Cadalso de Los Vidrios. Avila, our next rest stop, is getting that little bit closer!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)