Arca (Rua) to Santiago

Day 47  Rua to Santiago (22kms)

We wake to a misty and overcast morning…but the rain is not actually falling and so we rise in hope that our last day on the Camino will be rain free.  Breakfast starts at 8.30am so a late start for us and we watch many peregrinos pass by as we munch on our toast.  Some early starters drop in for a coffee and a bite.

It’s not raining when we start walking at about 9.15am, but one starts in full waterproofs while the other wears overtrousers with the raincoat slung across his shoulders.  It is not cold so humidity is the enemy today.

We leave our accommodation on an unsealed country road, very wet underfoot and the vegetation is dripping.  Eucalypt plantations abound as we cross the main road and walk down into a small village, the trail almost passing through farmyards.  In a shed, the old wooden ploughs are hanging from the roof, obviously used in the past and now stored alongside more modern relatives.

The forest changes from eucalypt plantations to mixed species as we continue on the unsealed road past another small village.  The bracken is bright orange and, when wet, adds a most striking contrast to the greens and greys of the eucalypts and the autumnal browns and golds of the deciduous species.  Cross a stream and then make the long, gradual ascent, passing through a ‘tunnel’…a narrow cutting with a full canopy of trees across the top…and to the top of the hill on a sealed road.

Wooden Camino signs point the way along a well formed trail through more farmland, soon reaching the main road where a bright yellow sign is painted on the road…”15.37 kms to Santiago!” 

We skirt around the airport and find a crowded bar which serves fine coffee and dispenses sellos…what more could a weary peregrino want?  There are now no markers telling us how far to Santiago, so while every step brings us closer, we have no idea how close.  Another climb along a senda sees us as at San Marcos, where there is a memorial to Pope John Paul II, and a rather curious tower from which hang numerous multi-coloured aluminium water bottles…not sure whether you leave one there to add to the collection or buy one from the tower.   Here also is the very humble Ermita de San Marcos, a small chapel where we collect a sello.  We are also afforded our very first view of Santiago! 

Now begins the long descent into the city…past the 800 bed Albergue at Monte de Gonzo with a lookout over the city and into the suburbs.  Hunger pangs are manifesting, so the first bar we see that is open…there aren’t that many in this area…gets the gig.  We enjoy tortilla and coffee and then stroll along the footpath into town, following the Camino signs which are very frequent. 

We reach the Old City sooner than we expect and are almost immediately in Praza de Immaculada and there is the Cathedral! 

We walk around to the front, Praza de Obradoira, and come across the staging for the Pope’s visit, fortunately not in front of the Cathedral as we had been told.  We find the Officina de Dean de Peregrinos, have our Credentiales checked, and fill in the form for our Compostelas.  The young lady takes some time to find “Elaine” on her list of Latin names.  We are now certified!

It’s 3.20pm and we are checking our map to find the best way to our hotel when we meet Canadian Chantal…great scenes of joy as she declares that meeting us again has completed her Camino!! 

We take a moment here to reflect on how we feel about finally reaching our destination…surreal is the word that comes immediately to mind.  We undertook this journey for a variety of reasons…historical, cultural, a physical challenge, camaraderie,  We are not particularly religious folk, but this journey has been a spiritual one for us  One cannot follow this path without feeling something of the ordeals suffered by the real pilgrims as they made their way across the inhospitable landscape with little or no refuge in many places, subject to the vagaries of the weather, facing bandits and wild animals, and enduring illness that stopped so many of them in their tracks. 

We have met people from many different countries, cultures, and religious backgrounds; we have shared food, shelter, humour and time; we have the Camino as our common denominator. Some of these people are now our friends and we will treasure the memories.

Our hotel, the 300 year old Hotel San Nicolas, is down a reasonably steep hill...a change for us as we usually have to go uphill to find our bed.  We feel very secure because not only do you have to ring the bell for someone to unlock the door to let you in, but also to let you out!

We return to the old city to check the Information Centre and the Post Office.  Both have signs indicating that they should be open, but we haven’t considered that today is All Saints Day and therefore a Public Holiday!  We note the times for tomorrow and move on.

Wandering around the narrow streets, we are delighted to meet up with Jan from Canada who suggests we join him, Amanda and Jeanette for dinner.  We haven’t seen them for more than a week so enjoy a chat over a meal and a beer.

Day 48  Santiago

Breakfast here is served on a tray in our room, old fashioned motel style.

We go through our gear and choose the things we won’t need any more and set out for the Post Office to buy a box to put them in for transport home.  The Information Centre is open and we find the bus timetable for Finisterre, which is tomorrow’s destination. 

Elaine goes to the 12 noon Pilgrim’s Mass while John packs the box and we meet up at the Cathedral.  After the Mass is over, we see someone waving madly across the crowd…it is Jose, whom we met with Berta at Leboreiro.  Berta’s parents are with them, visiting from the Canary Islands, and they invite us to join them for lunch.  We agree to meet them at 2.00pm, and the day, as we know it, is over at that point…it becomes obvious why the Spanish don’t eat until 10.00pm…they don’t finish lunch until 6!

Lunch actually finishes at 5.15pm, but Berta’s dad says, “We must go for coffee and you can have English tea!”  So at 5.30pm we are in another café having more coffee and English tea, finally leaving them at about 6.30pm…we now have an invitation to visit the Canary Islands!

Leboreiro to Arca (Rua)

Day 45  Leboreiro to Arzua (21kms)

Rain continues throughout the night and we wake to a damp morning with some wind, leaving Casa Rural at 8.50am in full rain gear.  While the rain is not constant, squalls blow through regularly and the wet trees add to the degree-of-drip factor.

The trail from Leboreiro to the outskirts of Melide is sheltered forest path with increasing numbers of eucalypts, including some plantations.  Approaching Melide, the path passes through an industrial suburb for about 2kms, and then skirts the main town area.  We stop at a bar dispensing sellos for our Credentiales and then find a park bench under cover in a small plaza for a rest and drink break.  Just as we are getting ready to move on, a group of at least 40 people pass by…actually a bus load, confirmed when we see their bus several times…obviously day walkers (we realise it’s Saturday!) many with no packs and inadequate rain gear…which is not important when the bus is waiting on the next road!

We have made good progress this morning, covering the first 7kms in an hour and a half, continuing on forested country lanes, skirting villages, enjoying some breaks from the rain, and trying to work our way through the masses so that when we come to the next bar, where we plan to have a coffee break, we will have a mug’s chance of getting a seat and being served!

John goes on ahead as we approach Boente, with about two-thirds of our total distance covered…it is approaching midday and we can see ‘The Bus’ in the distance…and by the time Elaine gets there, he has found a nice little bar and has ordered the coffee!  The bar has a huge cap collection hanging from the ceiling and the wall behind the bar.  The owner has great pleasure in pointing out a couple of ‘donations’ from Australia!  We add some chocolate and a banana to our 2 cups of coffee each and emerge fresh and ready for the last 9kms to Arzua. 

A couple of ugly climbs dampen our enthusiasm somewhat, and we comment that this section would have been tough for our Australian friends yesterday, coming towards the end of a long day and in the terrible weather.  Once again we appreciate Callum’s local knowledge! 

John crushes some bluegum leaves and we enjoy a nostalgic few minutes inhaling…yes, inhaling!... the magic aroma.  We walk briefly with a man from Czech Republic…from Bruno, where they make the rifles…and then into the village of Ribadiso, just 3kms short of our destination for today.

The rain has moved away temporarily, and as we walk along the senda towards Arzua, the sun comes out!  We find our accommodation, Casa Teadora, change out of our thermal gear which is a bit damp from condensation and spread it to dry, and then head for a café for a ‘sandwich caliente’ (sandwich hot, ie toasted!) and a coffee.  It’s 2.30pm and we are in for the night!

John mends his boot again…determined to make them last to Santiago…and we continue to dry our gear completely.  We shop for a nail brush which comes with a free block of chocolate (yeah…right!) so we need to boil the billy to justify opening the block of chocolate!  The diary is updated and the blog report and photos organised, so just after 6pm we go to the ‘Salon Social’ aka ‘The Bar,’ to connect to WiFi and post the blog.

Dinner follows seamlessly – yummy veggie soup and chicken/veal with real potatoes instead of chips…why no one thought of this earlier beggars belief!  

Day 46  Arzua to Rua (18kms)

Casa Teadora does not serve breakfast on Sunday so we have a voucher for Café Valquez along the street which opens at 7.00am.  We set our alarm for the usual 7.00am and arrive at the café at about 2 mins past 8, just in time to see on the television news that Daylight Saving ended at 3.00am so the time is now 2 mins past 7!!  Enjoy our orange juice, toast and coffee and set out at daybreak as usual, guided by the lights along deserted streets and in light rain.

There are seven villages along today’s route, which is mostly along corriedoiras, quiet country roads and the odd senda, through the familiar oak and chestnut forests and with ever increasing stands of eucalypts, reminiscent of parts of the Otways, particularly in the wet!  Fortunately we are sheltered somewhat from the wind but are lashed regularly by rain squalls. 

At about the 7 km mark we decide to get our Credentiale stamped…2 stamps per day are required to qualify for the Compostela Certificate on reaching Santiago…in a nice little bar which just happens to serve nice coffee…and has facilities! 

Back out into the rain, just in time for a wind change, the heaviest rain of the day, and a pretty rugged 20 minutes until it abates somewhat.  We are meeting more walkers now, not as many as other days, probably because of the time change and the day walkers not starting until 9.00am real time!  The terrain is undulating with water running freely down the track so we need to watch our footing carefully, especially around the farms where the cows have been brought in for morning milking…very gluggy!  We detour off the Camino to get another stamp…nothing to do with coffee or a dry place to be temporarily, of course…and rejoin the trail by walking along the road for 350m, which is not such a great idea because we are sprayed by passing cars! 

Within a kilometre of our destination, the sun comes out! And just as quickly, disappears again!  We also meet the civil engineers from our stay in Leboreiro…they come with us to our overnight accommodation, Casa Rural O’Acivro, in Rua so we can exchange email addresses…after they have gone, we realise we don’t actually know their names!

It’s 10 to 1, real time, when we arrive.  After checking in to our roomy, cabin-type unit, we go through the usual drill…change damp clothing for dry, hang up dripping rainwear, put damp clothing on heaters and boots underneath, then trot off for a lunch of bocadillos (baguettes) with jamon y queso (ham & cheese) washed down with beer, sangria and coffee while watching the passing parade of peregrinos in the rain.

Photo downloads, snoozing, and diary/blogging takes up the rest of the afternoon…the rain continues for most of the time.  We have a hot drink via the billy. Dinner is a menu in the bar restaurant, joined by a group of about a dozen peregrinos who are only walking for the few days it will take to qualify for the Compostela.

Triacastela to Sarria

Day 39  Triacastela to Samos (11kms)

The alarm goes off at 6.45am, but we have no lights!  This is another power outage that “will not affect our stay at Casa David!”  We open the curtains to let  the street light shine in and shower in the dark. The lights eventually come at 7.30am just in time to guide us to breakfast.



San Cristobal



Misty rain is falling as we set out, necessitating pack covers and Elaine’s raincoat.  Callum, our itinerary organiser, has suggested a slightly longer, alternative route for today, but we decide not to follow it for a few reasons…it is not way-marked, the weather, and Elaine’s state of health – a nasty cough has joined the head cold. 

We follow the road for 2.5kms to San Cristobal do Real, sometimes on a senda, sometimes on the shoulder of the road.   Historically, this area has seen some Celtic influence, with a number of ruins still visible, and just before we leave the road, we notice what we think could be stone circles in a field.  This is slate country and many of the fences are simply slate slabs standing on edge. 

A farm track takes us through the village where we see a working watermill, and then join a lovely track along the river where we are sheltered by oak, chestnut and walnut trees. 

Elaine sheds her raincoat at the top of the climb to Vigo do Real, we descend steeply back to the river, then climb again to Renche, another village that time forgot…narrow pathways between stone houses which retain at least their original exterior, but often with fancy new doors!  Because we are walking along lanes and farm tracks, and happening upon villages as we go, not seeing a ‘town with shops’ for maybe a few days, we forget that the folk who live here are only a short car trip from life as we know it. 



Samos Monastery



The narrow river flats are under cultivation with vegetables or crops of corn, with occasional small herds of dairy cows, and widen as we pass through San Martino do Real then climb up to the main road above Samos from where we get a perfect view of the Benedictine Monastery before following a dirt track down the hill and into the village.  This is a lovely day’s walk…Callum’s special route must be good if it’s better than this.

Not much is happening in the village…it is Sunday!...and the weather is threatening.  It is just before midday, but we decide to seek out our accommodation in the hope that we can at least leave our packs there while we explore.  Our hotel is the last building in the town and our room is ready so we have our picnic lunch there.  By this time it is raining.  John takes the umbrella for a walk to buy a couple of things and check out options for dinner.  We spend a rainy afternoon blogging…with intentions of going to Vespers at the Monastery.  Elaine’s cold is beginning to look like the ‘flu so we opt out of that…and, there being no other options, we have dinner at the hotel.

Day 40 Samos to Sarria (14kms)

Water mill

Another 8.23am departure. It’s cold but there’s no frost, a surprise given that the sky is so clear.  Walking along the road for about 2kms, we see another operational water mill, and a very large, free-standing stone that says ‘114km to Santiago’…strange, because the ‘official’ way marker stones are saying more than that.  The distance travelled changes according to which route you are currently following.

           Leaving the main road, we climb away from the river through farmland before

           gradually dropping back onto corriedoiras which we follow for the majority of the

           morning.  Like yesterday, this is a delightful walk through oaks, chestnuts and

           the occasional walnut. 

Local people are out collecting chestnuts, checking on their cows, walking their

dogs.  We stay in regular contact with the river which is controlled by weirs to

direct water into channels for mills, irrigation, etc.  Colours are stunning, but

eventually we come out onto the main road leading to Sarria. 

We have lunch at picnic tables on the senda just outside the town near a farmyard with chooks, roosters and rabbits…all keen to share our lunch.  At the entry to the town we find the Information Office so we get Credentiale stamps, The traditional start to any town is the bridge over the river and we leave the Camino here to go in search of our accommodation.– Hotel Roma, a really nice 1* hotel.  Here we meet Anne, her husband Roger, Denise and her neighbour Serene, all from Healesville;  Anne’s sister Marie from Kilmore; and Denise’s sister Lyn from Glen Waverley.

We have a rest day tomorrow, so arrange to do our washing at the Albergue Municipale, go to the Farmacia for some cough medicine, and find a coffee shop which will be just fine for dinner as well.

Day 41 Rest Day  Sarria

Castle

After breakfast, we decide to check emails, and are delighted to find that Linda is ringing us on Skype.  Chat to her for 20 mins or so then check emails and update the diary.

We go for a walk to the Monastery and the Castle ruins, before going to the albergue to do the laundry where we have to wait until 1.00pm for it to open, and then stand in line with a large group of people, some of whom are challenged in some way and need assistance from carers.  When the door opens, the leader of the  group goes inside to negotiate the booking of 40 beds…not possible for several reasons… you can’t book beds in Albergues Municipales (public), the 40 people aren’t all present, and beds are reserved for those who have walked at least 20kms for the day…these people haven’t.  They are directed to an Albergue Privado up the street. The group is ‘Organisation Olympus’ and they travel with a big motorhome and a ‘sag wagon’ minibus.  We are not sure of their charter but will find out later.

We put our washing in the machine, go for a coffee and then return for drying.  The two young women who are personning the reception at the albergue are volunteers with an EU organisation – Mary from Estonia and Anna from Latvia.  Both speak very good English as well their native tongue, while Mary understands Finnish and Anna Russian.  They are learning Spanish, work both here and at the Information Centre, and at the end of their 3 month ‘contract,’ will return home to continue their education. 



Monastery Saria

 There are several large supermarkets here in Sarria.  In our experience, it is unusual to have so many within walking distance.  Larger places have minimarts in town and the big supermarkets are on the outskirts where people can park.  However, nothing matters if they have Mars bars!!   And no matter where you go to eat in Sarria, it is up a serious hill from our hotel!  Hence we manage to build up an appetite to make the climb worthwhile

Sarria to Leboreiro

Sarria to Portomarin (24kms)



Food stores

 The lady at our hotel reception recommends a short cut to the Camino from the hotel…we have no need to go via the church and the monastery, thus saving us yet another climb!  We cross the medieval bridge (another constant coming into or out of town!) and follow the railway line on a corriedoira until, through the trees, we see the red lights flashing on the railway crossing…train coming!  We cross safely on the pedestrian crossing and pick up a forest path through predominantly oaks and chestnuts.  Climbing steeply on unsealed lanes and pathways, we pass the ruins of a chestnut drying ‘shed.’  Some men are repairing a stone fence, the mist is rising from the dewy grass and there are cobwebs draped thickly on tall grass and low shrubs across the fields.

We continue along green and shaded lanes and pass through small hamlets at regular intervals…there are 23 along today’s route.  One new addition to the scenery is the outdoor food storage unit.  Looking a little like a monument, and made of either vertical wooden slats or bricks with holes in them, they are elevated on concrete supports, are vermin proof and are used to hang meat, store cheese, dry corn, etc.  We are admiring one of these structures when an old lady comes by with her morning’s armload of twigs for the fire. 

Our lunch break today is at Ventas de Naron, on a bench seat, obviously placed by local folk, under a big tree and between two farms.  A couple of peacocks entertain us with a game of hide and seek across the laneway – one on a roof on each side of the laneway, and bringing the power line into play as required!

Uphill after lunch, we pass the “100kms to Santiago” stone.  A “boardwalk” made from blocks of granite set over loose stones takes us onto a shaded pathway as we drop down into Previsa, where we photograph three of the mainstays of village life…the Bar, the Church and the Cemetery!  At the top of the village we meet a young couple and their dog, complete with saddle bags to carry his own provisions. 

We recognise many new walkers today…Sarria is the jumping off point for those walkers who just want to do the basic 100kms to Santiago to qualify for the Compostela.  Most are not carrying much, some just water and a coat.  Like us, they are probably having their bags transported.  And there are supported walkers…again new on the track today and being dropped off by bus at a starting point, meeting the bus at various points along the way, usually in the vicinity of a Bar, where they can pick up a snack and a drink, drop off any unwanted clothing etc. and then meeting the bus at the end of the day for transport to accommodation. 

We reach Portomarin via a very steep descent for the last km or so, wondering why we can’t see the lake that appears on the maps.  Approaching the road bridge, we realise that this is the Tallangatta of Northern Spain…a drowned town in the interests of a hydro plan.  The old bridge is still being used when exposed, and the ruins of many buildings, fence lines, etc. can be seen.  The Monastery, which is now on the top of the hill, was moved, stone by stone, before the valley was flooded.

Our accommodation is a bit over 1km from the end of the road bridge.  We reach it by climbing towards the shopping centre, then walking down a fairly steep road around the fringe of the town before passing through farmland and thence to Santa Marino, a recreational area including camping and cabin accommodation.  We find the Casa Rural and are welcomed by our host who shows us to our room in the old stone house.  We have coffee sitting outside in the sun on the edge of the vineyard near the veggie garden.

Our dinner menu is ‘specialties locale’…Galician soup, braised lamb ribs, frittes and green salad, cheese and quince/tarte with chocolate sauce, red wine/water and coffee.  All is either home made or made in the area, is delicious and is more than we can eat.

Also staying is Sylvie and her son David, about 12yo.  They are French, currently living in Madrid, and cycling part of the Camino during David’s school holidays.

Portomarin to Palas de Rei (25kms)

We leave Santa Marino at 8.45am and walk the 1.1kms back to the main bridge where we rejoin the Camino, walking around where the edge of the lake would be if it was full, across a road bridge and begin a steady climb on a corriedoira past Monte de San Antonio and on to Castromaior where we meet Sylvie and David coming along the road. 

We have lunch at a picnic area (left in a sorry state by peregrinos!) at Hospital Alta da Cruz, where we meet an Irishman from Dublin – he left St Jean on October 4^th and hopes to be in Santiago in a couple of days, if his feet stay well. 

The climb is gentle after lunch up to Sierra de Ligonde and we continue towards Palas de Rei descending along a mixture of quiet sealed road, senda, and village pathways, picking up a Credentiale stamp at Albergue de Ligonde where a group of Camino America people are also, along with a girl we presume to be their Spanish guide. We continue as before towards Airexe, meeting a young couple from Brazil who are with the Camino America  group…they fly in from the Americas (North and/or South), walk from 9am to 5pm for 6 days, from Sarria to Santiago, then get back on the plane and go home. 

At Airexe, we see the ‘Healesville’ group having lunch, so we stop and join them for coffee, also picking up another stamp.  6kms on, and we walk along a granite paving and crushed rock path to enter the small town of Palas de Rei where our accommodation is 50m off the Camino at the 65km marker. 

We find a nice bar, with nice people, good food and a reasonable price for dinner.   The wind is whining through the ventilation pipes, and something is happening to the weather!

Palas de Rei to Leboreiro (8 kms)

We wake to find that it has rained during the night, albeit lightly.



Just walkin' in the rain

 We farewell the ‘Healesville’ group of six as they head out into the rain. We will probably not see them again until we get home.

We have a very light day, so leave a bit later with pack covers and one in a raincoat.  The other is donned under a shop veranda a little way along the track.  There is a cold, strong southerly wind and very light rain to start as we take to sheltered pathways, but the rain intensifies and the trees that are providing our shelter become so wet that they are no longer keeping the water off. 

We stop at the church in San Julian for a stamp and find the priest doing the stamping.  He is keen to dispense blessings for money…we just accept the stamp and head back into the rain. The track gets wetter and puddles and runnels form down the slopes, and it becomes difficult to find reasonable dry footing.  We are getting quite damp by the time we reach Leboreiro, a little short of the 9.5kms we are expecting.

We present ourselves on the doorstep of the Casa Rural de Los Samoza somewhat dripping and receive a warm welcome, a fine lunch (tortilla bocadillo and coffee…€12), have the heaters turned on for us, get paper to stuff our boots and have them taken to a ‘warm place,’ then get our diary up to date as well as check emails.  The rain continues. We go for a short walk but are glad to return to the warm, dry pension.

Dinner is at 7.00pm and we share the dining room with a Spanish couple who are both civil engineers and are working on the new rail network, including the very fast train project.

As we have come to expect in Casa Rural, the food is based on ‘specialities locale.’  Tonight we enjoy vegetable soup / melon with ham, chicken from the grill / veal from the grill, icecream / homemade yoghurt with local honey.   Add crusty bread, a beer and a nice red, finish with a honey-based liquer (home made) and a coffee…€12.

Healesvilleites

Villafranca del Bierzo to Triacastela

Day 36  Villafranca del Bierzo to Ambasmestas (15.5kms)

Walk outside in the dark at 8.10am expecting 3C as predicted and are surprised to find it is probably as warm as 5C!  We still need the hats, gloves and scarf but with a very steep climb for the first 400m, we soon warm up.  The climb tapers off a little but continues as the sun comes up and it is 9.00am when we feel a flat pathway beneath our feet…albeit temporarily!

We stop for a celebratory drink and then continue to climb steadily to a stand of pines where we have a sit-down-rest.  We find a koala hanging in a tree along with some personal messages of commitment to the world environment and a couple of remembrances to departed friends.



Chestnut grove 



The track is well-maintained generally, with a few wash-outs, inevitable in this type of country, and undulates, but ever-so-gently upwards, through young pines to the high point, just below two communication towers and their solar power source.  From here we can see peregrinos on the road a long way below, one of the alternate routes for the day.

The descent begins through chestnut groves…with nut gatherers and their baskets dotted amongst the trees.  The signage is almost non-existent through here but we do see the arrow that bypasses the village of Pradela.  A young Asian man who passed us on the steep ascent is not so lucky…we see him later in the valley and he tells us that not only did he go the wrong way by following a sign that said, “Bar” with a yellow arrow, but he didn’t find the bar!

We join the “roadies” on the N-VI road at the village of Trabadelo and pass a large, 24-hour Shell service centre.  Continuing along the roadside (separated from the traffic by a concrete barrier) we take a lunch break on a small hill, and are entertained by the frequent collection of cement mix from a very large mixer truck by a small front-end loader, which disappears along a track, presumably to a building site, before returning for another load.

Back onto the roadside for the short walk into La Portela where we meet Ian and Sandy from Yorkshire.  They met up in Astorga, discovered they live about 5km from each other, and have walked together since.  This is a common story along the Camino…’couples,’ often from different countries, many not even sharing a common language, join forces for a day or two, or sometimes for the duration.  Some, like our Canadian friend Chantal, manage several along the way!

It’s easy to find our accommodation on arrival in Ambasmestas…it’s one of only 2 bars in the village, which is about 100m from entry to exit, the only albergue is closed today, the sello stamp is in front of the altar in the only church, and the coffee is grande!

Church at Ambasmestas

Dinner at our Centro Turisma Hotel is excellent.  Our host goes to great trouble to explain all the dishes, which ones are “specialites locale,” the ones which are made in house and the ones which are “fabrica” (mass produced.)  Our menu went like this:

Primero plato:  John…macaroni with ham and peas, supplemented by a tomato sauce which was an added extra.  Elaine…grilled local veggies – red and green pimientos, marrow, onion, tomato, and a “dip” made of pimientos.

Segundo plato:  Both have pork loin and home made patatas fritte.

Between courses, the cook brings out a bowl of roasted chestnuts for us.

Postre:  Both the host who is the waiter, and hostess who is the cook, come to the table to explain that everything on the sweets menu is home made except the Tarte de Santiago.  After some discussion between them, they decide what they will serve…a plate each containing a slice of Tarte de Locale (chestnuts), queso (cheese) made by a family over the road, and a slice of quince jelly made in house.   Translations of each dish actually sent our hostess to the dictionary and we were able to provide English names to various vegetables…zucchini, marrow, etc…which we add to our Spanish phrase book.

Day 37  Ambasmestas to O’Cebreiro (12.5kms)

We are probably the only peregrinos in this village overnight…most people walked through to Vega de Valcarce last night, due in part to the albergue in Ambasmestas being closed, so we take to the road with no-one in sight, at 8.23am again…something about this time!  It is dark and cold but by the time we reach the Vega, less than a kilometre up the road, it is light!  It’s overcast and there’s no frost this morning.  The road rises gently through Vega – a linear village that covers about a kilometre along the road. 

We see the Castilla de Saracin ruins on a nearby hill, and although it is only a kilometre off the Camino, a fairly firm decision is made not to visit!  A reasonably desperate need to use facilities is voiced so we decide to stop at the next bar which is open…Murphy’s Law is proved again – when you don’t need a bar, every senor and his senora wants your custom!  2kms on, the village of Ruitelan is firmly locked and shuttered with only a couple of workmen out and about.  The road is winding through farmland, cow bells are tinkling, and there are only a few cars on the road. Last chance before we take to the bushes is Las Herrerias, a reasonably large village with a number of bars…plenty of people around, except the bar owners!  Eventually, and before it’s too late, in the village of Hospital (how appropriate!) almost the last building is a bar which is open, the man is putting more wood on the open fire, and the coffee is grande!

Just over 1km out of Las Herrerias we are onto the corredoira – a stone cobbled lane – which ascends steeply for 1.5km to La Faba where a lady is saddling up her donkey for a day’s work.  Pass through La Faba and climb more gently at first then very steeply again on the corredoira to Laguna de Castilla, where there is a Refugio Vegetarian, with a stall out the front selling trinkets and offering infusion tea for a donation.  Just up the road we meet a lady carrying a huge load of cabbage leaves on her head, about 600mm high.



Corredoira

 We have lunch just out of Laguna de Castilla, and meet a girl from Sydney who was born in Mornington, walking with a Canadian lady we have met before, and girl from Adelaide, and Sydney, and Melbourne, who hasn’t really lived anywhere in particular for 8 years. 

Onwards and upwards to O’Cebreiro.  It’s very steep, similar to the climb over the Pyrenees, but not quite as long. 

The countdown to Santiago now begins, as we pass from the Province of Leon to the Province of Galicia.  A concrete marker, showing “K 153” is the first.  They should appear every 500m from now until we reach the Cathedral.  

Our accommodation is right near the top of the small village, which is a bit touristy…gift shops, plenty of accommodation, tourists in cars and buses.  We meet a girl from the Goulburn Valley in the shop. 

At the very top of the village is a plaque on a stone tablet bearing the legend of German pilgrim who is lost on the Camino.  He hears the sound of bagpipes through the mist.  They are being played by a shepherd and the sound of the pipes guides the pilgrim to safety and his Holy Grail.

There are 9 round ‘houses’ with thatched roofs in the village which are either restored, or replicas, of original village housing.  And in the simple Church of Santa Maria Real the Credentiale stamp is in front of the altar, as we have found in a number of other villages.

Being a Friday, people are being dropped off here to start walking tomorrow for the weekend; we see some folk dropped off and walking away towards Triacastela at about 3.00pm; and a group of cyclists who have presumably finished their  section for the moment are picked up by minivan. 

We have dinner at our hotel…Galician soup (potato, celery, onion and leafy greens,,,spinach?) which is delicious.  GV girl, now know as Mountain Maid (“I have to walk fast up the hills because I come from the mountains!”  Huh!?) is holding court with 4 chaps in a most winning way…she has apparently brushed off  “a ….  big Italian” who wants to kiss her! 

Day 38 O’Cebreiro to Triacastela (21kms)

Step onto the road at 8.35am in the dark under a full moon, when it isn’t covered by the mist.  The first 3km is along the road to Linares, a village established to produce linen, then onto a corredoiras for the climb to Alto de San Roque (1270m) where a large, dramatic statue of a wind-blown pilgrim braces against the elements! 

We are seeing the countdown milestones most of the way…they are supposed to be every 500m but we haven’t picked up every one.

Most of the morning we have been climbing steadily but the final climb to Alto de Poio (1337m) is very steep.  This is the last high point of the Camino.  Two bar/restaurants sit at the top (on a main road) and, along with many other peregrinos, we reward ourselves with a hot drink!   Meet our ‘mountain maid’ again, this time with “the …. big Italian!”  Go figure!!



View from a chocolate croissant!



The rest of the day is mostly on a corriedoiras, and gently descends to Biduedo where we have a bite of lunch (a chocolate croissant, can you believe it?) and a brew.  Today, being Saturday, we are seeing day and weekend walkers, including what looks like a school group with a couple of leader/guides.  We skirt around the flank of Monte Caldeiron where the final steepish descent begins, first to Filloval, then As Pasantes and Ramil before coming in to Triacastela at the top of the main street.

Our accommodation (Casa David) is on this street, we check in and John does his usual reconnoitre of the surroundings while Elaine has a ‘nanna nap’ to try to shift her head cold which has returned.  After 4.00pm (of course!) the supermarket is open and we buy some supplies for tomorrow’s lunch so we won’t have to have chocolate croissants ever again! 

We get our Credentiale stamp at the church and a hot drink at David’s during a quick internet session (both quite expensive!) finish off the afternoon.  The power goes off intermittently, but we are assured that this is not a problem...and will not affect our stay.  Hopefully the heaters will work because it is cold!

Dinner is in a bar up the street at 7.00pm and we sit in the cold with everyone else, all with fleeces on, but no joy in having the heating turned on there either!   There is no reason to sit around there for coffee, so we backtrack to another bar…a bit warmer…for coffee, then back to David’s where there are still no heaters, but the room is small and the beds are warm.