Camino de Santiago

Staying at Le Petit Hotel.

Today was a good day. I arrived here by train. Yesterday I made my last practice run, 17.5 Km from El Goloso to Colmenar Viejo, outside of Madrid. I took the train back to Madrid and got ready to depart the next morning. My wife and I enjoyed our last evening together for a while.

After I reached Salamanca, I walked from the train station to the small hotel where I will stay the night. I then went out and had my credenciales signed at the Cathedral. The evening news indicates that tomorrow will be cool and wet. I bought the new El Pais La Ruta de la Plata a Pie and found a hostal in Calzada de Valduceil, 15 kilometers away. That will be my destination tomorrow.

Staying at the church.

I leftCalzada early in the morning-- relatively so. I was awakened by my alarm  at 7. I used the alarm function on my cell phone. It is loud enough to be heard through my ear plugs. I had a cafe con leche and two magdalenas, paid my bill and started out. A few blocks later, I realized I had forgotten to get a sello (get my credentials stamped) the previous day and I needed some water. I turned back, got my water but no sello. The church was locked, so I continued on. 

I stayed in  a small room connected to the church. It was very small but the cura, Don Tomás had made it quite comfortable. He invited me to lunch with him and was quite hospitable. For some reason which I could never fathom, he seemed to become quite uneasy during the afternoon as if he expected me to rob the church. I did not see him again but I remember his hospitality.

This morning I woke early but didn't get up until about 7:15. Completed washing clothes, was dressed and out the door by 8 AM. After breakfast, started running errands. 

Went to Iglesia San Ildefonso. It was closed but some workmen needed to get in. The man who let them in then took me around to the parochial offices to get my sello. He was quite pleasant and offered me breakfast. Afterwards, I found a "tintoreria where I hope to get my trousers re-hemmed.

Took several false starts to find a cyber cafe. It was large and spacious and at first quite tranquil. But then the teenagers started to arrive. By the time I left, there were over a dozen using all of the available machines—only one girl—playing some game. They were quite noisy and when I remarked about it on the way out, the young man running the place laughed and said he had to put up with it every day. 

My camera wasn't working, so I bought another and went to a shop to buy a box to send the disfunctional one home. The man wrapped it and sealed the box—wouldn't accept anything; told me to accept it as hospitality from Zamora. Later I stood in the street for almost two hours to watch the procession of penitentes to begin. Took several photos.

Weather forecast for tomorrow is more rain. Decided to start after 8. Only have 20 Km to walk.

I am at the Hostal Oviedo, near La Tabla. Total distance covered today, 23 Km.

Comments concerning my clothes;

•     Rain Jacket - limited comfortable temperature range. I cannot recommend it for temperatures above 10º C. Other problems are placement of pockets. Access is difficult when wearing back pack. The head cover cannot be rolled tight when not in use. When it is in use, I cannot adjust it so that I have both protection from rain and vision.

•     Needs are different for backpacking in the interior and for cross country trekking.

•     Rain Trousers - Access to pockets is restricted when wearing the back pack. They have a tendency to drop when I am wearing the back pack due to the downward force of the waist belt/padding. No fly. Problem when using a squat toilet. Practically have to strip.

•    Boots - Gore-Tex is nice but I would like dry feet.

Thoughts on this route:

•    There are long distances without shade; not even a shrub.

•    Accommodations and food are few and far between.

I am now headed west, off the Ruta de la Plata. I successfully navigated the confusing markings around Granja de Moreruela. I was glad I had the Guide from the Confraternity of Saint James to the Camino Mozárabe.

Stayed at La Ventas.

Left Tábara in the morning of the 21st. Skies were clear. The owner said there was an ATM in Tábara. Located it near the church. Nothing open, so started out. The ground was still very wet. The Camino was poorly marked but I managed to follow it until I crossed the ZA-121 at Km-13. My guide said to turn right immediately after crossing but there was nothing to turn onto and no arrows indicating a change. I did turn right and walked along the verge of the highway. At the top of the climb, I saw another arrow and was able to follow the arrows and directions from there. 

At some point after I had crested the hill and was following the road toward the village I could see in the distance, I must have missed an arrow to the right. I continued along the road. I encountered a group of men sitting on a bench talking. They said I had missed a turn but that it didn't matter. So I continued to Villaveza de Valverde. Stopped in the Bar La Plaza and had a beer and a very good pincho de tortilla.

I took the road out of town over hills toward Santa Croya de Tera. Stopped in bar for a coke. A young man speaking English opened the door for me and wanted to talk. he thought I was Canadian. He was from Valladolid and wanted to practice his English. We chatted until I had to resume walking.

The Guide says the church in the next town, Santa Marta de Tera, is very nice but it was closed when I arrived.

On leaving Santa Marta, I followed the yellow arrows for a while but then lost them. This portion of the Camino is definitely less well marked than the French Route. The ground was wet but drying. I walked along the side of the Rio Tera. Passed through several groves of trees that I believe were beech. One was magnificient in terms of timber, 12 to 18 inches in diameter. Another was obviously a new planting—tall sticks about 10-12 feet high with new leaves ready to unfold; planted in rows about 4 ft apart. By the time the trees are much larger, they have been thinned to rows about 20 feet spacing. In all cases, the spaces in between is kept clean of underbrush.

When I reached the bridge over the Rio Tera I did not cross but continued to follows foot paths and farm paths until I reached Calzada de Tera, at which point I was very tired. I had walked about 30 Km by my calculations but now had to walk to the N-525 where my hostal destination was located.

I saw a large building as I approached the N-525 but there was no sign. Fortunately it was the building and it was open. I stayed at "La Ventas." The proprietor was very friendly. Only one customer was there when I arrived. He showed me to a room and assured me that I would have heat and hot water in a little while.

I had heat soon but it took a long time to heat the room. There were lots of blankets on the bed but I needed socks on my feet to stay warm.

After a while I went down and had dinner in a large, empty dining room. For a long time, I was the only customer then a couple came in. My dinner was: vegetable soup, garlic chicken, fruit, wine and a glass of sherry.

Stayed at Parador Hotel Puebla de Sanabria.

The walk to Puebla de Sanabria was more difficult than I expected. When I first left Mombuey, it was cold and windy - overcast but not raining. I followed the flechas which lead me to an overpass over the autopista. It was well marked and followed various caminos de tierra to a small village. I thought I had reached San Salvador de Palazuelos. There were no signs and the description kind-of agreed with the description in my guide. When I left this, the road continued through a forest. In it I saw two very large deer cross ahead of me.

Several times I noticed chunks of white which I believe was quartz. I also noticed the sound of cuckoos, they became clearer and I was certain of what I heard. After a bit I came to a point and saw a road sign and realized I had not yet reached San Salvador de Palazuelos. Eventually I reached it and the going became more difficult. The route led down to the Embalse de Cernadilla and there was a deep descent and ascent followed by another; gratefully on a good road. No cafes or bars or even a good spot for a rest break, At San Salvador a fine rain started to come down. It would come and go.

As I entered Entrepeñas, there was a small very old ermita. It was open and a woman was very slowly and deliberately lighting a candle in a hanging lamp. The inside was very simple. I believe it was very old. It may have just been very poor. There was a larger church in the town.

I walked a couple of kilometers after Entrepeñas before encountering a water hazard. The Camino was covered in water. It was only later that I realized I could have removed my shoes, rolled up my trousers and waded across the very cold water. I eventually spent an hour to detour and reach a point only a few hundred yards away. I then walked into Asturianos.

There was a bar open in Asturianos and I had a bocadillo de queso (cheese sandwich) and two beers—my first food since breakfast. It was now 2:30 and I realized I was going to arrive much later than I expected. [I had experienced more problems with flooded portions of the Camino entering Asturianos.]

I left on the Camino and it was fine for a while; then I reached another very wet meadow that was difficult to cross; which was followed by two more. When I reached the next village, Palacios de Sanabrias, I decided to abandon the Camino and follow the N-525. I was very tired when I reached the Parador at 5:30, having covered more than 30 Kilometers of adverse walking.

After I entered the outskirts of Puebla de Sanabria, I asked a man who had just got into his car and started up where the Parador was. He got out of his car and led me through the equivalent of two blocks to show me the way. 

It was such a pleasure to have the space and comfort of the large room. My bathroom is larger than some of my hostal rooms have been. And, it is well/comfortably heated and there are chairs that I can sit in.

I showered and laid down for an hour but did not sleep. After a while I dressed and went below and then into the dining room. I was one of the first. I watched the news back in my room and went to bed.

Stayed at Hotel Enrimary

Up at 0700. Roof is glazed wet. Sky is very low. Clouds must be covering the hills. Have decided to start off slowly.

Arrived at Padronelo at 13:30. Covered 24 kilometers today. Cold and soaking wet. It rained the entire way from Puebla de Sanabria. The last hour seemed like sleet-- stinging when it struck my face. An hour after I arrived, while I was eating, it started snowing in ernest.

The trip here was tedious. When I apporached Ronquejo, a man joined me. I initially thought he was walking to town at a pace faster than mine but when I paused to let him pass, I realized he wanted to walk with me and talk.

He tried to give me advice concerning the route but (1) I didn't understand what he was trying to tell me and (2) because of my experience, I felt compelled to follow the N-525. I did stop in the first bar for a cafe con leche and water.

As I approached the pass of Padornelo at 1329 meters (4360 feet), I was really fighting the elements: cold, wind and rain, plus the exertion of the climb. There was no place to rest. I would pause for a minute with my back to the wind and rain, leaning on my walking staff.

I wore my glasses although I could not see well through them because of lack of a better place to put them.

I tried to wear my new gloves but I must have a previously unnoticed problem with my right hand because the gloves would cause my hand to go numb.

The cross wind as I went across the aqueduct was quite strong and I was concerned that I would slip and fall. 

I feel my decision not to follow the Camino was correct. The streams are very strong and there is a lot of flooding in low places.

This was a rather short walk; about 12 kilometers. I left Vilavella at 8:15, relaxed and took some photos in the village. I decided to try the Camino. I soon ran into problems, a wet but steep downhill passage. I was able to make it through without too much trouble. 

The clouds were being pushed over the hills by an easterly wind. It was humid and cold. After working my way uphill and then downhill I ran into more boggy ground. When I stopped on what appeared to be solid ground but sank to cover my boot, I decided to retreat and retraced over a kilometer where I found a path to the N-525 which didn't require me to return al the way to the village.

After that, it was a straight forward walk along the side of the N-525. I stopped under the overpass of the A-52 to adjust my pack, etc. The wind was very cold and I again experienced a problem with my right hand. My middle finger was white for the first two joints. I massaged it and eventually restored circulation and it returned to normal.

When I reached A Gudiña, there was an Officina de Tourismo on the outskirts—closed but a note gave the location of the Alburgue.  Later, around 5:30 I went to the Alburgue and found a young woman who was bicycling from Seville.  She had been on the road for ten days and had not encountered anyone else. We chatted a while and then I returned to the hostel.  Afterwards I thought of several things I would have liked to ask but never encountered her again.

A problem I keep running into results from the linguistics battle ongoing in Spain between the central government and the regional governments. It is very difficult to make a cross comparison between descriptive text and Spanish maps and then the signs do not say what you expect. There is often even a difference between the text and the accompanying map in the same book. For example:

The book: Camino del Sudeste - Via de la Plata p 14

text: "a la localidad de Ventas da Barreira...."

Accomp map: As Vendas Barrereira"

Map de Galacia: As Ventas da Barreira

If you are entering a village, you might find a name on a sign which does not correspond to the map you have.,

There is a tension between the past and the present on the Camino. It is difficult to travel and tradition supports or encourages a spartan pilgrim. However, we are used to modern conveniences. The Xunta de Galicia is using the Camino to promote tourism but the ones who spend money and who the Xunta really wants to attract, travel in cars, not as pilgrims on foot.

Stayed at Hotel Xinzo

The trip here was longer and more difficult than I expected. I arrived at about 4 PM, having started out at 8:30. My GPS indicated a distance traveled of 26 Km. Extibadas was a small village of little interest. Viladerey and Trasmiras have cafes and bars but no places for lodging.

The path into Xinzo passes alongside the Rio Limia with lots of shade and the soothing look and sound of running water. I moved over a block as I entered Xinzo and walked along the N-525.

Getting started this morning was difficult as I had not slept well. I lacked energy. 

The Hotel Xinzo was identified in my material as a two star hotel but when I arrived it only displayed one on the placard outside. However, it was better than the normal one star hotel with a TV in the room and nice bathroom. There was also a nice restaurant below.

On the way, in Trasmiras, went to the restroom in a small bar. There was a squat toilet for men and a western style (without a seat) for women.

Noticed:

     Sign at entrance to town: VILADERREI

     Name on map: Vila de Rei

     In book: Vialderrey

The medicine, rest and ministrations of Marianna have done wonders. I feel much better.

Yesterday Marianna made sure I had lots of hot soup and Galician-style comfort food.

Today was very sunny. In the morning I took a short walk around the village.  In the afternoon Marianna and I talked and she took me for a walk to some extraordinary sights.  Her family has lived in this village for over eight hundred years.  She and her husband had met after university when they were working in Vigo.  But after saving some money, when the opportunity came to buy a ruined property in the village, they decided to take the chance.  They had restored the building stone by stone and turned it into a Casa Rural, where tourists can visit to stay out in the country.  They have had several groups of pilgrims traveling on horseback stop there.  

She took me to the crest of a hill where hidden in the rocks were several small caves she said were used by the Celts.  She then took me to some stone ruins which she said were Celtic.  We went under the floor of one ruin into a small room. This was all part of an very old church. 

The day, conversation and excursion was all part of a very special memory. Of all of the places visited during this pilgrimage, this was my favorite. I hope to return someday.

Stayed at the local albergue.

The albergue is very nice. I am the only person staying here. While I was killing time I studied the ledger. The current one started 25 June 1999. Since then almost 36 pages had been filled. With 33 entries per page, there were almost 1200 entries. Of that, my entry was the only one form the US. There had been one Canadian, one Australian and one Icelander. I noticed two groups in August; one of 100 people and one of 130. I was glad I was not there then.

I'm planning for the next days trek.  Right now it is raining unpleasantly hard.  The distances here between places to lodge are long and I would not like to walk 30 Km in the current rain.  After looking at the local information, I have decided to go from here toward Castro Dozon following the highway.  The additional rain yesterday and last night will not improve the Camino.  I plan to stop in Lalín but may continue to Prado.

In this albergue there are two bathrooms, men and women's. Each has two showers, two sinks and two toilets. It has 80 beds. There is a small kitchen. According to the log and a conversation with the host, there are sometimes groups of 100 to 150 people—in which case they are young, accompanied by adults. Nevertheless under such circumstances, it would not be available or desirable for single pilgrims.

Stayed at Hostal Conde Rey.

My clothes from the day before never dried. I wore the wet briefs and socks anyway. I will sort through this afternoon and decide what to wear for the last leg. Once I get to Santiago, I can get everything cleaned. I just need to save one set of clean stuff for arrival.

I could hardly believe all of the traffic headed for the fair at Silleda. Since I was walking alingside the N-525 to and from Silleda, I saw a lot of cars. There were many horn toots and waves as cars passed.

I have given up on trying to follow the marked path of the Camino. The additional rain yesterday could not have improved conditions.

Staying at Hostal Windsor

I was the first in the office for my Compostela this morning. The woman at the counter was surprised to see that I had not taken the French Route. She asked if I would attend the noon Mass for Pilgrims. They would mention my name and where I had started etc. It was unusual for an American.

I then went around to the Parador to find out when and where to present my credentials. He said it was too late for breakfast but to come back at 12. I will try after Mass and see how it goes. 

I need to get something to protect my Compostela.

I was back at the Parador de Los Reyes Católicos for dinner and got in.