Weekend trips

Last Sunday we joined a group of Ecologistas en Acción (a local NGO) and we went to the Guadalhorce river mouth to do birdwatching. We were ten, including a 6 year old kid who was actually interested and behaved very well.


We had a nice time, walking in between the hides and watching, White-headed Ducks, Common Pochards, Moorhens, Black-winged Stilts, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Kentish Plover, Little Ringet Plover, Osprey, Great Bittern, European Bee-eater,Common Coot and quite a few European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis). I would have loved to spot a Chameleon, as they say they are around, but this time they were very well camouflaged.

Moving from binoculars to bicycles, this Saturday we had the last season trip with Ruedas Redondas. Friday, we found out that there was a problem with the hub of my bikes rear tire; after we took the thing apart (Micael) and cleaned it (me), it was obvious that we needed a new part, but at the bike shop they didn't had it so they ordered it for next week. So, my Montague has to wait and I went for my dear old Giant, after more than three years of retirement. I took it out for a ride to check that everything was in working order; it feels small and light and the gear shifter doesn't fell as smooth, but the brake pads are new and that is what will be most needed for the planned day trip.


Saturday morning, we met at our usual place in downtown Málaga and put the bikes in the bus; we were 21 people. The trip was fairly easy as the bus drove us up the hills North of the city and dropped us at the entrance to a small road leading to Ermita de los Verdiales (Verdiales' Chapel). We started our trip; there were a few uphill portions but most of the way was downhill, putting more effort in our forearms than in our legs.

Ermita de los Verdiales

Valle del Guadalhorce

Along the route, there are nice views of the Valley of Málaga on one side and the Valley of Guadalhorce, on the other and inland, we could also see the massif of El Torcal.


Once we got down, we followed the dry bed of the Campanillas river for a few kilometres, then the road to Cártama and then we parted from the group to go back home as they continued along the Guadalhorce towards the beach. It was an easy, social trip in very good company and we returned covered in dust and ready to drink a full liter of gazpacho each.

Valle de Málaga

Back on the bikes!

After a few months when the bikes' use was limited, partly due to the weather and partly because we were not around to use them, we have resumed our outings.

On the 16th, we decided to try one of the routes to Montes de Málaga, to see how rusty were our legs to take on the steep hills.

Our favourite shop in Málaga

The weather was perfect - Malaga should stay in May weather all year round! We started the trip mid-morning and this time we tried going by small side streets in order to avoid the busy Avenida Valle Inclán.

We reached the first steep climb, the one I dread the most and maybe the steepest of the ride, but it seems my legs could still remember how to pedal up (or is it that the bike now knows how to do it by itself?), so we did it with no problem. Me, as usual, slower than Micael.

The montes are green, full of wild flowers that I was enjoying and smelling, while Micael could recognize some of them through sneezes...

There were plenty of other riders and hikers, in groups and couples, something we did not see last summer.

We also noticed that they've put signage for the popular routes.

On the way home, my legs were complaining a little for the 54km ride, but after a good stretch, they were ready for another trip.

This year, our "cycling wish list" includes a trip on the Danube Bike Trail (Germany - Austria sections); the ride from Prague to Vienna, still not sure if we will coincided to join La Espiral between Málaga and Granada, and, maybe, maybe, Camino de la Plata at the end of the summer. Let's see how much we can do!!

6 October, Day 16: Arzúa - Santiago de Compostela

Distance: 41 km



The morning was again dark and rainy. We had slept very well - in our room there was only one other person. We got up at 7 and went to have breakfast next door, while we waited for light and perhaps less rain.

Ready to depart Arzúa under the rain, note my shoes, perfect for the girls of "Sex and the City"

It was drizzling when we left and we took the road, as the camino would be very muddy. Soon, it started to rain hard again. When we passed Amenal, we took the camino, which was paved from that point; there were still a few hills to climb. We reached Monte de Gozo (Happiness Mount), where we expected to see the towers of the cathedral, but couldn't find them. Still, we had our picture taken there, by the monument dedicated to the visit of John Paul II.

In Monte de Gozo, outside Santiago

We entered Santiago and, instead of going straight to the cathedral, we decided to go first to a hostel, as we were completely drenched. We decided to go to Albergue Privado Acuario, which turned out to be a little "new age"; we showered, dried our jackets and went out to visit the cathedral, get our Compostela and see the city.

Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela

We stopped to have some thick hot chocolate and a bocadillo at a little corner bar.



We first visited the Cathedral, which is as impressive as I remembered from when I came in 86 (by train that time). Then, on to the Pilgrims' Office, where we presented our credenciales (this document in which we collected stamps along the way), we were asked to fill a form and we walked out with our Compostelas; Oscar's and mine in Latin (because we had listed "religion" as one of the reasons to do the pilgrimage) and Micael's in Spanish (cause his reason was "cultural"), so MIcael said that it was actually better with his, since he could understand what it said... They also asked you about your country of origin, for their statistics and it is mentioned at the Pilgrim Mass the following day.

My Compostela

Micael's Compostela

We then looked for the Tourist office, and found two: one for the city and one for Galicia. We got a list of pensions and small hotels as well as information on a tour to Finisterre. The later, because, even though we had managed to arrive with enough time to continue pedaling until "the end of the world", the truth is we had had enough rain...

And the lodgings list was because the pilgrim hostels allow you to stay only one night and, anyway, in this particular hostel, we weren't really keen to stay longer than necessary...



So, for the following day, we found a triple room at a small pension right downtown, where the English administrator said we could lock the bicycles inside. With lodging and a place for the bikes sorted, we signed up for the tour to Finisterre, which would depart nearby the pension.



Oscar went to the train station to see if he could change the date of his ticket, while we walked to the bus terminal to get our tickets for the night bus to Sevilla and then on to Malaga. When we returned to the hostel, it was packed.


We chatted a little with another bicycle pilgrim, Barry, a Canadian; the we went out to a supermarket to get some dinner, although our choices were limited, given that at the hostel there were only a few plates and cutlery, but no oven to warm up anything and to wash the dishes, only in the bathrooms... Fortunately, it was our last night at a pilgrims' hostel, as this one was not very clean, was damp and it was overcrowded!

5 October, Day 14: Portomarín - Arzúa

Distance: 56km



We got up at 7, had our breakfast and got ready for the day. As we were leaving, so were a mother and daughter from Vancouver, who had been walking since Roncesvalles; and the mother is 78 years old. Amazing!

Miguel, on the way to Palas de Rei

Galicia

It was drizzling a little when we started; going by the road - uphill 11km - up until Hospital da Cruz, where we took the camino, which followed a gorgeous path to Palas de Rei, where we stopped at a small cafe - where everybody else knew each other - and we had coffee, bocadillos and a glass of cider. As we moved on, around one, we felt a few raindrops, again.

A hostel, custom named for Oscar

Getting closer!

We continued by the camino, fantastic, passing wooded areas ( corredoiros), green pastures, just lovely!! Micael took some video. But, soon after we passed Leboreiro, it started to rain, and rain it did!.

Horreo, near Palas de Rei

Corredoiro

We found an old abandoned building where we could shelter and waited for a while; when it looked like it was less, we started again but it started raining harder again.

Y llovió, llovió, llovió...

By the time we arrived to Mélide, we were totally drenched. We stopped at a pizzeria to have a hot chocolate and call the hostel at Arzúa and make sure there'd be room for us. We continued with less rain, but with our wet (obviously not waterproof jackets) we were cold. We took the road and as we left Mélida, we stopped at a petrol station, where Micael gave a quick rinse to the bicycles, to remove all the mud.

Drenched...

Those 15km where very looong, with some rain, some sun, unti we passed Ribadiso de Baixo, and we took the camino again and finally reached Arzúa, where the hospitalera was waiting for us by the road and immediately showed us the garage where the bikes would be safe and helped us get our stuff inside. After a nice hot shower and putting everything in the washing machine, we came out to more rain. So we went into the small bar next door, where we spent the rest of the evening, reading, writing, watching news, and having a meal, while outside, it did not stop raining.


Mercedes Sosa has died...

4 october, Day 13: Alto del Poio - Portomarín

Distance: 68.5 km


During the night, I could hear it rained a couple of times, but we slept very well, well pass 7am.

Going down Alto do Poio, well wrapped and prepared for rain

The morning was foggy and rainy, so we had a relaxed breakfast and by 9, after a short squall, we said goodbye to Remedios, made sure everything and ourselves were well wrapped and we started our descent to Triacastela.

Micael in Triacastela

From there, we took the option of going through Samos (to visit the monastery there), where we reached by 10 (it was all downhill). The monastery had an only guided visit at 12:45, after mass, so we went to have a hot chocolate and then to visit the Capilla del Ciprés (year 980), where the girl from the hostel volunteered to go and give us a brief of its history.

Río Oribio

Capilla del Ciprés, Samos

By then, it was time for the mass, which we attended, celebrated by six priests. We then did the visit, guided by a young Benedictine monk (one of the 13 left in that huge monastery).

Monasterio Benedictino de San Julián, Samos

The monastery has been destroyed by fires twice, one due to the explosion of a liquor storage room, so we were surprised to see that now they have allowed to have a petrol station right next to it!

Visit to Monastery, Samos

We left by 2pm, by the road, towards Sarria; the afternoon was cloudy. On the way, we could hear both the rumbling of thunder and fireworks, as several towns were celebrating their fiesta de San Froilán. In Sarria, we stopped at a bakery where we had a bocadillo and coffee. From there, it was uphill againg by the road, passing dairy farms, pig farms, and corn fields.

Towards Portomarín

The route by the road is about 6km longer than the camino, but the landscapes were green and pretty. Close to reaching a highest point on the road, Oscar stopped to put his rain gear, but we continued, only to stop some 600 m ahead and rush to put ours as it was starting to rain hard. It turned out to be a short shower and once we started downhill, it stopped.

There, Oscar said that his bike's back brake wasn't working. We checked it and it was really worn. Micael and him adjusted it and we continued down to pass the bridge over the Loio river and from there, we could see the Belesa dam (quite empty this time of the year). We crossed another bridge and then it was another steep hill to reach Portomarín (the town was relocated in 1962 when the dam was created).

Belesar dam, Portomarín

We stopped at a supermarket, surprised that it was open on a Sunday, and there we met our Italian friends, who were staying at a hostel nearby which was almost full, so we decided to try our luck at the Ferramenteiros hostel, which turned out to be a nice new place, almost empty, very comfortable, with a designated "bike garage", nice big kitchen and even a TV room with cable, so Oscar could watch the football game that evening.

Albergue Ferramenteiro, Portomarín

After a nice shower and washing our clothes (badly needed!), we hung them in a nice covered area for that purpose, and went off to find a place to have dinner. We asked a local man for his recommendation of a "pulpería" (where they sell pulpo, octopus) and he said, go to Pérez. The problem is that it was still quite early, not even seven, and they had not open. So we went for a walk around town and saw the church, which was relocated, numbered stone by numbered stone from it original location, where the dam is now.

We returned to Pulpería Pérez and were the first costumers that evening. We ordered the Pilgrim menu: caldo gallego, octopus prepared Galician style, potatoes, bread, a bottle of Albariño (a Galician grape variety) and to top everything, cheese with quince jam. We were so full!

Iglesia de San Nicolás, moved stone by stone, Portomarín

On the way back to the hostel, we stopped to buy things for breakfast and a bottle of Mecía wine (another Galician grape). We arrived in time for the beginning of the football game between Real Madrid and Sevilla, which we watched with the intermitent participation of our hospitalera, Diana, who is also a fanatic of this sport.

It rained all night.

3 October, Day 12: Molinaseca - Alto del Poio

Distance: 72.5 km



By six, people started moving in our room (Oscar was in a different one), so I got up and went to check the bikes were OK.

Ponferrada

We got ready, ate the mediocre breakfast they served us and we left by 8:10. Temperature was 6 degrees, so we were well wrapped though our fingers could feel the cold. We soon arrived to Ponferrada, thankful that it was a Saturday morning, so traffic was very light.

Ponferrada

Templar Castle, Ponferrada

We visited downtown, saw the Templar Castle (from the outside, as it wasn't open yet) and we then continued to Cacabelos following the camino and from there, by the national road to Villafranca del Bierzo, where we looked around a little and we met again our Brazilian pilgrim friend (whom we saw riding in a car in Ponferrada). We had some fruit and yogurt before leaving.

Castillo de los Marqueses, Villafranca del Bierzo

Iglesia de Santiago, Villafranca del Bierzo

By then, it was noon; we took the camino going beside the national road (which goes pretty much below a big highway for a good part of the way...) until we reached Vega de Valcarce (cruzamos varias veces el río Valcarce) and then Herrerías, a small village where we found the one and only place where we could have a bocadillo and coffee. As the afternoon was sunny and warm, we decided we better continue and climb O Cebreiro.

Camino, national road and highway

Vega de Valcarce

Herrerías

And we start the climb...

Starting from a place called Hospital, following the road, the climb became harder and the two gentlemen went ahead of me. By the crossroad to Faba, Micael commented that it was was 32 degrees! Obviously we had already shed a couple of our clothes layers by then.

Were they trying to give me incentives??

There, I had to stop to catch my breath and have some water. I pushed for a while, but it turned out to be harder than pedaling, so I managed to start again and slowly continue. I've read of cyclists who do this part by the camino, but I don't think I would have done it in two days!

On the left, the road, in center, the camino, no way I would have made it that way with the bike!

Another stop and from there to Lagúa de Castela - Micael had enough energy to go back and forth and take pictures.


In Lagúa, Micael had an ice cream while I recovered. We started again, for the last kilometers and finally, we made it to O Cebreiro, a very satisfying feeling. At the summit there is a village, very picturesque and touristy and there were quite a few pilgrims arriving, so we decided to continue a little further to Alto do Poio.

Climbing, very slow...

O Cebreiro

We reached O Cebreiro, what a relief!

So, again by the road, and still climbing a little more, we continued; now there was a chilly wind and my throat felt raw; we had to stop and dig in our bags for some Strepsil that did a good job. We stopped at Alto de San Roque, were we had our picture taken and also took one for a lone cyclist that arrived at that moment and planned to continue all the way to Samos that evening.

Alto de San Roque, Pilgrim monument

In Alto do Poio, we stopped at the hostel of doña Remedios, which turned out to be very basic, but the lady and her family were adorable, especially Remedios, with whom we chatted and laughed a lot.

Our bicycles slept warm, with the pigs and chickens

With Remedios, hospitalera of Alto do Poio

We showered, saw the full moon rise over the mountains and had a delicious dinner of caldo gallego and veal and when leaving for bed, and as forecast, it was getting cloudy.

Full moon at Alto do Poio