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

2 October, Day 11: Hospital de Órbigo - Molinaseca

Distance: 68.4 km


We had our breakfast at the hostel, served by a kind Sicilian hospitalero (who explained that he'd volunteered to this post instead of doing the Camino). We said good-bye to Bent and Gro and left by 8:30. The temperature was 10.4 degrees.

Checking the Antón Pombo Guide, always useful!

We followed the option of the camino beside the road to Astorga, where, once we managed to climb the steep hill to reach the center, we enjoyed the town, with its Roman ruins, it's City Hall and Main Square.

City Hall Square, Astorga

We found a cafe, where they gave us a delicious cup of hot thick chocolate (there is also a Chocolate Museum, but we better stayed away from that!) and we met another couple of cyclists, Italians from Abruzzo.

Cathedral, Astorga

We left Astorga following a local road next to the camino but, after the village of El Ganso, they were doing some repairs and we had to go carefully. In one of these villages, we stopped to chat with an old man who was seating in front of his house, and he told us how years ago, all those mountains that we were going to, would be covered in snow by now and that he was convinced that climate change was being caused by all those rockets that they've sent to space...

Palacio Episcopal (Gaudí), Astorga

We then reached Rabanal del Camino, at the base of the mountains, which turned out to be a cute village, last stop before our climb to Cruz de Ferro.

Rabanal del Camino

We had a snack there and met this girl who was doing the Camino with her father for the sixth time (the first time she was 14!).

Rabanal del Camino

The climb is steep, from 1200 to 1500 meters in 8 km. The Italian couple started with us, but soon they took off; Micael and Oscar were going at good speed and me, well, slowly behind. We caught up with another two cyclists who had stopped to rest; that was the last thing I'd do, fearing I would not be able to continue afterwards!

Climbing Cruz de Ferro, Micael had enough energy to return and take this picture

A German couple caught up with us, they passed me and pedaled alongside Oscar for a while; Micael was going further ahead. They then stopped at Foncebadon, a hamlet before the summit.

German cyclits, climbing Cruz de Ferro

We finally reached Cruz de Ferro, where a kind Dutchman offered to take a picture of us.

Cruz de Ferro

I took out my two pebbles and proceeded to put them at the base of the cross. I was suddenly overcome by emotion, thinking of my immense luck (call it Dedicated Guardian Angel, good star, blessings, whatever) and I started crying...

Cruz de Ferro

After a little rest, we continued to El Acebo, another cute village perched on the mountain, where we stopped to have lunch at a bar where theTV was showing the process of final selection for the host to the 2016 Olympics (where Madrid was one of the candidates). I asked those present if they thought it'd be good if Madrid won and it started a heated argument, so we left them at that!

Oscar in Cruz de Ferro

I called the Private Hostel of Molinaseca to book, where they said that it wasn't necessary, as there was "plenty of room".

View from Cruz de Ferro, Manjarín

The descent is by a steep road with hairpin bends.

Going down from Cruz de Ferro

By 16:45, we crossed the Roman/Medieval bridge of Molinaseca and found the hostel, where the not so friendly hospitalero said that we were lucky to get the last three beds... I pointed that I had called earlier, but they certainly had ignored that; at least, we got a place.

Roman/Medieval bridge, Molinaseca

The bicycles were locked in an open patio; we showered, did laundry and then we sat and had a beer while chatting with Josh, a pilgrim from LA who has just concluded two years with the Peace Corps in Niger.

Molinaseca

In the evening, we had dinner at the Fonda del Puente Romano, caldo berciano delicious (although Micael found a piece of broken glass in his!), lentils, pork chops and a glass of licour (to compensate for the broken glass...). It was my turn to have the cold, so I took the medicine, which knocked right away, although I woke up by two am, worrying if the bicycles would be safe.