15/06/07 Molinaseca to Villafranca del Bierzo

15/06/07

Molinaseca to Villafranca del Bierzo

Francesca and I set off together along the road and I never saw the old albergue that I had stopped at before, maybe it's there but if so I never recognised it. I remember there was rows of tents for overflow in the grounds alongside. Perhaps that is now built on and was the reason I never saw it. It was cold but we could see the sun now and again.

We passed the small village of Campo and I think we had a coffee here but the first highlight of today was about 8 k from our starting point when we came into Ponferrada and this town has a wonderful Templas castle.





I was shocked at the work that was going on but had to admit it still is the most incredible building. As far as I could understand they are building inside the castle itself, we tried to look inside but were turned away.



After taking some great photos we skirted the walls to the other side of town.




















We had a job to find our way and would have got really lost had not a kind workman over the opposite side of the busy intersection called out to us to cross over and take another road where we found the arrows again. Next I remember a small village on the top of a hill and here we had to go through a tunnel in the building and then old nunnery gardens. Huertas de Sacramento I believe it's called. We stopped and had a drink and rested and massaged and treated my ankle here, then went on. My ankle was giving me a lot of trouble and I had to keep stopping and massaging it and I was worried if it was going to keep this up as we still had a long way to go. The next stop would have been Columbrianos, here we turned from the track into the square. I took a photo of the superb wood carved statue of a typical peasant lady and child there then we went to find a bakers shop for bread and cakes. Francesca was waiting while I was being served.
It was in the shop window she saw it, a huge great big pink Willie complete with liberal cream decoration!!! Was it a birthday cake, errr wedding cake or to celebrate the honeymoon, I have no idea. Francesca had to grab the nearest person and make them look and we were all laughing fit to burst as we came out and even then Francesca had to grab a fellow peregrino from the street and made him go with her to take a look. I have never seen such an unusual cake to say the least. Unfortunately I never thought about taking a photo till we were some way out of town and it was too late!




My ankle still hurt like hell but would soon feel better each time when we rested. I had a 103 brandy at one café for 'medicinal purposes' and after that it let me go on till the end of the day with no pain!

Francesca said in disgust on tasting the 103,
"Yuk! That’s not Brandy!" .

I didn't care it worked for me. At one point we were walking on a tarmac road, that went to Villafranca but on my insistence we followed the arrows and they took us way out through the vineyards and over some lovely country
















and on to a tiny village, one I certainty had never seen before.









































It was enchanting and unspoilt. We were not too sure we were on the right track as the arrows had been few and far between. As you know Francesca had wanted to keep on the main road, it had been my idea to keep following arrows and we were both tired now and had no idea how much further we had to go.

























She, like me, did love the chance to see this old village though and the weather was good to us today and we enjoyed it immensely, although it must have been 35 km's we had walked by the time we strolled into Villafranca.

I had stopped in the first albergue last time so now we went a little further and found the very old one by a little church near the top of the hill, most of the town being down from here and in the bottom of the valley near the river.
Everyone was told by Francesca how we had come the long way!! It was crowded and bustling with peregrinos but we got issued bunks and had a shower, it was quite primitive and we decided to eat in town. Clean and refreshed we walked down there and hunted for a restaurant. As always we couldn't find much open at this time of day. It's a lovely old town.

We got a good look round as I got some cash from a 'hole in the wall'
and we finished up walking back into the main square. We found a table and had a couple of beers sitting outside in the sun. Laughing and chatting we ordered a nice meal and a bottle of wine right here in the plaza. We were both quite inebriated when we set out to return and we took one of my short cuts! It had been four years since I had last walked the narrow streets of this old town, they can be quite confusing! We now found ourselves at the top of a hill and could see across the wide gully (barranco) to the albergue. Not far as the crow flies! Remember we had already walked 35 km today, with legs like jelly we took the steep road down and at the bottom we decided (Francesca will say I decided) the shortest way was to climb the steep grassy bank up to the road at the top. Well it probably wasn't all that far, but it was very, very steep and with stinging nettles in places. Not only that, we both had a fit of the giggles as we climbed and slipped then climbed again. Francesca was quite sure now she would never follow an Australian again! At last we reached the top and walked the last few yards on the road back to the albergue. Having brushed our teeth we retired to our bunks in the packed little dorm with the creaky and dangerous wooden staircase, I might add, down which you have to go to get out to the toilets, God help them if ever there's a fire.
It was probably the wine - I of course had to risk them twice in the night! When returning the last time I must have fallen asleep on my back, because I now awoke wondering why my pillow was bouncing up and down like a mad thing! We were so packed in, the next bunk with a young lady peregrina in it was head to head with mine and I must have been snoring like a train and this was her way to make me turn over, chuckle! Well I had wanted to do that so many times to others, how could I complain!

END DAY 31 = approx. 30.5 km Sub Total = 429.6 km Total = 761.7 km

14/06/07 Fuencebadón to Molinaseca

14/06/07

Fuencebadón to Molinaseca

Yes, first things first we walked back downhill to get that breakfast and we were not disappointed. But it was pouring with rain as we left to climb back up and onto the camino. The drizzling rain and cold got worse as we climbed higher, but the view was superb. It then brightened up a bit and we stopped and sat on the bank to rest a while and to absorb the view.











The heather and wild flowers were so pretty, although the path had been widened in many places scarring the edges. It would take many years for nature to repair them but it would succeed I am sure. I preferred to remember it as I saw it just four years ago, but at least this time my camera was working and it was kept in use for most of today. I had picked up a small smooth pebble some days ago and today I would leave it at the iron cross that we knew was at the top of this mountain.
It is said that this might have been the site of an altar dedicated to the Roman God, Mercury (God of caminos), hence the iron cross! A hermit is said to have spent his whole life giving protection and shelter to travellers here.



It was cold and wet today - what must it be like in the winter, I thought as we arrived. I left my pebble at the base of the pole as I had done with a large white piece of alabaster last time, and hopefully leaving my problems with it as well as I have been told that is what is supposed to happen! I stood in thought for a moment and requested protection for the rest my trip too. This has been a hard trip at times. I now left Francesca to do the same, and saw she was very moved by the experience for there were tears in her eyes when she came over to the porch where we were standing for shelter at the small ermita afterwards, and stood apart from us. I had discovered Roser here and she seemed to know nothing of the placing of stones but on hearing of it from me picked up a stone and she too left the pile just that little bit higher. I noticed how everyone stepped carefully over the stones and wood left in front of the ermita in the shape of a big heart!

The wet mist and cold continued as Francesca and I set off again across this beautiful high country, now following the telegraph wires.
We descended a little to the road and in two kilometres we found the crude shelter of Tomas in the deserted village of Manjarín, he is today's modern hermit! He gives shelter and coffee for a donation and the place was packed as we went in to see and risk a cup of his strong black brew. Last time my Spanish companion would not look in, as she had insisted it was filthy, this time to my surprise my new companion Francesca never even mentioned it.























Tomas's coffee was indeed very black but I survived it and it warmed me well. What a tough existence for him sat up here all the time, sun, rain, and snow with no amenities, a real Knight Templa.

Francesca bought a metal hat badge from Tomas depicting the iron cross on it and as we set off again she kindly gave it to me!
"So I can now honestly say I have been given the iron cross!" I joked
She also confided in me that she had visited a clairvoyant before she came on Camino and had been told by her,
"I can see a man with flowers round his hat standing behind you."
Francesca went on to say
"As you are always with a wildflower stuck in your hat and spend so much time looking at them, that would have been you I suppose!"
I liked Francesca very much, we seemed to have a common bond of friendship but nothing more, I just liked her company.

The road went downhill a bit but soon we could see that we would shortly climb to reach the highest point of the Camino at 1520 meters. The track skirts a telecommunication base of the defence ministry.
"It's all down hill from here" I joked, with the cold wind flapping and the damp still penetrating our clothes. The rain eased in a while and it was nice for a time and we sat on some rocks in a valley with an incredible view and ate bananas that somehow had survived today's journey. Here came a glorious rainbow I remember that gave even more splendour to the view.
We had cake and another hot coffee and cognac in a crowded bar in the tiny village of El Acbo.












Leaving here, next came Riego de Ambrós. This is an even smaller hamlet and as you leave the village the path descends into a steep and slippery gully (baranco). The narrow path was muddy with smooth rocky patches and water running over them and on down into the stream at the bottom of the gully. That’s right at the bottom is, naturally, a stream, but no bridge! We have to cross it. The water is filthy from the cattle and maybe human effluence that comes from the village above, and is today increased by rain run off. The plants seem to like this of course and it's all very overgrown with tall weeds, shrubs and trees.
It was raining and water was dripping from every branch we touched as we got near the stream. Owing to the rain the stream was running deep, I was in front leading the way and it was hard to find a crossing place. I did see a stone just under the surface to put one foot on and jumped the rest and landed on the opposite muddy bank. My boots were damp before, now they were muddy too as I took a pace or two up the path on the other side. Francesca didn't like the look of my choice of crossing place and worked her way down stream a bit and decided to cross there. There were a few more trees to hold onto to start with but she didn't quite get her foot on the muddy bank but instead found a fallen branch just under the surface of the stream. Realising she's getting a wet foot she quickly attempted to get the other foot onto the opposite bank, and catch her balance but the first foot slipped off into the water and she went forward down in the horrible smelly mud!
I'd tried to grab her but with my big pack on and my hands holding my sticks that had helped me balance, I had been unable to do much, other than to offer her a helping hand to pull her up afterwards. Luckily her big long grey waterproof cape had protected her main clothes. Francesca, grimacing, splashed water up onto the cape to wash the worst off, while I never helped much by chuckling. I think she forgave me!
In 2003 I had loved this part of my journey and have many fond memories. I was looking forward to see again the ancient giant chestnut tree (castaña) that five of us had held hands around and hugged. It is the biggest in a ring of five or more massive trees, but when we arrived today the rain was falling, the grass was all wet where we had sat and rested. The trees themselves looked sorry and sad this year, maybe fire had ravaged them, I don't know. The hedge that I had passed through on my way to find scrumptious cherries for my companions while they still slept out the heat of the day, was now dilapidated and there were no cherries! Sometimes you should never go back to a place, I patted the tree and hurried after my companion. Life moves on.

As we came lower the air warmed up and the sun came out, and there was but little breeze. We could see Molinaseca at the bottom of the valley and the winding road leading to it. We seemed to come down a slightly different track this time but we came onto the tarmac road and followed it to the village. The last time I was here lots of children had been swimming by the old Roman bridge that we had to cross but not this time it was far to cold today I think. The little town had altered quite a bit. Many more of the houses are restored now. We asked about lodging in a couple of Casa Rurales but they were a bit expensive for me so we walked on and at the far side of town we found a new albergue open. This was great with new beds with a meter and a half between them!!!!!!! and spotlessly clean. It had only been open about a week. Unfortunately the restaurant was not finished yet.
Roser arrived here too and took a bunk near mine. The albergue wanted 3 Euro each to wash and dry our clothes, so to save cost we all dumped our dirty clothes in one lot and I boldly took them to the basement to get them washed in the washing machine. The lady of the house would not let me do it she insisted only she could fill the machines! She told me to put the washing on the top of the washer. She said she would do it and I could collect it later. Well it sat there for ages and when at last I saw the washer empty I dumped our stuff in before anyone else did and went up and told the lady it was ready for powder and to be switched on. Well she wasn't very happy but it got washed after a while but now sat for ages more in the machine waiting to be put in the dryer. I worried her several times and in the end she came down to do it. Her eyes popped open wide when a black pair of frilly panties and a bra fell on to the floor!
"Are those all yours!" she exclaimed
"Yes" I said smilingly and waltzed my way up the stairs.
Now I walked into town looking for the others and to have a look at this nice little town I found a bar and had a drink but there seemed no one about. I wandered around again and came across Francesca in another bar and we had a beer together but she said she had eaten, tapas and was not hungry. I went off again back to the entrance of the town to find an open restaurant. I went into the first one you come to, as you arrive at the town, it looked very warm and cosy now.
The waiter was showing me to a table when a voice called out,
"Michael" and I turn to see Roser, Barbara and an Italian girl I vaguely knew too, but sadly I never managed to remember her name.
"Come join us" cried out Roser as another chair was pulled up, "do you mind?" she added as I came over and sat down.
"When I'm asked to join a table with not one, but three very attractive young ladies I am always happy to oblige" I chuckled "I've never been known to refuse such a generous offer!"
The meal was great for the price, I started with fish soup, then the main course, a ham and cheese dish with chips and finished with a home made flan. A bottle of good red wine and we all liked the Orujo! We had great fun and giggled away till quite late. We all walked back to the albergue then Roser and I said goodnight to the Italian girl and Barbara. They, still laughing went on up the road a bit further to the municipal albergue, where they were stopping I think, whilst we tried to be quiet as we collected our washing from the downstairs basement.

END DAY 30 = approx. 19.4 km Sub Total = 398.9 km Total = 731.2 km

13/06/07 Murias de Rechivaldo to Fuencebadón

13/06/07

Murias de Rechivaldo to Fuencebadón

I found Francesca just as I left and we walked to the next village. The country road had a level track along side for walkers. The wild flowers were lovely and the hills could be seen in the distance but it was quite cold.

Just as we came into the village an elderly man was selling staffs and had a nice collection of them. I chatted to him and he told me to try the second café for my breakfast as it belonged to his son and he needed the custom. There were several peregrinos sitting at the tables, some I knew.

One was John the chap about my age that had sung old English songs on the way back from the bar to the Ermita of San Nicolás. He got me to have our photo taken together by three ladies he was travelling with at the moment.
I excused myself and joined Francesca and ordered our cake and coffee and it was nice sitting here in the weak morning sun.
Leaving here it was a steady climb with great scenery and wild flowers, holm oaks and oak trees now.

While cold it was a lovely walk and we both enjoyed it. We arrived at the hundred-year-old oak just before Rabanal and here we stopped and rested. We came to a little ermita,

we looked around and found the entrance was not on the roadside where you would expect it to be, but we could still not see inside. Next came Rabanal and I had wonderful memories of this place. I had stopped in the municipal albergue and later gone to the Gregorio service in the tiny church. Entering the town we looked in the church and I was shocked at the change. The floor was ripped up and there was what looked like an archaeological dig going on. The altar was now at the opposite end and roped off to allow a few people to use it. We headed for the same albergue that I had previously stayed in and here we had a couple of beers and food in a rather nice but crowded patio. It is a jolly place and well run and they were doing a roaring trade at the bar. Francesca and I decided to move on though, my excuse being I didn't fancy going to the service that had been such a highlight last time and anyway I had stopped here before and we could easily put a few more kms under the belt. Finding a small supermarket we decided to cook our own dinner tonight. We both fancied potatoes as we hadn't had any for days and after last nights frugal meal it seemed a good idea. In the shop we found a loaf of bread, 2 pork chops, 4 potatoes, a large onion, a tin of peas, French beans, bananas for afters and yoghurt for breakfast. What we had not foreseen was the weight of it all. Francesca insisted she pay if I was to cook it.
Outside the shop we went to pack it away. My bag is big and very full, Francesca had hers off first and was packing it in as she had the room.
"Hey let me carry it, that’s heavy!"
"No I've got most of it in now, you carry a couple of those bananas" she replied.
We set off and soon the track started to seriously climb the mountain! I did offer several times to carry some if she would stop and unload it! Always the same reply "No!"

The tiny little village of Fuencebadón was 5.6kms, all up hill in drizzling rain and cold too. By the time we arrived Francesca was convinced it had been my idea to buy potatoes and that she should carry them up the mountain!
"You're cooking tonight" she insisted.

The little village had been completely deserted last time I walked here but now it has three albergues of various qualities. The first looked ok but no kitchen could be used till after the rest had eaten! Thinking she would kill me if we had to eat their dinner and carry the potatoes tomorrow as well I said thanks we'd try the next place. More or less the same reply from them, each place looking humbler than the last. We arrived at the last one, the municipal donation one! Here it looked rough but I could use the two-burner stove next to the sink in the passageway that served as a kitchen! Poor Francesca agreed and went into the dorm that had hardly a window, here she took a lower bunk and I took the top one. All washing had to be done outside in the cold mountain mist in a plastic bowl and hung on a railing, of course none of it dried.
That done we headed back down to the village bar for a warm coffee and cognac. To our amazement the bar was a hostel and incredible comfortable and the restaurant looked great!
"We come here for breakfast" my companion said firmly!
It's only fair to say Francesca I believe lives a very comfortable life in Holland and I should think was reasonably well off. Albergues of the municipal variety must have been quite a shock for her on her first camino. I take my hat off to her for not making more of a fuss really.
We had a few wines and went back to cook dinner. It started ok till the rest of the albergue started to cook as well and I had commandeered the stove! Still at last, with the aide of my little spirit stove, the potatoes were cooked, eggs hard boiled, meat frizzled and French beans steamed. We asked Roser to join us but she had been already asked to join another crowd. We gave her potatoes anyway as we had too much food for two.
Now off to bed to get some well-needed sleep!
I was unable to get to sleep, probably the coffee, anyway I was still awake in the freezing and gloomy dormitory when Francesca awoke and needed the rest room. She started to stand up in the dark beside the bunk, but my eyes, being already used to the darkness saw there was a good chance she would bang her head on my upper bunk, so I gently touched her! But before I could say careful, her shriek disturbed the rest of the sleepers while an embarrassed me tried to explain without making more noise, chuckle!!

END DAY 29 = approx. 26.3 km Sub Total = 378.5 km Total = 711.8 km

12/06/07 Hospital de Órbigo to Murias de Rechivaldo

Hospital de Órbigo to Murias de Rechivaldo

Next morning I awoke late and I realised I had not arranged to meet anyone to walk with. The other two had stopped in the other albergue and Roser had stopped in the female dorm here and I could not very well barge in to see if she had gone. I filled my water bottle and ate some breakfast cake, and chatted a while with other peregrinos but thought she must have left early. Waving goodbye to some I set off alone. I walked very fast, my feet were feeling good today. I was hoping to catch her up, but never did, she must have still been in the dorm. I soon came to Villares de Órbigo and took another look at their superb notice to Peregrinos written in several languages.
I left the village behind and travelled over some hilly country covered with Holm oaks. I remembered sleeping in the shade of some about mid day last time but there was no need today. It was quite a nice day, and now my spirits were high as I strode along passing a few walkers. Just about 10kms out of Villares I came to the stone cross and again looked out across the valley to Astorga. This is quite an impressive view and I first got a young lady to take my photo near the cross, then found a picnic table and ate some lunch looking at the valley. Many other peregrinos arrived and either did the same, or continued on down hill.

I packed my things and left and some way down the hill I chatted to an old local man sitting on a bench. A very pretty tall young Canadian girl soon joined us. She, like me, had a long staff, but attached to hers was a large eagle feather. The old man wanted to know all about us and we eventually shook his hand and left him waiting for the next peregrina. We had hardly turned the next bend when it happened again, only this time the man was standing on the pavement. He stopped us and wished us a safe journey and shook hands with me. He had a crushing grip but let go and turned to my companion. The only thing was once he had got hold of her elegant hand he had no intention of letting go!! I could see her winch as he crushed it in his powerful grip! There was little I could do! He held on to her while telling us how strong and fit he was for a 85 year old man who had spent his life on the land. At last she managed to pull her hand free and we cheerily waved him goodbye. We turned back down hill and she, rubbing her poor hand exclaimed,
"God he got a strong grip!! He's nearly crushed my hand! I thought he'd never let go!"
We both laughed and hoped we would not meet his brother on the next corner! This meeting and greeting by elderly gents often happens on camino and they politely kiss the girls given the slightest chance. But I have never heard anyone say they felt threatened at all. This old man had never walked to Santiago and now someone might just hug the Santo and think of him.
I came into Astorga alone and climbed up to the centre of the town.

Here there is the albergue that I used before but I wanted to go on. First I must get my photos off the camera and onto a disc and buy some food and get a coffee. There was a market on and the square was packed but no food stalls. I found a bar where I rested, then a photo shop where I waited a while for them to make the disc and a copy. I normally send the copy home but this time somehow that never happened. I carried both till I got back! I remembered the fun we'd had here getting a meal last time. The Spanish ladies I was with complained to the waiter that the meat soup had no meat in it and it had got funnier and funnier as the waiter had complained back that this was how it was made here! He had acted just like Manuel from Faulty Towers. I would not have any idea where that restaurant had been now. I set off out of town looking for the familiar arrows. It was still quite early when I came to Murias de Rechivldo. Another 5 k would take me to the next village but I decided to look at the albergue here. It looked a charming place with superb courtyard patio and the young couple friendly enough.











I bought a beer and sat around deciding if I should go on. Francesca arrived and later Roser and Yolanda so I decided to book in. I took a lower bunk and paid but was not able to cook in the kitchen so said I would share their meal and gave them the mince I had bought in Astorga. We all had a glass of sangria together from the bar.
I then spent a pleasant hour sitting in the sun outside the front entrance with Francesca. I whittled away at my stick, carving the four-leaf clover on it and the shell. The call for dinner arrived and the dining room was full. They were a jolly crowd and we swapped stories. Most people were French who spoke English. The meal turned out to be spaghetti but I think they forgot the sauce and they must have used the meat I gave them for themselves. I was in the middle of telling one of my experiences and I was starving and when someone passed a plate with bits of meat and cheese, I automatically flipped several chunks into my dish. Francesca grabbed it away saying it was Roser's and was for all the table!!
I was very embarrassed. Especially as I realised Roser had not had the spaghetti and this was her dinner but like a true Spaniard that she is, she had generously passed what she had around!!!
We laughed and chatted for a long while, then retired thinking we would get some sleep. The bunk bed looked new and I had not bothered to try laying on it before. No one slept that night! Every time you moved, even a finger the bed creaked loudly and every bed was the same!!!! Then the French moved out early. I think I slept then because I was late waking up next morning!

END DAY 28 = approx. 16.5 km Sub Total = 353.2 km Total = 691.1 km