16/06/07
Villafranca del Bierzo to Faba
We got unimpressive coffee from a machine in the patio of the albergue. Here in conversation with two young ladies I advised them to take the valley road as I had such vivid memories of pretty gardens, wild flowers, the scent of wild mint and such great scenery before. Francesca and I set off and as we left I took a photo of Villafranca castle but none of the town till we found our way to the bridge over the river.
We soon entered the valley and I had forgotten this first part, it is not so good. The motorway cuts across and with huge bridges and the lush hedgerows yielded fewer wild flowers this year. On a rather dismal morning like today the green was not translucent with sunlight, as it had been before. The high valley walls seemed overpowering and rather oppressive. Francesca too seemed a little subdued. The two girls reminded me of what I had said each time we came across them in one or other of the bars in the little villages as we climbed! Always I replied "It will get better" and eventually it does. The little villages are now sporting albergues and cafes so I was able to drink plenty of coffee as we climbed higher. Lunch was found in two café's!! We found one and they had little food so I had a coffee then as Francesca wouldn't cross with me to the other that had trucks outside I went alone and got a good bocadillo and more coffee and a little dash of cognac for my feet. I returned to Francesca and we left the two girls still sitting waiting to be served at the first café. "It gets better now" I chided. It does, the gardens are better from now on but not quite as bright with flowers this year.
Later we found a little new bakers shop and bought coffee and cake and sat outside. It was a pity the wind was so cool but it was nice here in a little sun and the roses lovely where we sat and I text Maisie saying 'All ok so far. Climb valley now. Pos Ruitelan tonight.' I was missing her.
There were many nice spots as we went on but I missed seeing the one that I will always remember. Back then it was baking hot and we had stopped to rest and have our lunch in a meadow of wild mint under the shade of a grove of plane trees then later stopped for the night in a small albergue in Ruitelán. Now there was hardly a sign of wild mint and I never saw that medow. Francesca and I passed through Ruitelán and Francesca said she was still fresh enough to keep going, so we carried on to Herrerías. Now the camino started to climb very steeply by a farm track. I remembered this well from before too. That time, very tired, we had met a Spanish man who gave us poems and while translating them from English to Spanish and others from Spanish to English we had hardly noticed the hard climb. This time it was cold and wet with horrible drizzly rain and we were very tired. The mountain path is beautiful but steep, and it felt like 45 degrees as we made our legs move forward.
To tired to chat we each entered a world of our own till at last a track sign said albergue and we took it and came to the edge of a flatter bit where the village is. We sat on a wall and rested while a farmer put his cow in a field. A peregrino came from the village carrying a bottle of wine and said we had to get food for ourselves, as there was no restaurant in the village or in the albergue. We went on to the albergue and were given bunks and Francesca said she would walk back to the village to buy food if I would cook it.
The French ladies with the donkey arrived and they took accommodation too. Their old donkey had to stand outside but there was plenty of grass for it to eat. Francesca could only get a tin of sardine's, a bottle of wine, bread and a few other bits but it would have to do. In the meantime we tried to dry boots and socks and our rain gear. The boots fared the best because we stuffed them with newspapers. We did no washing, as it would never dry here. Francesca slept while I cooked soup and made some pimientas de Pidón and passed them around. It's like playing Russian roulette - every now and again there is a hot one. A Chilean lady got the only one this time, chuckle. Francesca joined us and we passed around the wine. The chap that I had told off for making a noise in Villafranca was there and I noted he took a big glass!
We soon entered the valley and I had forgotten this first part, it is not so good. The motorway cuts across and with huge bridges and the lush hedgerows yielded fewer wild flowers this year. On a rather dismal morning like today the green was not translucent with sunlight, as it had been before. The high valley walls seemed overpowering and rather oppressive. Francesca too seemed a little subdued. The two girls reminded me of what I had said each time we came across them in one or other of the bars in the little villages as we climbed! Always I replied "It will get better" and eventually it does. The little villages are now sporting albergues and cafes so I was able to drink plenty of coffee as we climbed higher. Lunch was found in two café's!! We found one and they had little food so I had a coffee then as Francesca wouldn't cross with me to the other that had trucks outside I went alone and got a good bocadillo and more coffee and a little dash of cognac for my feet. I returned to Francesca and we left the two girls still sitting waiting to be served at the first café. "It gets better now" I chided. It does, the gardens are better from now on but not quite as bright with flowers this year.
Later we found a little new bakers shop and bought coffee and cake and sat outside. It was a pity the wind was so cool but it was nice here in a little sun and the roses lovely where we sat and I text Maisie saying 'All ok so far. Climb valley now. Pos Ruitelan tonight.' I was missing her.
There were many nice spots as we went on but I missed seeing the one that I will always remember. Back then it was baking hot and we had stopped to rest and have our lunch in a meadow of wild mint under the shade of a grove of plane trees then later stopped for the night in a small albergue in Ruitelán. Now there was hardly a sign of wild mint and I never saw that medow. Francesca and I passed through Ruitelán and Francesca said she was still fresh enough to keep going, so we carried on to Herrerías. Now the camino started to climb very steeply by a farm track. I remembered this well from before too. That time, very tired, we had met a Spanish man who gave us poems and while translating them from English to Spanish and others from Spanish to English we had hardly noticed the hard climb. This time it was cold and wet with horrible drizzly rain and we were very tired. The mountain path is beautiful but steep, and it felt like 45 degrees as we made our legs move forward.
To tired to chat we each entered a world of our own till at last a track sign said albergue and we took it and came to the edge of a flatter bit where the village is. We sat on a wall and rested while a farmer put his cow in a field. A peregrino came from the village carrying a bottle of wine and said we had to get food for ourselves, as there was no restaurant in the village or in the albergue. We went on to the albergue and were given bunks and Francesca said she would walk back to the village to buy food if I would cook it.
The French ladies with the donkey arrived and they took accommodation too. Their old donkey had to stand outside but there was plenty of grass for it to eat. Francesca could only get a tin of sardine's, a bottle of wine, bread and a few other bits but it would have to do. In the meantime we tried to dry boots and socks and our rain gear. The boots fared the best because we stuffed them with newspapers. We did no washing, as it would never dry here. Francesca slept while I cooked soup and made some pimientas de Pidón and passed them around. It's like playing Russian roulette - every now and again there is a hot one. A Chilean lady got the only one this time, chuckle. Francesca joined us and we passed around the wine. The chap that I had told off for making a noise in Villafranca was there and I noted he took a big glass!
END DAY 32 = approx. 25.6 km Sub Total = 455.2 km Total = 787.3 km
