Day 19 - Camino 8 - Ferreiros - Lingode - 30 September

Early morning at Ferreiros

Started the day a little slowly. Didn't leave the aubergue until 8-ish then on the road at 8:20 am - sunrise. It felt much later and most pilgrims had left.

Many houses along the way from this point
set up complimentary tables of food
for pilgrims along the way - this was
the first one we encountered

Early morning

Fog over Portomarin

The start of this walk was delightful and Louis and I spent much of the first part of the walk taking photos of nature trying to capture the beauty of the morning light and the scenery.

After a little while, we travelled a part for a time and I had this lovely interaction with one of the
local Spanish women as she went about her daily chores on her farm. She tried to teach me how to say "buenos días" correctly but we both gave up laughing and merely shook hands.

Old man collecting apples fruit from the ground
under his tree

After walking about 8 km in 2.5 hours, we finally reached a major town: Portomarín. 

River or Lake outside Portomarin

Stairs at the entrance to the town

It was set on a kind of a lake and it had a quaint little plaza in front of a church from the 12th century. After a sobering cup of coffee, we met a German girl that Louis had met on the road weeks ago. 

A well earned coffee in the quaint town

Lines - I'm starting to develop a photographer's eye I think

One of a number of these crosses on the camino

10 time Caminian - knew how to gather food

So I went on while they caught up and I travelled the rest of the day solo.

Well not quite solo, as I met up with Irish men Paul and Kevin from yesterday - having a beer along the way and saying they may have a night without beer tonight. I went past them at the next town as well ... Having a beer at the very next cafe.

I had a chat to a German lady who was on her tenth Camino - not all the same one - but having a relaxing one this year!!!

Linda and her sister Kathy

I met and walked some way with an American woman named Linda - first time on this trip an American person has said they were "American" and not said they were from ... and they name a state that I have no idea where that is. Linda was a lovely lady from ... North Dakota - little house of the prairie country - and I learnt a lot about her neck of the woods and how she lives her life. I learnt the difference between sweet corn that we eat and the corn in the fields around us here, maize, that are for feeding the cattle. She is retired and is spending her time making a big trip each year. When she gets back, her next goal is planning her own seventieth birthday party for next year. She's the same age as Andy! Her friend Kathy is from Kansas she told me.

Our albergue in Lingode

Also Mark from Germany at the last stage and Florian again who took the last bed in the preferred Auberge in this town. Donna and Jess from Florida were at the other aubergue, encouraging people to enter, even though the lady in charge was not there. It's almost full now and the lady Isabel wasn't here to greet us, which was strange - she'd left at around three for a bite to eat and didn't return until around 5.

Now I am showered and happy, typing away before walking 200 m down the road for tea. Two shirts dripping away on the line. They will be dripped but not dried by tomorrow. I'm planning on getting a early night tonight ... Hopefully.

Day 18 - Camino 7 - Samos - Ferreiros - 29th September

A camino shot taken this day - Not bad eh!

Leaving Samos early

I've had a whole bottle if wine with tea tonight - pilgrim's meal again - so I'm not sure how well this will go - but I'll give it a go. Even if I'm not sure anyone is reading it this time.

Trying to recapture the photo I took on
Mt Tabos  in Israel (see 2013 blog)

Started the morning early. Breakfast across the road and headed off at 7:50 am - still half an hour  before the sun came up. Walking out of Samos I felt really good - no pain - I had a little pain in my calf muscles yesterday - and felt awake and raring to go. Louis and I are still travelling together and we walked along the road a bit before turning off and heading back up along some smaller roads to get back on the main track. It was all still marked with the yellow arrows.

Louis semi-posing for a Camino shot

Louis wanted to spend some time praying so I headed off on my own and found I had plenty of energy to walk quickly, passing a number of individuals along the way.  " Buen Camino  " the usual comment as you pass someone or "ulla" meaning simply "hello". Eventually. I found myself  spending about an hour walking alone. It was just what I needed and by the time I reached the first cafe for the morning at 10, I was well ahead of Louis and all the others who had started at a similiar time to us.

Trying to improve my photography - thanks to some tips from Louis

I caught up with Jen and Sue from last night a Calvor cafe and Sue in particular set me straight on the fact that they hadn't caught a taxi or bus to any stages of the trip. I humbly apologised for bring so assuming.

Approaching Sarria

When Louis caught up, we set off again towards the large town of Sarria. Here we did a bit of shopping and  looked at a church where we met a couple of Louis' Edmonton friends and an Italian bloke on a bike - from Rome actually.  I tried to drop all the Italian connections I knew but all that came from that was he rode off laughing at my surname.

This is the "Nice Cathedral down the road"

A nice Cathedral down the road, then we were off towards our destination of Ferreiros. The trip was long. Particularly because we hadn't eaten. We finally stopped at a small town where the proprietor seemed unhappy to help. Chatted to a few more Canadians and then as we set off talked to a couple of Irish chaps individually.  I chatted to Paul, a prison officer from County Clare, who told me the amusing tale of how Donald Trump had bought a golf course near where he lived, but after a part of the seventeenth hole falling into the ocean following a storm, he planned to build a wall along the edge to stop it happening again. He may have been pulling my leg.

Burdened Man dragging his reluctant,
unburdened donkey -
heading in the opposite direction

We finally made it to our town and checked out a couple of Albergues, choosing a more modern one and then went for another beer. It was here Louis and I bumped into a German student named Florian, who joined us for another pilgrim meal and that whole bottle of wine.

Tinto (local red wine) and bible - I need to get this before I travel the
Camino again- everyone had one in their own language
and I was consulting other peoples' copies anytime I could.

We had one bottle each. Talked about German politics, amongst other things, and then had a chance to write my blog in the relative  comfort in the modern lounge of our albergue.

Still feeling a little drunk and I have an hour of clothes drying to wait for so I'll try and spend some time downloading this reflection onto the blog. Believe me, that is not easy.

Day 17 - Camino 6 Triacastela - Samos 28th September

Much better night sleep last night in a room for four but saloon like doors that didn't keep out the sound.

Samos this way ... Andy that way

Disappointed to find my travelling companion from day 2, Andy, was not well in the night, so was not coming with us to Samos. It was going to mean a longer day trip for him today anyway so probably for the best. Hopefully he made it to Sarria today as he has his accommodation booked.

Another quaint chapel

Samos from a distance

It was an easy day for me and my Canadian friend, Louis, today. We were aiming to only walk 10 km and then resting the rest of the day in a town with an ancient 6th century monastery. It was a pleasant walk through some simple Spanish villages and the town at the end was superb.

After lunch and a stroll through the town, I had a bit of a siesta under a tree by the river, where I was awoken by jumping fish and quacking ducks. I took the chance to FaceTime my beloved Janey, who'd had an emotional day attending Qing's mass of remembrance.

Ducks interrupting my nap

Enjoyed the tour of the monastery. I was the only English speaking tourist in my session but still was given an English version of the tour. After that, a beer in the pub where a I spoke to an Irish girl named Broniah, a Brazilian guy called Mario - I know that sounds Italian right - bit found out later he was a policeman from Rio. Also two Aussie women from Perth - Jen and Sue - who seemed to be walking the Camino in such a way that they avoided all the hills.

The monastry

Art work on the monastry walls ...
can you spot Sean Connery - (James Bond

We then went to mass in the most awesome church. Sure mass was entirely in Spanish but a lot of it was sung and sounded great.

The Samos Monastry Albergue

Tea was in the restaurant opposite the monastery and included asparagus salad - yum  - and then veal and for dessert, ice cream. Plus a bottle of local wine between the two of us. For ten euros ($15) - great value.

Went straight to bed in the albergue and had the best nights sleep.

Day 16 - Camino 5 : O'Cebreiro - Triacastela - 27th September

Day 16 - Camino 5 :

Leaving at dawn today in the mist meant we missed seeing more of the view along the way. I headed out with Louis and met Andy in the town where he was staying. Andy had pre-booked Motels along the way and so his destinations each night were predetermined. Last nights place was not the best but other nights he's been very comfortable

We met Saint Paul along the way...

... Seemingly getting blown away on the hill .
Louis had no such trouble managing

Met many interesting people on the journey today, including John, the Aussie bloke walking the Camino for a second time - he had some great stories - His stories were often about what I would call God moments but he was adament he was an agnostic and they were just coincidences. He made me laugh.

Sometimes we had to share the path with locals

I also met a Mexican girl along the way; a few Americans women at tea who shared their blankets with us because we were a little underdressed at the restaurant - It was a tad cold; and Irishman Paul in our dorm, who kindly looked after my washing as I went and had a beer and an explore of the town. Grace from Scotland, the other person in Louis and my four person dorm, who was very friendly but was a sleep when we returned from tea and away early the next day. And many others. A whole lot of young people in our aubergue again too, making a bit of a racket outside and getting into a spot of trouble with the landlady, now at 10pm.

Church at Fonfria

I mentioned earlier that every day I have been thinking about someone important in my life - today, as a result of our conversations on the road - it was the recently deceased members of my family. Mary presented herself first particularly when I found this gravestone around a church along the wagon the morning.

Mary .. in other words

and this one right next to it

Then it was Mum and Denis who kept me company for most if the trip down the hill.

Mum loved this sort of countryside ... she told me

We did have some close encounters with some locals along the way.

The mist finally lifted too and we enjoyed a surprisingly easy descent into our destination today: Triacastella. 

A 800 year old chestnut tree in Triacestella

We made the 20 km trip in good time at arrived at 2:40 in the afternoon. The aubergue was an old building converted into a new facility and was quite comfy. Last night was a test with 80 beds, all full, in the one dorm. Snorers heaven.  One right next to me. Hoping tonight will be better.

Day 15 - Camino 4 : Villafranca del Bierzo - O'Cerbeiro - 26th September

Day 15 ... Yesterday now ... But the night before - the Korean concert was amazing - 12 youth South Korean students travelling the world performing their music wherever they end up for the night. Hitting drums so hard some of them were flying away. Singing English religious songs,a lot of screaming and playing some small wooden wind instruments. It was quite inspiring.



The female leader cooked our pilgrim meal that night at the aubergue too which was late but with a real community feel. I slept in a room this night with the 'mayors' - the older males - but no snorers as far as I could tell. Well they weren't too bad anyway.

Sunrise along the way out of Villafranca

On the fourth day I woke in the town of Villafranca del Bierzo before the sun again. I told you the sunrise is 8:20 am here ?  Anyway, most people are up early packing their bags around 6:30 and many leave in the darkness using headlamps to lead the way.

Andy taking photos of a lady roasting red capsicums
in a town called Trabadelo, where Andy, Louis and I
bumped into each other

crossing under the A6 

 I was on my way walking by myself this morning and did so for 2 hours before, at a town along the way, Andy turns up. About 100 metres down the road Louis comes down from an alternative town route and literally bumps into us and another pair of pilgrims he knew simultaneously. That's just the way it is on the Camino I'm discovering.

The three amigos: Andy, Louis and I

Well we travelled together for the rest of the day and although we went our separate ways for part of the trip, we were travelling the 8 km uphill climb at the end together, enjoying the views of the valley below as they became more and more impressive.


We ended up making it to O'Cebreiro. A town built right on the saddle of two breath-taking valleys. I'm so glad I was talked into stopping here and not travelling on another 6 kms. It was beautiful. We three amigos went to mass in the church called Santa Maria

Santamaria at Santa Maria in O'Cebreiro

And then had a delightful meal with Louis, Andy, Jess a director and Ben, an actor, both from New York and another American girl Kerry who had done a lot in her life already. Wine, food and good conversation - I could get used to this.

Day 14 - Camino day 3 : Ponferrado to Villafranca del Bierzo - 25th September

Sunrise over Ponferrado

This morning I woke early in the hotel and was able to do some communication with home. I had WhatsApp, emails, photos, blogger, and notes all going on at the same time - multi tasking  or what.

Went down for breakfast and met Andy again. We spent our second day walking together.
Sunrise over this town was really pretty.

Grape picking

We found an ATM after finding a little Sunday market setting up. A homeless man cleverly sleeping in the little enclosed room where the ATM was found. Not the last seen today either. We left this town and entered an area that featured many small vineyards and there were people picking grapes in many of them.

A church in one of the towns had a stork nest near the top

I met an actor and director from New York who had just finished performing a play in Edinburgh for a month at the fringe festival there. Before I had a chance to explore their stories further another companion of theirs, Louie from Vancouver, started chatting with me and we discovered we had much in common - teacher in the catholic system in Canada,  a principal for 4 years in fact - took a year's break, then returned to a DP position, before becoming an RE consultant fort the region. He continued on with Ben and his wife but I hope to catch up with them again tonight.

here's another one found on the same day

Lunch was delightful in Componaraya, a town of about 5000 people, then a 10 walk to this our destination for tonight. Got to know a French girl, Selin,along this stretch - she had chosen to live in Melbourne for the last 2 years living in an 2 bedroom apartment in Docklands with 5 other girls. We talked about travelling and making decisions spontaneously - a way of life for her. I felt for her though when her trip with a guy across from Brisbane to the west coast of Oz included a wet day at Uluru and an argument that lasted the last half of the journey. Cie Le ve.

Selin

Arrived in Villafranca del Bierzo at 4pm today which meant I could wash clothes (that probably won't dry again) and get a coffee down the plaza amidst the local Sunday night crowd. Coffee delicious and large mug for less than $2AU.

The beautiful plaza in Villafranca

There's a concert tonight at the Aubergue of young South Korean musicians -  that should be interesting. Then a meal provided by the Spanish crowd here - the guy who took my details had zero English but amazing how we were still able communicate.

South Korean singers and dancers - a real hoot!

Time to head back there now I think.