My Camino in Spain - Section 7 (Ponferrada to Sarria)

We begin Section 7 on Tuesday, September 15th, the 5th day of our trek.  It was a relatively easy day; we covered 15.6 miles over mostly flat terrain, as we walked from Ponferrada to Villafranca.  We started out warm and dry, and finished as chilled, soaked pilgrims.  Not much opportunity to take photos because of the weather.  The few photos I did take were in the first 9 miles, when we had drizzle and even some dry patches. We stopped at a bar in Cacabelos for a coffee and a few minutes later it started to pour. We decided to stay put for a while, hoping the weather would let up. No such luck.

We stepped out of the bar at noon and psyched ourselves up for a two hour walk in the rain. Scenery was beautiful. If you have to hike 6 miles in the rain, it might as well be here.

Our reward was a delicious late lunch at the restaurant, La Seville, in the center of town, where we feasted on an appetizer of homemade croquettes, followed by their specialty, pizza! We selected ours with shrimp, garlic and tomatoes. We were stuffed, but dinner usually isn't until 8:00 pm...

We checked into the guesthouse in where we were staying (with dinner included.). The proprietor informed us, "Dinner is at 6:30. I think my wife is serving roast chicken!"

The first few miles, mostly in drizzle

This was the day of food.
Here is a field of huge, healthy squash

At 10:30 am it is too early for vino,
but a good time to pick bunches of grapes, both green and red,
at their prime.  It's harvest time at the vineyards.

Gerry found a nice mushroom specimen.

This billboard heading into Cacabelos provides comic relief.
I chuckled repeatedly over the next few miles.
We don't regret missing out on a walk in the town's park,
but it was nice of them to offer.

I did my anti-rain dance before I went to sleep, truly stuffed. But it didn't work.  Day six, Wednesday, September16th, is considered by many to be one of the toughest day of the Camino.  It is the walk to O'Cebreiro.  It was a a 18.4 mile trek, mostly flat, until the final 5.5 miles, which was a steep ascent of 2,035 ft.  The climb was a challenge, with the fierce winds and rain.

Gerry and I hike well together. We usually follow our "No Whining Allowed" rule, but we make exceptions. We are sensitive to each others injuries. Today Gerry had problems with his IT Band, and I had knee and calf muscle issues. So we stopped often to stretch or rest.

Temperatures were chilly. It was 58 degrees when we started this morning, and about 50 degrees when we arrived here, two very soggy pilgrims.

It rained 80% of the hike, but we did manage to quickly snap some photos during the brief dry spells.

Getting ready to brace the elements, after a coffee in
Trabadello, 6 miles into the hike.

Some Spanish folk art along the way.

Warming up with a bowl of soup in Herrerias,
the last town prior to our 5 mile steep climb...

Not only steep, but very, very muddy.
I am being cautious and taking my time.
No face plants allowed.

The scenery?  Spectacular!

The views make it worthwhile.

Stormy skies above.  Lush green below.

I would do it again in a heart beat.  We have now walked over 100 miles on the Camino.

Day # 7, Thursday, September 17th, was another relatively easy day of slightly over 13 miles, mostly downhill.  We walked from O'Cebreiro to Triacastela.  The final 5K was a little too steep for my liking, but not much I could do about it, but slow down, wince a bit, and enjoy my surroundings.

It was a brisk 45 degrees when we hit the trail at 8:30, but not raining, hallelujah! It warmed up to a balmy 50 degrees by noon. It only rained 30% of the time, so our "dry / wet" ratio is on the mend.

Also, it was a most excellent berry day, with at least 10 stops for blackberries, We even stopped once when we saw an elderberry bush. After I ate half-a-dozen elderberries, Gerry remarked, "I don't think there are any poisonous varietals of elderberries." So far, I am still alive.

It was another spectacular day on the Camino.

The mist has lifted by the time
we approach the first village this morning.

Other pilgrims walk on by, but Gerry and I stop
and peer into the barns we pass.
I guess we're nosier than your average pilgrim.

The mist returns once again as we pass this statue of a pilgrim.

I love the lush green countryside.
Clearly northern Spain is not experiencing the severe drought
that we have in California.  It makes me feel less guilty
when I run cold water over my feet a few minutes each evening.

Beauty right in front of me....

...Beautiful in every direction as I gaze off into the distance...

Friday, September 18th.  We have now begun our second week on the Camino.  Today is the walk to Sarria.  A 16.2 mile day on the Camino without any rain, and with plenty of sunshine, very little wind. It wasn't exactly the hike we planned...

 Our intention was to take the shorter of two options, the 11.6 mile direct route into Sarria, instead of the southern detour which adds on an additional 4 miles via the town of Samos, home of the Benedictine monastery, one of the oldest and largest in Spain.

After about 5 miles, our pilgrim friend Jan from Capetown, So. Africa walked by us.

"I thought you two weren't doing the monastery route", he said. "The monastery is less than a mile ahead."

Oops. We had goofed. But we enjoyed the path less traveled, through a peaceful valley. I felt like I was in a prior century. No sign of technology or modern times as we passed through the tiny villages.
Part of the trail was on a shaded woodland path, lush with ferns. It was quite tranquil and beautiful and worth the extra four bonus miles. When we arrived in Sarria, and checked into the Alfonso IX,  I was ready for some vino.

This rustic barn near the stream has seen better days.

A local village cemetery.

I'm on my way to Sarria, via the monastery in Samos
(little do I know.)

Ah, this is a feast for the eyes.

A lovely setting for this farm house (?) or barn house (?)
from days gone by.

The monastery.  A sight worth walking miles out of our way to see.

So ends Section 7 of our Camino.  We walked a little over 67 miles in this stage....