Day 24: Ambasmestas to Triacastela

I got a late start at 09:00. I left the hotel in Ambasmestas and started pushing up the Valcarce River valley. I saw alot of men meeting up with trailers of hound dogs. It was Saturday morning, and they were going hunting. By the time I got through Las Herrerias, the climb started to get steeper. It was slow going through La Faba and up to the last village in Castille and Leon, La Laguna. I stopped to get a bottle of water out of the vending machine there and took off my my jacket. I was sweating bad. It had gotten into the low 50's Fareinheit. Between La Laguna and O Cebreiro, I passed a marker on the mountain, saying I had entered the autonomous region of Galicia.

I made it to O Cebreiro around 13:00. I thought about getting lunch there, but it seemed most of what was being served was octopus, a popular Galician food, at the restaurants there. I got a stamp at the church and decided to keep pushing since I got a late start. There was more uphill after O Cebreiro, but eventually the path descended.

I walked on through the small towns of Linares and Hospital da Condesa. There was possibly the steepest uphill walk of the day up to Alto do Poio. When I got to the top, there were two open restaurants full of hunters and two large dogs that were not happy to see me. I continued pushing, trying to make it to Triacastela before dark. Walking through the hamlet Fonfria, an old woman gave me some type of tortilla. I did not want any food, but she kept insisting I take it. Then, once it was in my hands, she asked for a donation. I gave her a Euro and walked off fast. No way I was going to eat the tortilla, since her hands were dirty from touching a dog and it was leftover from who knows when. I am getting sick of Spanish people trying to scam pilgrims. In the literature I've read, people went out of their way to help pilgrims in the Middle Ages.

I finally made it to Triacastela just before 18:30 while there was a faint bit of daylight left. I went for the alburgue tonight. The Xunta in Triacastela was only €6. Not only was there no WiFi, but I got assigned a top bunk. I went to the only open bar in town, Bar O Escondite. I ordered a pork loin sandwich, but got processed ham slices in a sandwich. It did not sit well in my stomach. I felt like it was going to come out one of the two ends of my digestive system. When I got back to the albergue, the Korean woman on the bunk bed below me was already snoring. In the next room down the hall, there was some old Spanish guy that snored as loud as a chainsaw.

A hunter and two hounds.

Crossing into Galicia. Notice the elaborate Nativity scene.

O Cebreiro.

A sign advertising octopus.

When I got to the Alto do Poio, these two large dogs were not happy to see me.

A stone wall collapsed on the path heading down towards Triacastela.

I had to step aside to let a tractor with a manure sprayer pass by on the narrow farm road.

An 800 year old chestnut tree.

Day 23: Ponferrada to Ambasmestas

I left Ponferrada at 08:20, walking through the rest of the city. I then passed through the suburbs and followed along a fairly busy road to Camponaraya. I caught up to a group of four Koreans, so I walked with them for a hour or less. In Camponaraya, I found some vending machines in town, so I bought two bottles of water, a Snickers, and a can of Pringles. The terrain got more hilly after Camponaraya, and vineyards covered the hills all the way through Cacabelos to Villafranca del Bierzo. I made it to Villafranca del Bierzo at 13:30. It was an interesting town with two rivers meeting in it: the Valcarce and the Burbia. I ate lunch at a place called Camino de Santiago Cafe. I had a cheese sandwich and two orange juices.

I decided to keep walking since the weather was so good. I followed the Valcarce River and the A-6 highway for the rest of the afternoon. I passed the little towns of Pereje, Trabadelo, and La Portela de Valcarce. The latter town seemed to cater to traffic on the A-6 since it had two gas stations, a hotel, and restaurants. I got to the town of Ambasmestas just before 18:00 when the sun was going down. I was pushing myself hard all afternoon to get to my destination before nightfall. I had the choice of a hotel or an albergue in Ambamesetas. I was still spooked by the bed bugs I saw two days ago, so I stayed at the Hotel Ambasmestas for €30. The room was a very good deal for the price.

I ate dinner in the lounge. I had a Galician soup made with cabbage, white beans, and garlic for the starter. I had merluza a la plancha with salad for the main course. I then went back to my room and fell asleep watching Zaragoza and Oviedo playing soccer.

Ponferrada.

Cacabelos.

Vineyards between Cacabelos and Villafranca del Bierzo.

Villafranca del Bierzo.

A view from the bridge in Villafranca del Bierzo.

The afternoon was spent walking along the Valcarce River.

Day 22: Foncebadon to Ponferrada

I woke up in Foncebadon and saw bedbugs on the wall. I am glad I sprayed my sleeping bag with Repel before the trip. I am guessing not everyone was so wise. I wanted to get out of the albergue as soon as possible. I left at 08:20 with Seo and started walking up to the Cruz de Ferro. It was very foggy, and we could not see the cross on the top of the mountain until we were right on it. After that, it was downhill walking. After a few hours, the fog lifted and the visibility was better. We walked through the hamlets of El Acebo and Riego de Ambros. Seo wanted a coffee, but nothing was open. We kept walking downhill.

Eventually, we came to the town of Molinaseca. There were a few bars and restaurants open. Seo picked a place called Casa de Ramon about a block off the Camino. We ate lunch for about an hour. I had pimientos rellenos and orange juice. We then continued on toward Ponferrada. Seo was getting tired and wanted to go to the municipal albergue, while I wanted to keep walking and had no desire to stay in an albergue after seeing bed bugs that morning.

I continued through Ponferrada, passing the Templar Castle. It was 15:30, and it would be opening in 30 minutes. I decided to find a hostal nearby, so I could go back and visit the castle. I had never been inside a castle and seeing all this old stuff was part of the reason I was in Europe. I checked into Hotel Alda Los Templarios. I showered, dropped my laundry off with the hotel, and walked back to the castle. I got a stamp at the castle and at the city tourism office. I then went to the Basilica de la Encina and found a pharmacy to get a razor and shaving cream. I got back to the hotel and my laundry was done.

I went to the restaurant at the hotel to eat dinner a little after 19:00. I saw a girl come in with muddy boots who did not speak very good Spanish. I went over and asked her where she came from. She had walked from Rabanal de Camino today and started in Pamplona. Her name was Shannon, and she was from New York. I finally met another American after twenty days of walking.

The Cruz de Ferro.

A view walking down the mountain.

Molinaseca.

Ponferrada in the distance.

The Templar Castle in Ponferrada.

The entrance to the Templar Castle.

Day 21: Astorga to Foncebadon

I left the hotel at 08:05 with full rain gear on and my pack cover over my backpack. It was supposed to rain again. I exited Astorga, then passed through the towns of Valdeviejas, Murias de Rechivaldo, and Santa Catalina, gradually heading uphill. The howling wind was as strong as it was on the Alto de Perdon, but I had to deal with it all day. I got to El Ganso and drank a bottle of water out of the wind, blocked by the wall of the church. I had been crisscrossing paths with an older South Korea guy throughout the morning. I passed up the three Mexicans I saw yesterday. They had not brought sleeping bags with them, and said they froze last night at the albergue.

Eventually, I got to the town of Rabanal de Camino. I was thirsty and hungry. I was hoping for an open bar or restaurant, since there had not been one open in the last few towns. I came upon a place called El Refugio, which was open. It was a restaurant and hostal. I sat down and soon after the older South Korean guy came in. I told him he could join me at my table if he liked. His name was Seo. He was a retired vegetable researcher who worked at Korea University. We ate lunch after a hard uphill walk. I had vegetable soup, beef with vegetables, and ice cream for €12. The beef with vegetables was one of the best meals I had eaten in Spain. It tasted like a pot roast from back home. A group of three Koreans came in shortly after to eat. Then the three Mexicans came in and decided to stay overnight at the hostal and also eat lunch. By the time we finished eating, a group of four Koreans came in. It seemed El Refugio was the only place open for lunch.

I set out with Seo, and we went uphill the last 5.3 kilometers to Foncebadon. The conditions were horrendous. The terrain was steeper, there were several inches of wet snow on the ground, and the rain and melting snow turned the path into a stream, sometimes several inches deep. The wind would not let up. It was like being in s hurricane according to Seo. We reached Foncebadon at 15:30 and checked into the Monte Irago Albergue, the only open lodging in town. We were the first ones there. Later, the seven Koreans from the restaurant arrived. Before dark, Francisco and Victor arrived. Marco, the Italian guy in their trio had to stay back in Astorga due to illness.

Seo introduced me to the one group of Koreans. They all spoke some English. At 19:00, we had dinner. It was mainly a vegetable paella with alot of sides like salad, chorizo, bread, hummus, and cheese. Victor went crazy over the food, eating more than everyone. He also went crazy over the Spanish thirty-something hippie girl who cooked the excellent paella. I told Francisco that I think Victor likes the cook. He responded that he likes all the women they meet. I guess they had been walking buddies since St. Jean Pied de Port, and he knew how he operated.

The morning started with a rainbow.

El Ganso, population 30.

Horses grazing outside Rabanal del Camino.

Rabanal del Camino.

The path becomes a stream.

Wet snow several inches deep.

The flooded trail on the way up to Foncebadon.

Finally reaching Foncebadon, population 13.

Day 20: Villar de Mazarife to Astorga

I was expecting rain, so I donned my full rainsuit and put my raincover on my pack. I left the albergue at 08:20 and walked through farmland and past cattle. At one point, I had to cross a railroad track with no crossing. I just had to climb over the ballast and rails. On my way into Puente de Orbigo, I passed by a smelly Mondelez plant that made Philadelphia cream cheese. I covered almost fifteen kilometers in three hours. As I approached the Gothic bridge into Hospital de Orbigo, I bumped into Marco, who I last talked to three days prior, Francisco, and Victor. I stayed with them in Moratinos and El Burgo Ranero. They were with four older Spanish women who had backpacks smaller than a school backpack and walking poles. They were coming off the highway route I chose not to take yesterday.

We walked across the bridge into Hospital de Orbigo as a group of eight, but shortly after, the women wanted to get coffee. I was the only one who wanted to keep walking, so I went on alone. Similar to yesterday, there were two routes between Hospital de Orbigo and Astorga. One route followed right along the busy highway, and the second route went through farmland, hills, and forest on a more scenic route. My app and guidebook both recommended the second option, so that is the one I took. I was in the town of Villares de Orbigo at noon. The town was dead, and there was nowhere to get lunch. The next town, Santibanez de Valdeiglesias, offered the same prospect.

I soldiered on, up and down hills. Eventually, I came to a place called Casa de los Dioses. It is a small farm that caters to pilgrims. It is run by a hippie named David. He has a stand set up offering free drinks and fruit to passing pilgrims. He has been a fixture on the Camino de Santiago for around ten years. He lives in a simple shelter and keeps it heated in the winter with a wood burning stove. Right then, the four Spanish ladies, Francisco, and three Mexicans showed up in short order. I asked David for a stamp and the Mexicans did as well. It was a red heart. Everyone passed by quickly like a guy living outside in the middle of nowhere was a freakshow. Only Francisco and I stuck around a bit to rest. I am guessing Francisco knew David because Francisco has walked to Santiago de Compostella ten times.

A few kilometers later, San Justo de la Vega and Astorga were in sight. I pushed forward, catching up to one of the three Mexicans. Her feet were hurting, and her two friends were not being friends by leaving her behind. I slowed my pace and chatted with her for the last few kilometers into Astorga. It was her second day walking, so I gave her some tips about how to protect one's feet from blisters. Part of walking the Camino is time alone thinking, and part of it is talking to other pilgrims.

As I climbed up to the Old City, an old Astorgan started talking to me. When he found out I was from the United States,  he asked if he could have a dollar for a souvenir. I told him I carried no dollars because they are not even accepted in Spain. I think he then asked for any money, but I just walked off. I walked all the way to the Astorga Cathedral and paid the €3.50 to go inside. I got another stamp and listened to the audio tour for fifty minutes. It was similar to the Leon Cathedral yesterday, but there were many more artifacts on display. One golden cross had pieces of wood from the true cross incorporated into it. 

After I checked into the Hotel Spa Ciudad de Astorga, I showered and walked to the Telepizza I had passed about 0.4 kilometers before the cathedral for dinner.  The individual menu was only €6. I got a pizza with onions and green peppers, potato wedges, and a Coke. I then went back to the hotel to sleep.

Walking by a cattle ranch.

Crossing the railroad, not safe.

The bridge into Hospital de Orbigo.

Hospital de Orbigo.

Walking right by a dairy farm.

From a distance, I actually thought this was a person standing on a hill.

The Casa de los Dioses.

Walking down the hill into San Justo de la Vega and Astorga.

Astorga Cathedral.

Dinner at Telepizza.

Day 19: Leon to Villar de Mazarife

I decided to sleep in to give my feet extra rest after a long walk the previous day. I did not leave until the hotel until 09:30. I first stopped at the Leon Cathedral. I paid €6 to enter and spent forty minutes listening to the audio tour. I got a stamp for my credential next door at the cloister. About 10:15, I started walking through Leon and its suburbs. The walking was hilly and through residential and industrial areas.

I made it to the town of Virgen del Camino, and there was a Repsol gas station right in my path. I stopped to get a Powerade and box of juice. Not too long after, I came upon the Basilica de la Virgen del Camino. I went inside and and found a stamp in an office at the back of the church. About five minutes of walking after leaving the basilica, the Camino de Santiago split into two different routes. One route follows the N-120 highway toward Villadangos del Paramo, and the other route takes country roads to toward Villar de Mazarife. Both routes join up in Hospital de Orbigo.

My guidebook and app recommended taking the second option since it was more scenic and did not follow a busy highway through industrial areas. I walked along a quiet road through farmland until I got to the farm town of Villar de Mazarife. I checked into the San Antonio de Padua Albergue for €10 about 15:30. I ended up being the only pilgrim there. Looking at the albergue's log, there were only two pilgrims the previous night, an Italian woman and a Dutch woman. I paid the owner of the albergue €6 to wash and dry my laundry.

I showered and laid down for awhile. About 19:00, I walked through the dark to the supermarket. There were actually two small supermarkets at the crossroads of the town. I bought Band-Aids, a bottle of water, and two cans of Budweiser. It was the first time I saw Budweiser in Spain, and that is what I drink at home. I left the store and started wandering around town to see if there was a bar or restaurant to get dinner at. I cracked the first can of Budweiser and drank it as I walked. It did not taste the same as it does in the United States. Villar de Mazarife was dead. I found nothing open until I turned back to go to the albergue. The only other open albergue, Casa Jesus, had a bar that was open. A half dozen local men were inside drinking. The bar did not have much in the way of food, just sandwiches. I ended up eating a tortilla sandwich. I went back to the albergue and passed out before I could drink the second can of Budweiser.

The Leon Cathedral.

The inside of Leon Cathedral.

Looking back over my shoulder at Leon.

The Basilica de la Virgen del Camino. The statues are of the apostles.

My view in the afternoon. There are snowcapped mountains far off in the distance.

The sign for Villar de Mazarife.

Day 18: El Burgo Ranero to Leon

I got a horrible night's sleep at the municipal albergue in El Burgo Ranero. It was cold inside the mud building, and the beds were so old and worn out, the springs in the mattress left bruises on the backs of my thighs. I was the first one to leave El Burgo Ranero just after 08:00. The terrain was flat. I saw men in the fields preparing to go hunting on Sunday morning and would hear occasional gunshots. At one point two hunting dogs went sprinting by me on the trail.

I reached the town of Reliegos after a couple hours, but it was completely dead. Mario caught up to me and walked ahead. I got to Mansilla de Mulas just after noon. I was looking to get some more water. I spotted a bakery and cafe that looked open. I went inside and saw Mario eating a giant flat donut type of bread. He offered me some, so I joined him after I bought an orange juice and a bottle of water from the bar. We talked for awhile. He said that he might not make the 37 kilometers to Leon because his feet were hurting. I left about 13:00 to continue walking.

I bypassed the town of Villamoros de Mansilla, walking on the shoulder of the highway, and then walked right through the middle of Puente Villarente on the sidewalk. Mario caught up to me and passed me about this time. I did not see the other four people I stayed with in El Burgo Ranero all day. They must have been way behind. As I was getting closer to Leon, I was seeing more and more snow on the ground. I had to ascend and descend some hills on the way into Leon and this killed my feet. I was walking slower and slower as the day went on. I no longer saw Mario's tracks in the snow or mud, so I thought he might have stopped at the open albergue in Arcahueja.

I finally descended into Leon around 17:00, and it was city walking from there. I saw a McDonald's billboard, a Burger King bag amongst some litter, and a KFC restaurant. I said to myself, "No Spanish food for me tonight." I finally entered the walled part of Leon, the Old City, and checked into La Posada Regia about 18:00. The receptionist was a very friendly African girl.

I showered and then went to Sunday night mass just a few blocks away at San Marcelo church at 20:00. The mass lasted a quick forty minutes. Then I walked to a Burger King I found on Google Maps. I got the Whopper combo with a large Coke. It tasted great after a 37 kilometer day. The streets were full of people in Leon on Sunday night. I would have liked to have stayed out, but I was very tired and needed rest. I fell asleep quickly when I got back to the hotel.

Hunting dogs running in front of me.

A small meteorite hit this spot in Reliegos in 1947.

The twenty arch bridge over the Porma River in Puente Villarente.

The Camino signage in Leon. Leon is Spanish for lion.

A walkway I had to use to cross a busy highway.

The newer part of Leon.

The walls of Leon.