Destination, Villafranca del Bierzo, for the Camino Olvidado reached. Now a solo peregrina.

Leaving Labaniego was interesting.   It was almost like we were following a drain down into the forest.  Then as we were well into the oak forest we saw two orange jackets (with people in them) on the edge of one section of the forest.  As we passed we realised the significance of the date - the start of October AND the start of the hunting season.
Looking back at Labaniego. 
Setting up for hunting
a house in the village of Arlanza
and in Losada 

We were glad we had started early, knowing we had a full on day, but also the fact that we had got through the forest before all the signs went up cautioning people!  We did kick ourselves that we hadn't look at our guide carefully enough as it would have been shorter, quicker,  and definitely easier to have followed the road. We didn't make the same mistake later on separate sections of the stage, following the road several times,  partly to shorten our day, but also to make it easier for me and my foot.
One of our road "shortcuts"

We have had interesting reactions from the locals along the way, especially in the second half of this journey.  The first reaction is bemusement - that two older women are meandering through their village, followed by an interest in where we are from, which in turn has almost always been greeted with mirth.  We are only sorry that we have never been able to  record this reaction.  Of course, once they have recovered from their mirth they are anxious to help us in any way they can.

As we walked down the valley we were accompanied by the sounds of the hunting dogs and occasional shots ringing out.  We were quite glad to leave that behind.  This day was a day where we were able to stop at bars for cold drinks and some snacks, but best of all, get advice from the locals (and provide entertainment!). 
In the village of Rodanillo, amidst much shouting and yelling of directions by a couple of women  out walking, the key to the church was procured so that we could see inside.  I had a sing, which made my day.
They were very proud of their church. 
The bell tower Congosto.
and part of a stone wall in Congosto.

Instead of trying to find accommodation in the vicinity of Congosto we dropped down to Ponferrada, walking into Villafranca del Bierzo  yesterday.  The disappointing thing was that we were unable to get an "Olvidada", a certificate of completion,  from the tourist office as it was only open from 10 - 12 - long before we got there!
Villafranca del Bierzo 
A former monastery, nowadays an albergue, in Villafranca del Bierzo 
Ponferrada is well known for it's Templar castle.
Our accommodation was across the plaza from the Basilica.

I have now had another physio appointment  and my foot is feeling considerably better.   I am now alone as Jill has begun the journey home via some tourist places such as Leon and Zaragosa which includes some more fiestas which she is looking forward too.  I will certainly miss her company.  


Comments

  1. Nottokyomnotosaka8 October 2022 at 07:54

    The wonderful help given to ummm youthful elder looking tourists is a beautiful thing
    So pleased the orange jackets had people in them

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Off again!

Image
Off wandering again in September! Jill and Janet will follow the Camino Olvidado from Bilbao to Villafranca del Bierzo together, and then Janet will continue on to Santiago de Compostela while Jill becomes  a tourist.  The Camino Olvidado (above) officially ends in Villafranca del Bierzo although it is possible we might end in Ponferrada, just a few kilometres before Villafranca.  Ponferrada is where the Camino Invierno (below) begins, ending in Santiago de Compostela.  This route doesn't go as high as the Camino Frances and has a milder climate.  It was the route used in medieval times so that pilgrims avoided the higher, snow capped, mountains of the Camino Frances during the winter.
Read more

Back on the road again

Image
We have had two good days of walking since returning to the path from Leon.  We caught the 9.00am bus and had indulged in a second coffee before heading off from la Robla by 10.00 am.  There was an earlier bus at 7.00, but even leaving our hostal at 8.00 am we were still in the half dark! We had to be very careful leaving la Robla as this is where two paths - the Camino San Salvador and the Camino Olvidado - merge and separate.  Getting ourselves sorted we set off on the way, taking a while to leave the industrial parts of the town.  Indeed these past two days we have passing numerous quarries, the first one being about an hour out of the town.  Leaving la Robla  We had company as we walked through one village.  These are big dogs and they made us feel nervous,  and so we didn't linger to take photos.  It is not only cars that that are parked in village streets. We stopped and had lunch in a bus shelter in the village of Olleros de Al
Read more

Barcelona

Image
We arrived in Barcelona considerably more refreshed than previous times due to the fact that we had treated ourselves to travelling Premium Economy from Singapore. We had the usual longish stopover in Changi, during which time we took the opportunity to stretch our legs and rest in comfy chairs.  We took in some of the sights within the airport, admiring the flowers, the ponds, and the butterflies. Our tasks in Barcelona were to purchase the "gold card" which gives people of certain age a discount on train travel, buy our train tickets to Bilbao, buy a pre paid simcard, and to visit the Sagrada Familia.   We achieved three out of the four. Purchasing the gold  card couldn't be done at the airport - the man telling us that it wasn't available for foreigners. However, in the main station in the city we were successful.  This, in turn, meant that we were able to purchase our train tickets with a 40% discount! Unfortunately
Read more