The Invierno continued - and stopped!

I have just realised that today is the twelfth and I haven't published anything since the sixth.  On that day I Ieft A Rua early as I was expecting a very long, and fairly arduous day.  It was pleasantly cool as I set off with a long steady climb out of town.  

The church bells rang until midnight and then started again at 8am

The waymark at the church

I knew that at least four pilgrims were ahead of me, and yet more pilgrims passed me in the dawn light, with another behind me walking at the same pace.  Most of them, in fact, with one exception, all of them, were Spanish. The man following me caught me 7kms down the road at the first village, Alvaredos.

The first "cutout"

...and more.

This village was where, in 2016, a Señora opened the tiny little chapel to show me.  There was no one in sight on this day, but the village delighted yet again.   I am guessing that someone in the village has an artistic bent as, like last time, there were all sorts of painted "cut outs" hidden in the trees as we steadily climbed.  On reaching the village the cut outs multiplied and decorated the buildings the path passed.  Not only that, but some one had made a cupboard in which there were the makings for coffee and a variety of fruit and cool drinks were also available for a donation.  Then, on the edge of the village, at the fountain, there were several seats just right to sit and rest (along with a carving from an old tree) - which is exactly what I did, having a second breakfast and enjoyed the peace.

The little chapel the Señora showed me last time I was here.

The self service "cafe"

passed by the pilgrim who had been following me for 7kms.

The rest spot a few hundred metres later.

The path then continued downhill, sometimes steeply, to the once thriving village of Montefurado.  Again I noticed changes with the addition of a fountain at the square outside the church. This was once a thriving town, it being a crossroads for trade, with traders carting wine - and vines, honey (this valley has "grown" honey for millennia), and ore.  From memory the houses leading into the old part of the village have been spruced up too.  I love the way people "park" there farm machinary, one tractor parked at the front door! 

The "fence" separating the train line and the footpath.

A parked tractor in Montefurado.

the massive church in Montefurado. 

The start of the climb from Montefurado. 

A steep hill out of town followed, slowly, not because of the terrain (steep and rocky), but because of frequent stopping to take in the view.  It is on this stretch of the path that the hole/ tunnel excavated in the hillside can be seen far below.  What makes this so interesting is that is was done several thousand years ago by the Romans so that they could continue to mine for gold.  The purpose of the hole was to divert the Rio Sil, in normal times, a river of reasonable size!

The Roman diversion of the Rio Sil. 

The rocky climb.

There were magnificent views of the Rio Sil further along.

It was after this that my foot started playing up, this time with pains from a different tendon.  Following the bitum road to Bendilló I decided I would have to call it a day.  Just as I had made the decision a taxi came up the hill!  Flagging it down I asked the driver for help to get a taxi (he was obviously going to a pick up in the oppositedirection).  He rang his friend Victor who arrived ten minutes later, as promised, to take me to the Quiroga.  Victor dropped me at Hostal Quiper which I think deserves a medal for the quality of accommodation, and all for €24!  I was fortunate to get a bed as people arriving a few hours later missed out.

There was a lot of street art in Quiroga. 

Like so many, the church in Quiroga was firmly shut.

That night I made plans for the rest of my time in Spain deciding to catch the train to Monforte de Lemos the next day, and from there become a tourist.  But that is another story - for next time.