Greetings from Ponferrada,
So far we have walked over 100km and are doing well. Traffic on the Camino really picked up at Astorga, apparently there are a number of tour groups on the route. It was quite busy on the Camino until the first village where we left the tour group at the bar. We stopped at Rabinal De Camino, there we opted to stay in a small hotel. There we found out that they have ¨special¨ rooms for married couples where you get your own bathroom (a luxury on the Camino).
The cusine is interesting, Shiloh tried out the seafood only to find out that you get the entire creature served up on your plate. I spent the entire time watching his dinner plate to ensure nothing crawled over to mine. We fell in love with the bread and the cheese, so yummy. One can live on bread, cheese and fruit here.
After leaving Rabinal De Camino we stopped at the Cruz to Ferro. There is a tradition on the Camino where you carry a rock from home and lay the rock at the foot of the crucifix. Following this tradition we placed our rocks and said a prayer asking the Lord to consider our efforts on this pilgrimage along with our good deeds when we face our judgement day.
Next we stayed in Regios De Ambros, the walk there was rugged and uphill but the scenery was worth it. We arrived before the Albergue opened, so we decided to try a priviate pension. It was lovely as well. Had it not been for the rain, we could have spent hours relaxing in the garden.
Leaving Regios De Ambros, we took the ¨rough route¨ instead of the road. The extra exertion was worth it. We walked along a rocky descent through a chestnut forest and along the ridge of a mountain. I had no idea that the mountains of Leon were this high, the views were worth it. We are thankful that in preparation for the Camino we had done some training walks in mountains as it really helped out these past few days.
We had planned on a 13km walk today, but we did a little extra as we got lost trying to find our hotel. After asking a few locals (with the wee bit of Spanish that we picked up along the way) we found our way. It´s raining in Ponferrada and it looks like we will have a couple of days of walking in the rain before the sunshine returns. We do however, welcome the cooler temperatures.
We are now about 210km from Santiago
Christiana and Shiloh
So far we have walked over 100km and are doing well. Traffic on the Camino really picked up at Astorga, apparently there are a number of tour groups on the route. It was quite busy on the Camino until the first village where we left the tour group at the bar. We stopped at Rabinal De Camino, there we opted to stay in a small hotel. There we found out that they have ¨special¨ rooms for married couples where you get your own bathroom (a luxury on the Camino).
The cusine is interesting, Shiloh tried out the seafood only to find out that you get the entire creature served up on your plate. I spent the entire time watching his dinner plate to ensure nothing crawled over to mine. We fell in love with the bread and the cheese, so yummy. One can live on bread, cheese and fruit here.
After leaving Rabinal De Camino we stopped at the Cruz to Ferro. There is a tradition on the Camino where you carry a rock from home and lay the rock at the foot of the crucifix. Following this tradition we placed our rocks and said a prayer asking the Lord to consider our efforts on this pilgrimage along with our good deeds when we face our judgement day.
Next we stayed in Regios De Ambros, the walk there was rugged and uphill but the scenery was worth it. We arrived before the Albergue opened, so we decided to try a priviate pension. It was lovely as well. Had it not been for the rain, we could have spent hours relaxing in the garden.
Leaving Regios De Ambros, we took the ¨rough route¨ instead of the road. The extra exertion was worth it. We walked along a rocky descent through a chestnut forest and along the ridge of a mountain. I had no idea that the mountains of Leon were this high, the views were worth it. We are thankful that in preparation for the Camino we had done some training walks in mountains as it really helped out these past few days.
We had planned on a 13km walk today, but we did a little extra as we got lost trying to find our hotel. After asking a few locals (with the wee bit of Spanish that we picked up along the way) we found our way. It´s raining in Ponferrada and it looks like we will have a couple of days of walking in the rain before the sunshine returns. We do however, welcome the cooler temperatures.
We are now about 210km from Santiago
Christiana and Shiloh
Hi Chris and Shiloh,
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your latest blog update. We are sitting just fifty kilometers from Santiago in Melida. Thought we would let you know that if you decide to stay here, there is a provisional alburgue set up as you enter town. This is because the centrally located municipal alburgue is undergoing renovations. We ended up staying at a nice little hotel just down the street from the alburgue under renovation.
Like you we are seeing increasing numbers of tour groups that get bused to various points on the Camino, walk a few kilometers and then take over the bar restaurants.
Best wishes,
Wendy and Jim