Losing the arrows in Barco de Valdeorras

[Bad Pilgrim]

So okay,

I came to think about one thing in the draft of the Invierno guide of 2016. It concerns O Barco (my 2nd stage). The arrows take you for a walk along the river for a long time, that's correct. At your left, river, at your right: multiple cafés, restaurants, playgrounds and nice stuff, really beuatiful and a lot of people. But... When it ended, there was a small bridge (like 2-3 meters long, just to get over a branch of the river) that made me keep on going forard from the direction I came from. Arrow veeery visible! Took me for a long desperate walk without any arrows at all. I went back in a circle to the same small bridge, confirmed there was an arrow, where I asked a man who took me to the right track (NOT going over bridge, but turning right for a while and then turn left which finally put me on the "carretera" for Arcos.

I don't recognise either of my ways above as listed in the draft of the guide (or is the bridge implicit in your directions?). There is no mention of the small bridge at the end of the walk by the river. That's why I write this: future pilgrims WILL go straight for bad bridge and mean arrow. If it's the wrong way - what are they doing there?

Sorry, can't be more specific than this, don't know if you can picture the places I talk about...

If no-one else has had any problems between O Barco And Arcos, I rest my case...

Anyways........

/BP

 

[KinkyOne]

So okay,

I came to think about one thing in the draft of the Invierno guide of 2016. It concerns O Barco (my 2nd stage). The arrows take you for a walk along the river for a long time, that's correct. At your left, river, at your right: multiple cafés, restaurants, playgrounds and nice stuff, really beuatiful and a lot of people. But... When it ended, there was a small bridge (like 2-3 meters long, just to get over a branch of the river) that made me keep on going forard from the direction I came from. Arrow veeery visible! Took me for a long desperate walk without any arrows at all. I went back in a circle to the same small bridge, confirmed there was an arrow, where I asked a man who took me to the right track (NOT going over bridge, but turning right for a while and then turn left which finally put me on the "carretera" for Arcos.

I don't recognise either of my ways above as listed in the draft of the guide (or is the bridge implicit in your directions?). There is no mention of the small bridge at the end of the walk by the river. That's why I write this: future pilgrims WILL go straight for bad bridge and mean arrow. If it's the wrong way - what are they doing there?

Sorry, can't be more specific than this, don't know if you can picture the places I talk about...

If no-one else has had any problems between O Barco And Arcos, I rest my case...

Anyways........

/BP

Same problem here!

I posted about it:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-camino-de-invierno-july-2014.25355/
(posts 18 - 21)

Next time I'll walk over the small bridge and see where the trail ends. I'm almost sure it gets you to the roundabout before Hiper Gadis at the far end of O Barco. I have already discused that with @peregrina2000 last year but I guess nobody else encountered same problem.

Good to mention it again!!!

 

[KinkyOne]

Wow, very fast response by our Laurie

I want just add that the above problem would be most probably noticed only by the pilgrims that want to push forward either to Vilamartin or A Rua the same day. Otherwise you would take one of the streets to the right from the river either you decide to stay at one of the private acommodations or going to Xagoaza albergue which offers different option for next day.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, K1 and BP,
I've moved these two posts to a new thread to see if we can get more input, and figure out what to say in the guide.

I followed the river to the center of Barco (where BP describes all the cafes, etc) and when I got there, turned right and went to find a pension. Then the next day, I followed the arrows, which are very well marked from the AVenida de Eulogio Fernandez.

Take a look at this wikiloc track and see if you can help me figure it out.
http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=8420979

It sounds like you didn't go into town and just kept on by the river, which is definitely not where I went or where I saw the arrows. I don't think I was by the river again until I got to Arcos.

Is there any reason why we shouldn't tell people to head into town and get to Eulogio Fernandez? If you two can figure out a good way to describe an alternative that doesn't go through town, one that stays by the river to Arcos, I'll be happy to put it in there.

 

[KinkyOne]

I have looked at the map Laurie and if you go along the Sil river all the way until the 90 degrees right turn (some 100mts before the bridge) toward N-536 and the first roundabout it can be really lovely walk. As you come to the roundabout turn left, go straight to the secont roundabout (where I noticed the yellow arrow when coming on Estrada Vella Pobra from Xagoaza albergue) and straight to Hiper Gadis. That's it.

Also I see from the GPS track that from Xagoaza albergue the Camino goes on the righthand side of N-120 but when descending (from Xagoaza) I didn't noticed any right turn until O Barco and then turned right on the lefthandside of N-120 (arrows disappeared there though but I had an idea what direction I should go).

Maybe we should all go together there and after short stage from Puente de Domingo Florez or even Sobradelo do some investigation followed by nice dinner with local wine. That would be nice

 

[peregrina2000]

I have looked at the map Laurie and if you go along the Sil river all the way until the 90 degrees right turn (some 100mts before the bridge) toward N-536 and the first roundabout it can be really lovely walk. As you come to the roundabout turn left, go straight to the secont roundabout (where I noticed the yellow arrow when coming on Estrada Vella Pobra from Xagoaza albergue) and straight to Hiper Gadis. That's it.

Also I see from the GPS track that from Xagoaza albergue the Camino goes on the righthand side of N-120 but when descending (from Xagoaza) I didn't noticed any right turn until O Barco and then turned right on the lefthandside of N-120 (arrows disappeared there though but I had an idea what direction I should go).

Maybe we should all go together there and after short stage from Puente de Domingo Florez or even Sobradelo do some investigation followed by nice dinner with local wine. That would be nice

Thanks for this, K1. I am away from my computer and files for about a week, but when I get home I will use your paragraph to describe the alternative way -- by that I mean how to walk through Barco without going into town.

But what about Bad PIlgrim's comments? I'm assuming your experience was better than that.

What about his comments about the "small bridge" and the "long desperate walk?"

 

[KinkyOne]

Thanks for this, K1. I am away from my computer and files for about a week, but when I get home I will use your paragraph to describe the alternative way -- by that I mean how to walk through Barco without going into town.

But what about Bad PIlgrim's comments? I'm assuming your experience was better than that.

What about his comments about the "small bridge" and the "long desperate walk?"

I went the same way as he did. Along the promenade (arrows on the cast iron fence by the river) till the end, there I crossed the small bridge and walked for about a kilometer straight along the river. Since there was no arrow that I could see I ask two elderly ladies and they pointed me back and away from the Sil in direction of Xagoaza. Soon I came to petrol station and from there on it was easy to find the way to the albergue.
Although it was brutally steep and on tarmac all the way. When I came there hospitalera and her mother were awaiting me already. I said loudly "nunca mas"! They were laughing and hospitalera (I've forgot her name) told me she had heard that sentence from more than 50% pilgrims

 

[peregrina2000]

I went the same way as he did. Along the promenade (arrows on the cast iron fence by the river) till the end, there I crossed the small bridge and walked for about a kilometer straight along the river. Since there was no arrow that I could see I ask two elderly ladies and they pointed me back and away from the Sil in direction of Xagoaza. Soon I came to petrol station and from there on it was easy to find the way to the albergue.
Although it was brutally steep and on tarmac all the way. When I came there hospitalera and her mother were awaiting me already. I said loudly "nunca mas"! They were laughing and hospitalera (I've forgot her name) told me she had heard that sentence from more than 50% pilgrims

Is the turn onto Camino PRaia de Ouro (you can see street names if you zoom in on wikiloc map)?

But now I realize I am really confused. So did you cross the river to get on the other side from Barco? OR did you stay on the Barco side the whole way?

 

[KinkyOne]

When you turn sharp right from Sil a little bit before the roundabout Camino Praia de Ouro is coming from the right side (20mts maybe).
I have to emphasize that I didn't walk that route, I just try to mark it from the map. After crossing the little bridge at the end of the promenade, the path was about 3-5mts wide therefore I assume it's very popular by the locals and on the map it seems like public path all the way to mentioned sharp right turn.

 

[VNwalking]

Maybe we should all go together there and after short stage from Puente de Domingo Florez or even Sobradelo do some investigation...

March-April, anyone??
This does seem pretty confusing...but on the ground I assume it will make more sense....

 

[peregrina2000]

March-April, anyone??
This does seem pretty confusing...but on the ground I assume it will make more sense....

Not to worry, I've walked this way twice and I was always sensible enough to spend the night in Barco de Valdeorras, which is a very nice town. And from the center of town the Camino is very well marked!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I'm up for an exploratory turn around O Barco. I love that neighborhood!

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Oh,

I spread confusion wherever I go... :O(

K1 writes in his log: "small wooden footbridge with two freshly painted arrows" so we are definitely talking about the same bridge. Now I understand that you don't see them if you go through town to stay at the albergues, so that's why the guide of 2016 doesn't mention the bridge. But everyone won't stay in an albergue in O Barco so if we could solve this problem this will make life easier for future pilgrims. You will definitely walk straight towards that bridge if you have decided to push on.

I'll try to recall more details... As K1 says there is a "normal", quite wide, camino with gravel after bridge so it's not an abandoned path or anything. And here is the thing: of course I thought that, following the river, I would end up in Arcos because I knew I was at least going in the right direction. But if I'm not mistaken, I remember a truck, construction gear and some sort of fences stopping me - the road split in two - so I couldn't keep on following the road in the same direction. I had to keep on walking on the road that.... slowly made a u-turn and took me back to where I started.

This is so annoying: I'm not sure there was construction there, or if it's just my imagination (I didn't take notes on this, I never knew I would have to recall it)...

/BP

 

[KinkyOne]

Hey, BP, could you look at this map:
http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=8420979
and follow the track from the promenade along the Sil river. Maybe you'll remember where the fence was. I can't see any fence on that path/gravel road that's why I described how "could be done" in one of the previous posts. Not sure about that of course!

 

[VNwalking]

I'm up for an exploratory turn around O Barco. I love that neighborhood!

Me too...at least it looks more and more like I may be nosing around there in the spring. Now nice to be a guinea pig....!
(Only thing is...I will be missing the meseta. At this point it's a toss-up...so I am thinking to let the weather forecast decide my fate...)
(BTW, Reb, I hope there has been progress on that book! And whether or not, you will definitely deserve a good walk!)

 

[KinkyOne]

Me too...at least it looks more and more like I may be nosing around there in the spring. Now nice to be a guinea pig....!
(Only thing is...I will be missing the meseta. At this point it's a toss-up...so I am thinking to let the weather forecast decide my fate...)
(BTW, Reb, I hope there has been progress on that book! And whether or not, you will definitely deserve a good walk!)

Hey Viranani, if you are really concerned about missing a Meseta then I suggest walking Camino de Madrid first (you'll be quite fed up with the plains) and then Camino de Invierno

Either way - Ultreia!

 

[VNwalking]

I suggest walking Camino de Madrid first (you'll be quite fed up with the plains) and then Camino de Invierno

Ha ha! Wanna bet? Someday when I have time (and it's not semana santa) I will do just that and see which one of us is wrong!
(Anyway this year I must choose, or do a little here and a little there--I only have 2 weeks free, including travel days....)

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Hey, BP, could you look at this map:
http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=8420979
and follow the track from the promenade along the Sil river. Maybe you'll remember where the fence was. I can't see any fence on that path/gravel road that's why I described how "could be done" in one of the previous posts. Not sure about that of course!

Hi,

I don't even see where the little bridge would be, where the walk along the river would stop. In either way I become more and more convinved that the split road with construction gear is just my imagination... Wish I could go there to look for myself!

 

[KinkyOne]

Next time on Invierno I won't go up to Xagoaza albergue although it's very nice. Instead I'll find acommodation in O Barco and after dinner a short walk along the river would be nice. Maybe someone will try that before me

 

[peregrina2000]

So, here is a first draft for the paragraph I propose for alerting people to the Barco de Valdeorras bypass. This is not likely to be a great help, since it is put together by someone who has never walked it (me) who is trying to interpret two other pilgrims' imperfect memories (K1 and BP). But it's a start:

Note on bypassing the town of O Barco de Valdeorras.
If you do not plan to stop in O Barco (though it is a big lively town with all services, great wine, and good accommodation), you can save a few hundred meters and avoid following the waymarked Camino, which goes through town and then out again. Once you are on the river walk, after you pass the cafés, parks, and playgrounds, you will come to a small wooden footbridge with two freshly painted arrows. This bridge does not take you across the river itself; it takes you over a small tributary emptying into the river. The path is wide and covered in gravel, so it is obviously a path used by townspeople. After about a km, take a sharp right turn, onto Camino Praia de Ouro, which leads to a roundabout. Take the road heading to the left (not the N-120, but a lesser traveled road that is slightly north of the N-120), which passes by the Gadis hypermarket, and you will soon merge back onto the Camino and enter the town of Arcos. This link will take you to the GPS tracks of the stage out of O Barco. You can zoom in to see the river walk, the roundabout, the Gadis, etc, and maybe that will help you. http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=8420979

Two additional comments:
-- If you plan to go to the albergue at Xagoaza, you do NOT want to take this bypass because you will have missed the turn-off to the albergue by the time you merge back onto the Camino.
-- If you find yourself on the Camino de Invierno this summer, sleeping in O Barco, with some time in the afternoon to enjoy a river walk, we would be most appreciative for any enlightenment you could bring to the question of the O Barco bypass.


Ok, editors, have at it. I tend to the verbose side (but then you already knew that if you have read any of my postings), but I am trying to make this as clear as possible.

 

[KinkyOne]

That's just great Laurie!!! Short, simple, easy.
Will get to you soon with rereading overview of the guide. I know I promised it till NY

 

[peregrina2000]

That's just great Laurie!!! Short, simple, easy.
Will get to you soon with rereading overview of the guide. I know I promised it till NY

No rush, K1. I have gotten lots of good feedback from forum members, and I don't plan to post the new version till January or February. I'm also waiting for a couple of other busy people to get time to edit it. I've sent the "pre release" versions to people who may be walking the Invierno next year, so we can take our time to finish it up. Buen camino, Laurie