LIVE from the Camino Limping on the Invierno!

[ebrandt]

Here goes. We are behind our itninerary because of injury and illness, but we are finally here! We decided to skip the first stage of the invierno because we are both still recovering from minor covid cases. We had planned to stay at the albergue at Vilavieja but we didnt want to risk that there would be other pilgrims there -- it seemed too soon to sleep in a dorm. So yesterday we took a cab from Ponferrada to Las Medulas. It was 41€, yikes! We are staying two nights at Complejo Rural Agoga. It is great. We are in a little cottage. Its lovely -- like a little fanciful wonderland. The owner is wonderful. We wanted to leave early today to hike up to Orellan because it is supposed to be 38 degrees. She gave us a great to go breakfast, and will do so again tomorrow so we can beat the heat to Sobradelo. Las Medulas is completely absorbing. Its hard to imagine that is is a man made landscape! My metallurgist husband cannot get enough. Nor can I. We walked a 10 km circle this morning that was really cool.

Tomorrow we will walk to Sobradelo. FYI we are using Manuel Mar for pack transport. He seems to deal with texts the best and is great. I'm looking forward to meeting him tomorrow. The pic is a panorama at Las Medulas!

Liz

 

[Former member 49149]

Here goes. We are behind our itninerary because of injury and illness, but we are finally here! we decided to skip the first stage of the invierno because we are both still recovering from minor covid cases. We had planned to stay at the albergue at Vilavieja but we didnt want to risk that there would be other pilgrims there -- it seemed too soon to sleep in a dorm. So yesterday we took a cab from Ponferrada to Las Medulas. It was 41€, yikes! We are staying two nights at Complejo Rural Agoga. It is great. We are in a little cottage. Its lovely -- like a little fanciful wonderland. The owner is wonderful. We wanted to leave early today to hike up to Orellan because it is supposed to be 38 degrees today. She gave us a great to go breakfast, and will do so again tomorrow so we can beat the heat to Sobradelo. Las Medulas is completely absorbing. its had to imagine that is is a man made landscape! My mettalurgist husband cannot get enough. We walked a 10 km circle this morning that was really cool.

Tomorrow we will walk to Sobradelo. FYI we are using Manuel Mar for pack transport. He seems to deal with texts the best and is great. I'm looking forward to meeting him tomorrow. the pic isna panorama at Las Medulas!

Liz

Great to see you are finding ways around your plans, even if somewhat costly. May the rest of your time and plans work well for you.

 

[J Willhaus]

Here goes. We are behind our itninerary because of injury and illness, but we are finally here! We decided to skip the first stage of the invierno because we are both still recovering from minor covid cases. We had planned to stay at the albergue at Vilavieja but we didnt want to risk that there would be other pilgrims there -- it seemed too soon to sleep in a dorm. So yesterday we took a cab from Ponferrada to Las Medulas. It was 41€, yikes! We are staying two nights at Complejo Rural Agoga. It is great. We are in a little cottage. Its lovely -- like a little fanciful wonderland. The owner is wonderful. We wanted to leave early today to hike up to Orellan because it is supposed to be 38 degrees. She gave us a great to go breakfast, and will do so again tomorrow so we can beat the heat to Sobradelo. Las Medulas is completely absorbing. Its hard to imagine that is is a man made landscape! My metallurgist husband cannot get enough. Nor can I. We walked a 10 km circle this morning that was really cool.

Tomorrow we will walk to Sobradelo. FYI we are using Manuel Mar for pack transport. He seems to deal with texts the best and is great. I'm looking forward to meeting him tomorrow. The pic is a panorama at Las Medulas!

Liz

So sorry to hear you have been ill. Glad you are on your way. I know your husband was particularly looking forward to the old mines. We're on our way to Spain in a week so keep posting so I can tolerate the wait with a little jealousy.

 

[Glenshiro]

Glad to see I'm not alone on the Invierno! I'm just ahead of you at Puente Domingo. Doing short days as it's just too hot in the afternoon. The walk here from Las Medulas was one of the best ever.

 

[ebrandt]

Day 1. Las Medulas to Sobradelo.
@Glenshiro you were wise! We started this morning at 6:15 and still ended up walking in 30+ heat for the last hour of our walk because we are so slow! We arrived at Casa Mar which is a bit funky and odd, but comfy and Manuel Mar is absolutely lovely. He has our laundry, has fed us raciones and is looking after us well!

It is a great walk down from Las Medulas to Puente de Domingo Florez. My only issue is that I walked the whole way with a personal swarm of flies! Tom was bothered by a few, but even he could see the black surrounding me. All I could think of is that kid's poem: "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, I don't know why she swallowed a fly, Poor old lady, perhaps she'll die!" I can definately offer clues as to how one swallows a fly, and I do think this old lady will survive. But it was darn annoying!

A couple route notes: if you take the short cut through Puente you will miss the lovely new albergue Casa Rosa. We walked by and it looked so nice. Past Casa Rosa on Calle Toral to the right is Bar/Cafe Los Arcos, which opens at 8 and was very nice, and is across the street from a Corviran that opens at 9. We did not see another open bar!

L

 

[Theatregal]

It is a great walk down from Las Medulas to Puente de Domingo Florez. My only issue is that I walked the whole way with a personal swarm of flies! Tom was bothered by a few, but even he could see the black surrounding me. All I could think of is that kid's poem: "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, I don't know why she swallowed a fly, Poor old lady, perhaps she'll die!" I can definately offer clues as to how one swallows a fly, and I do think this old lady will survive. But it was darn annoying!

Liz - I just realized - you're walking the Invierno at the same time I did in 2019. There were a few times that I encountered those swarms of black flies! And they weren't little! My poles were swinging!

 

[C clearly]

Good to hear that today went well, except for the flies. I didn't encounter them a few weeks ago.

Where are you staying tomorrow? I just wanted to mention that the albergue in Vilamartin is housing some Ukrainian refugees. There may still be beds for pilgrims if you call the posted phone number, but I chose to walk on.

 

[ebrandt]

Liz - I just realized - you're walking the Invierno at the same time I did in 2019. There were a few times that I encountered those swarms of black flies! And they weren't little! My poles were swinging!

I developed a technique of using one of my poles like a baton twirler in front of my face while I walked down the hill using the other pole for balance and knee support. I must have looked like a bizarre old lady, indeed!

 

[ebrandt]

Good to hear that today went well, except for the flies. I didn't encounter them a few weeks ago.

Where are you staying tomorrow? I just wanted to mention that the albergue in Vilamartin is housing some Ukrainian refugees. There may still be beds for pilgrims if you call the posted phone number, but I chose to walk on.

We are staying at the Albergue at Vilamartin. I've been texting with the person who runs it so I know there are beds for us and about the Ukrainian Refugees. The albergue in Vitoria was doing the same thing. We spent an hour the night we were there playing with kids in the common space!

 

[J Willhaus]

A couple route notes: if you take the short cut through Puente you will miss the lovely new albergue Casa Rosa. We walked by and it looked so nice. Past Casa Rosa on Calle Toral to the right is Bar/Cafe Los Arcos, which opens at 8 and was very nice, and is across the street from a Corviran that opens at 9. We did not see another open bar!

Casa Rosa is on WhatsApp so I would give her a shout if you are wanting to stay there in the future!

 

[ebrandt]

Day 2: Sobradelo to Villamartin de Valdeorras.

The walk from Sobradelo to O Barco this morning was glorious. Although there was some road walking the walk up around the vinyards was great. We saw a wild boar crossing the highway just after Sobradelo! Éntoma is really pretty. ,And the vineyard walk is lined with cork oak, which we had never seen. The views were spectacular.

Whoops -- didn't mean to post yet, I'll continue in another post!

 

[ebrandt]

Day 2 continued. As we walked into O Barco,a local guy started talking to us and walked almost the whole length of the Melocan with us. He was nice and funny and also showed us a great cafeteria for breakfast.

The walk out of O Barco is a bit of a slog until you get past Arcos. After that things start to get rural again. We are at the albergue in Villamartin. There are two Ukrainian refugee families living here. What difficult circumstances for them, but we are already enjoying playing with the kids. There is also no water at the moment because they are filling the swimming pool. I hope that changes .

Some route notes: it's easy to miss the turn off to Èntoma if you are walking on the left side of the highway ( which we were). The bollard turned so that the Camino shell and arrow can only be seen from the other side of the road. Walking out of O Barco, we somehow missed the signs. The only ones we saw seemed to take you up to the Xagoaza albergue. Likewise, I guess our gps tracks are old because they only went that direction too. It's pretty hard to get lost but it's easy to end up in the wrong side of the autopista!

Tom's knee and my ankle are holding up. L

 

[Albertagirl]

I am following your progress with interest, as I plan on walking much of it in the fall, including the Vasco Interior, the Invierno, and the Frances between. It is only a couple of years since I walked the Invierno, but there seem to have been so many changes, particularly in accommodation. I have purchased a copy of Brierley's guide to the Invierno, but many of the changes which I have heard of seem to have been more recent. I suspect that I shall be able to find my way, but am more uncertain about accommodation, particularly as I shall be going through rather late in the fall. My main concern at the moment is getting covid, which appears to be common on pilgrim routes and unavoidable. I may stay in private accommodation as much as possible, but at present I cannot see how one can avoid covid on the pilgrim routes in Spain. I hope that the two of you are recovering well and enjoying your walk on the Invierno.

 

[ebrandt]

@Albertagirl --
We are recovering and both actually tested negative this morning. We were worried when we heard that Ukrainian families would be at the Villamartin albergue.

I'm not sure I would rely on the Brierly guide. I think he used a lot of pre COVID info that is now out of date. @peregrina2000 's guide is the best and Gronze has had very accurate info. We haven't had any trouble finding accomodation. I think it will depend on your stages. One bit of feedback -- I thought the accommodations at Bar Mar in Sobradelo were iffy. I'm not sure I would want to stay there on my own. This albergue at Villamartín is very nice. Clean as a pin and the hospitalera/o has been really great to communicate with on WhatsApp. I guess the water issue I mentioned earlier was the result of filling the swimming pool. Anyway, we now have water so it wasn't a big deal.

One other thing that just came to mind-- double check all cell phone numbers in whatever guide you use with the numbers on Gronze. We have run into lots of changes! Gronze has always seemed to have the most up to date info.

Re COVID, I don't know what to say. Not staying in dorms might help. But as we have tried to isolate we have realized how communal an experience the Camino is -- people are always stopping, talking, sitting down next to you, eating is either communal or on top of others at a restaurant. Being outside helps. But when you sit and eat 3 feet from someone for a half hour at an outdoor cafe..... The other thing is that I think the symptoms of the current virus are often so mild in most vaccinated people that it doesn't even dawn on them that they might have COVID. We only tested because we happened to be carrying tests. We thought, no way this is COVID, but... we've got tests so let's be sure.

 

[Albertagirl]

Thank you.
I am not expecting the Brierley guide to be up to date, just accurate about locations and distances and a good reminder about the route. I used @peregrina2000 's guide for my previous walk and will no doubt use it again. But posts on this forum note many changes and I am unsure how I can keep up with them all. I am starting in Le Puy, so will have many routes and places to stay to try to keep track of. I am more concerned about the Le Puy route for covid contacts, as much of the accommodation is very communal: dormitories and no place to get meals but the pilgrim gites, as the route seems to not have many towns. But I have seen no mention of covid on Le Puy threads and many for routes in Spain. I don't know why this is.

 

[Glenshiro]

Day 1. Las Medulas to Sobradelo.
@Glenshiro you were wise! We started this morning at 6:15 and still ended up walking in 30+ heat for the last hour of our walk because we are so slow! We arrived at Casa Mar which is a bit funky and odd, but comfy and Manuel Mar is absolutely lovely. He has our laundry, has fed us raciones and is looking after us well!

It is a great walk down from Las Medulas to Puente de Domingo Florez. My only issue is that I walked the whole way with a personal swarm of flies! Tom was bothered by a few, but even he could see the black surrounding me. All I could think of is that kid's poem: "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, I don't know why she swallowed a fly, Poor old lady, perhaps she'll die!" I can definately offer clues as to how one swallows a fly, and I do think this old lady will survive. But it was darn annoying!

A couple route notes: if you take the short cut through Puente you will miss the lovely new albergue Casa Rosa. We walked by and it looked so nice. Past Casa Rosa on Calle Toral to the right is Bar/Cafe Los Arcos, which opens at 8 and was very nice, and is across the street from a Corviran that opens at 9. We did not see another open bar!

L

Totally agree about the flies. I wish I had a beekeeper's hat, I saw people wearing them on the West Highland Way a few years ago to keep the midges off. You are doing well - I am in O Barco for the night, A Rua tomorrow and then, sadly, duty calls and I must get home. I had intended to be in Santiago last year!

 

[C clearly]

I thought the accommodations at Bar Mar in Sobradelo were iffy.

Yes, they were a tad shabby but clean. However, I was fine as I had a 4-bed room to myself, my laundry was done, and the price was right. The bed springs were so noisy, that I think mattresses on the floor would be better. Do you know if Manuel runs the albergue, the bar, and the luggage service all by himself? I wasn't sure what the hours of operation were, and he seemed to have a lot on his plate.

 

[ebrandt]

Yes, they were a tad shabby but clean. However, I was fine as I had a 4-bed room to myself, my laundry was done, and the price was right. The bed springs were so noisy, that I think mattresses on the floor would be better. Do you know if Manuel runs the albergue, the bar, and the luggage service all by himself? I wasn't sure what the hours of operation were, and he seemed to have a lot on his plate.

I agree with all you said. I'm not sure if Manuel has any help but none was in evidence.... and he is a most dependable guy so far!

 

[Albertagirl]

I agree with all you said. I'm not sure if Manuel has any help but none was in evidence.... and he is a most dependable guy so far!

I have just checked my much scribbled list (typed up tidily, then almost everything changed) of places to stay on the Invierno, and find that I spent a night at Bar Mar in Sobradelo. As it has not stuck in my mind, I guess that it was no better, not worse. than my other accommodation.

 

[ranthr]

I developed a technique of using one of my poles like a baton twirler in front of my face while I walked down the hill using the other pole for balance and knee support. I must have looked like a bizarre old lady, indeed!

I guess I walked a couple of weeks earlier on my Invierno in 2018 and it was not as hot as these days and no flies. I always bring a headnet to put over my cap since I am from a mosquitoarea at home, but I was not bothered at all on the Invierno. Hope it gets better on the way.

 

[peregrina2000]

My only issue is that I walked the whole way with a personal swarm of flies!

I have had two terrible fly experiences. One on the Invierno, between Quiroga and Chantada (so that one is still awaiting you!). The other was last September on the Salvador. I found that my N95 mask and my sunglasses did the trick, but maybe I was just scaring the flies away.

 

[Theatregal]

My worst fly time on the Invierno was the descent from Monte de Faro along the road beside the endless ridge of windmills!

 

[C clearly]

Just a couple of weeks ago, I didn't encounter any of these swarming flies on the Invierno!

 

[ebrandt]

Day 3: We decided to stop at A Rua today and not walk to Montefurado because of the heat. It's supposed to be 36 this afternoon and the air quality here in the Rio Sil valley is in the red zone. So we got to A Rua, and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. We wanted to stop at a sports store because I left my long sleeve light weight UV shirt somewhere. We struck out, though. Maybe Monforte will have something. FYI, the Tri-Sports store in A Rua is closed. We were able to check in early at CR Pacio do Sil -- it lives up to its reputation! We have a fan in our room, screens in the windows, and a spa tub. I am in happy land!

Vilamartìn was a hard place to stay. The only open restaurant is at Hostal A Lastra, almost 2km from the albergue. We didn't want to cook at the albergue because we didn't want to get in the way of the Ukrainians (who were lovely and interesting, and incredibly stressed). We walked all the way back to the restaurant at 7:00 only to discover their kitchen closed at 3:30! They kindly made us bodadillos. Then we slogged our way back to the albergue in the heat.

I wanted to put in a plug for the alternative route between Vilamartìn and A Rua. Just after the Camino leaves Vilamartìn after the dam, where the senda starts, the Junta has a sign advertising an alternative, safer route. It has a very steep 200 meter-ish climb at the beginning and then goes along vineyard access roads. It's beautiful. And there is no big down. It's well signed and rejoins the main route near Bar San Roque. Here are some pics from the route.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Day 3: We decided to stop at A Rua today and not walk to Montefurado because of the heat. It's supposed to be 36 this afternoon and the air quality here in the Rio Sil valley is in the red zone. So we got to A Rua, and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. We wanted to stop at a sports store because I left my long sleeve light weight UV shirt somewhere. We struck out, though. Maybe Monforte will have something. FYI, the Tri-Sports store in A Rua is closed. We were able to check in early at CR Pacio do Sil -- it lives up to its reputation! We have a fan in our room, screens in the windows, and a spa tub. I am in happy land!

Vilamartìn was a hard place to stay. The only open restaurant is at Hostal A Lastra, almost 2km from the albergue. We didn't want to cook at the albergue because we didn't want to get in the way of the Ukrainians (who were lovely and interesting, and incredibly stressed). We walked all the way back to the restaurant at 7:00 only to discover their kitchen closed at 3:30! They kindly made us bodadillos. Then we slogged our way back to the albergue in the heat.

I wanted to put in a plug for the alternative route between Vilamartìn and A Rua. Just after the Camino leaves Vilamartìn after the damn, where the senda starts, the Junta has a sign advertising an alternative, safer route. It has a very steep 200 meter-ish climb at the beginning and then goes along vineyard access roads. It's beautiful. And there is no big down. It's well signed and rejoins the main route near Bar San Roque. Here are some pics from the route.

This is helpful. I plan to walk the Invierno next month so I carefully monitor this info about lodging, alternative routes ... And flies!

The only time the flies were a problem for me on the Invierno was once on the descent from Diomondi to Belesar. Flinging my arms around while walking downwards on those rocks (and I wanted to walk as fast as possible to get away from them) was quite dangerous...!

 

[Theatregal]

We were able to check in early at CR Pacio do Sil -- it lives up to its reputation

I had a wonderful stay at Pacio do Sil! Julia and Alban were very kind - are they well?

 

[ebrandt]

I had a wonderful stay at Pacio do Sil! Julia and Alban were very kind - are they well?

They are well and I told Alban that you recommended their place! I think he remembered you, but my Spanish capacity was being exceeded . Julia was off running errands.

 

[C clearly]

I wanted to put in a plug for the alternative route between Vilamartìn and A Rua. Just after the Camino leaves Vilamartìn after the dam, where the senda starts, the Junta has a sign advertising an alternative, safer route.

Yes. The sign was a bit confusing. (Well, at least, I was tired and confused.) The problem was that the only mojón I saw was still pointing down the road. You have to cross the road to go under the highway overpass, and then you will see a new mojón pointing leftward to the new path on the north side of the highway. The first part of the path was a bit overgrown but it soon became a nice new path with great views.

Maybe this image will help. I have added the peach/pink notes and line. The green track is the old one, that I had on my phone.

 

[ebrandt]

You have to cross the road to go under the highway overpass, and then you will see a new mojón pointing leftward to the new path on the north side of the highway. The first part of the path was a bit overgrown but it soon became a nice new path with great views.

This is true, although the grass has been nicely mowed....

 

[Mycroft]

Thank you so much for the personalized info. It is very helpful and just what hoped to read!

 

[ebrandt]

Day 4. Montefurado to Quiroga.what a beautiful walk. We took the train from A Rua to Montefurado.

An aside about the train. There is a Renfe ticket machine in the train station at A Rua. There is no ticket machine at Montefurado. I don't think the Renfe App works either. The app actually does not list Montefurado as a station. I thought maybe the stop had been eliminated, but I checked Renfe online and was able to book the tickets. I've used Renfe quite a bit and both their app and site can be funky. But paying with PayPal seems to work well.

We thought the scenery was fabulous and passing through wine country and abandoned or mostly abandoned towns was also interesting. The ups and downs were not too terrible and that's saying a lot coming from Tom and me!

We are staying in Hostal Quiper in Quiroga. It is quite nice.

Having said all of that, I have to confess the two of us are a bit of a mess. Today was only 16.4 and we are exhausted. Maybe it's the heat. It was 32 when we got to Quiroga. Maybe it's just lingering fatigue from COVID. We did not feel very sick at all, but we are really dragging. And I have developed a painful blister on the ball of my right foot. I have neuropathy and numbness because of my ankle replacement. And after feeling for weeks that I was getting a blister on the ball of my right foot and having nothing develop, I stopped checking. Aaaargh. It's developed. So tomorrow, we are going to take the train to Monforte and get a days rest.

 

[ebrandt]

Here are some pics from our day.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Day 4. Montefurado to Quiroga.what a beautiful walk. We took the train from A Rua to Montefurado.

An aside about the train. There is a Renfe ticket machine in the train station at A Rua. There is no ticket machine at Montefurado. I don't think the Renfe App works either. The app actually does not list Montefurado as a station. I thought maybe the stop had been eliminated, but I checked Renfe online and was able to book the tickets. I've used Renfe quite a bit and both their app and site can be funky. But paying with PayPal seems to work well.

We thought the scenery was fabulous and passing through wine country and abandoned or mostly abandoned towns was also interesting. The ups and downs were not too terrible and that's saying a lot coming from Tom and me!

We are staying in Hostal Quiper in Quiroga. It is quite nice.

Having said all of that, I have to confess the two of us are a bit of a mess. Today was only 16.4 and we are exhausted. Maybe it's the heat. It was 32 when we got to Quiroga. Maybe it's just lingering fatigue from COVID. We did not feel very sick at all, but we are really dragging. And I have developed a painful blister on the ball of my right foot. I have neuropathy and numbness because of my ankle replacement. And after feeling for weeks that I was getting a blister on the ball of my right foot and having nothing develop, I stopped checking. Aaaargh. It's developed. So tomorrow, we are going to take the train to Monforte and get a days rest.

Quiper is nice. They have renovated their rooms now I think?

Monforte is wonderful - you will be well rested!

Are you staying in Pension Miño in Monforte?

 

[ebrandt]

I thought Inwould add that we have hardly seen any pilgrims. There was a Spanish couple in Las Medulas who left before us and are clearly faster. This morning we met another Spanish pilgrim from Malaga and she is staying today in Quiroga. But that's it! I knew it would be quiet but had hoped for few more companions!

 

[ebrandt]

Quiper is nice. They have renovated their rooms now I think?

Monforte is wonderful - you will be well rested!

Are you staying in Pension Miño in Monforte?

They have definately renovated. Everything seems brand new and very nice! We are staying at Albergue Santiago 15 in Monforte.

 

[ebrandt]

Day 4 Quiroga to Monforte by train. Quiroga is a lovely town. Quiper was a good Hostal for the price especially (34€ for a double), it was a bit stuffy and there was some noise from the bar if you opened the windows, but we would definitely recommend. We had a good meal at A Taberna -- great, creative hamburgers and good patatas bravas. And we were able to eat at 7:00 in the evening!

This morning we walked to San Clodio and took the train to Monforte. FYI there was nothing open either in San Clodio or Quiroga for breakfast until 7:15. We had originally planned to stay in San Clodio to shorten the stage to Salcedo. But none of the phone numbers I had for Hotel Las Vegas in San Clodio wee good -- we discovered why this morning -- it is closed and for rent.

We are in Monforte and are staying two nights at Albergue Santiago 15. Talk about the lap of albergue luxury. It is comfy, with pods for beds. It's spotless, and has a nice common room and garden. Monforte is a beautiful city. We shopped for a new shirt for me this morning (I left my long sleeve shirt somewhere back days ago and just assumed I wouldn't need it. But, incredibly, tomorrow is predicted to be chilly!)

L

 

[peregrina2000]

But none of the phone numbers I had for Hotel Las Vegas in San Clodio wee good -- we discovered why this morning -- it is closed and for rent.

Another covid casualty perhaps. This was clearly a family-run operation, and the couple in charge was of retirement age. Thanks for the heads up!

Monforte is a good place for a rest day. I’ve never done most of the tourist things there, but both the wine center and the Escolapios get good reviews (there’s an El Greco or two there, but I am not a huge fan). What I have done is splurged in the parador, and I can recommend a nice drink in the bar and sitting on the walls outside to enjoy the views.

Hoping your rest will put that spark and pep back in your steps. You have had quite the eventful camino so far. Sending hopes that the last few days go well.

 

[ebrandt]

Monforte is a good place for a rest day. I’ve never done most of the tourist things there, but both the wine center and the Escolapios get good reviews (theres an El Greco or two there, but I am not a huge fan). What I have done is splurged in the parador, and I can recommend a nice drink in the bar and sitting on the walls outside to enjoy the views.

We treated ourselves to the Monforte Parafor when we transitioned from Miraz to walking. We took the train from Guitiriz near Miraz, stayed overnight at the Parador and then continued to Irun. What a treat it was. I'm trying to stay off my foot today but I think we will be tourists tomorrow with lots of time in between each stop and ending with drinks at the Parador. Thanks for that idea!

In deference to my foot we have jiggered our stages and are using up our last spare day. And can I say that I am so furious I got this @#$&*@&$! blister now, after thinking I had a blister for weeks and having nothing there. Ugh! I thought my ankle would be trouble but just not in this way. The joint has been great (knock on wood), but the numbness and neuropathy have really plagued me from the beginning. Just had to vent.

Here's what I think we will do ( I'm calling this Plan Z):
1. Monforte to Torre Vilariño
2. Torre Vilariño to Vilaseco (w/a cab from Diomondi to Iglesia S. Pedro) @16.7 km
3. Vilaseco to Vilanova (taking the low route through Mouricios and S. Vicente) and then cabbing forward to Rodiero to stay) @13-14 km
4. Vilanova (we'll cab back to it in the morning to start) to A Eirexe (we will cab back to Rodeiro and stay there a second night) 17.6 km
5. A Eirexe (we will cab forward to start there) to A Laxe 18 km
6. A Laxe to Bandeira 16.5 km
7. Bandeira to Outeiro 17.5 km
8. Outeiro to Santiago 17.4 km

I know I keep asking, but I'd love thought on this. And does anyone know the number for a taxi in Rodiero?

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

We had originally planned to stay in San Clodio to shorten the stage to Salcedo. But none of the phone numbers I had for Hotel Las Vegas in San Clodio wee good -- we discovered why this morning -- it is closed and for rent.

Oh No! I had planned to stay there this summer, also to shorten the next stage. I think I will return to Quiper then. Thanks for the info.

 

[peregrina2000]

Here's what I think we will do ( I'm calling this Plan Z):
1. Monforte to Torre Vilariño
2. Torre Vilariño to Vilaseco (w/a cab from Diomondi to Iglesia S. Pedro) @16.7 km
3. Vilaseco to Vilanova (taking the low route through Mouricios and S. Vicente) and then cabbing forward to Rodiero to stay) @13-14 km
4. Vilanova (we'll cab back to it in the morning to start) to A Eirexe (we will cab back to Rodeiro and stay there a second night) 17.6 km
5. A Eirexe (we will cab forward to start there) to A Laxe 18 km
6. A Laxe to Bandeira 16.5 km
7. Bandeira to Outeiro 17.5 km
8. Outeiro to Santiago 17.4 km

I think that if the people in charge of logistics had your skills, we would not have had a toilet paper shortage in the early stages of covid. You are a master.

I have probably already said some of this, but the “normal cab ride” from Diomondi to the church at San Pedro will not get you to the Miño crossing at Belesar. If you look at google maps, you’ll see that the obvious route on main roads goes from Diomondi through Chantada and back to San Pedro. It goes over a wide modern bridge across the Miño (I have driven in this area for tourism and that’s how we got to Diomondi). If you ask the driver to take you via Belesar (and maybe let you stop for a few minutes), you could then take the back roads that more or less parallel the Invierno to get you to San Pedro de Líncora without going through Chantada first. Just to check, I’m understanding that you have calculated walking from Torre Vilariño to Diomondi and San Pedro to Vilaseco and that gets you to the 16.7 km. The walk from San Pedro to Chantda isn’t so special, lots of road walking if I’m remembering correctly.

I’m assuming Vilanova is a little hamlet in between Vilaseco and Rodeiro, but I don’t remember it. With cab service in Lalín and Rodeiro, you should be fine with the cab trips you propose. I know you have already had one experience and will not be shocked by the prices.

I’m hoping this works for you and Tom and that you enjoy the rest of your camino. Fingers crossed for you guys.

 

[C clearly]

Vilaseco to Vilanova (taking the low route through Mouricios and S. Vicente)

The only Vilanova I see is not exactly en route from Vilaseco and Rodeiro. Is there accommodation there? Maybe it would be simpler to just use Hotel Vilaseco as your base for 2 nights. Manuel would probably help you figure out the taxi logistics.

And does anyone know the number for a taxi in Rodiero?

Sorry, I don't. But probably either Manuel of H. Vilaseco, or the people in Hostal Carpinteiras in Rodeiro could help.

 

[ebrandt]

but the “normal cab ride” from Diomondi to the church at San Pedro will not get you to the Miño crossing at Belesar.

Thanks! I did not process this. I figured out the distance just as you suspected. Where we stop at the top will likely depend on how we feel !

And you are right about Vilanova. After Peñasillas, it's the next town at the end of the windmills and after you cross the highway.....

 

[ebrandt]

The only Vilanova I see is not exactly en route from Vilaseco and Rodeiro. Is there accommodation there? Maybe it would be simpler to just use Hotel Vilaseco as your base for 2 nights. M

Vilanova de Camba is on Gronze and on the Brierly map and the Wise Pilgrim guide. It's 7.1 km before Rodiero so we thought we would stay twice at Hostal Carpinteira. That way we also would just make our arrangements with one taxi if possible..... but maybe the Vilaseco folks will be more helpful??? I need to figure this out by tomorrow because I need to let Manuel know about bag transport.

One other thing people might have opinions on.... we were just going to plan to stay in the Xunta Albergues in A Laxe, Bandeira and Outeiro. I know the general limitations of xunta Albergues. Anything else I should know?

 

[peregrina2000]

Taxi in Rodeiro (just as per google, though, not first hand knowledge).

Jose Fernández
Taxi service in Rodeiro, Spain
Address:
Praza Oseira, 18, 36530 Rodeiro, Pontevedra, Spain

Phone: +34 986 68 22 85


Oh, Vilanova de Camba! That’s where the beautiful pazo is. It will be a good pick-up spot and everyone will know about it. You might check on prices for the next few nights.

Airbnb: alojamientos para vacaciones, cabañas, casas en la playa, espacios únicos y experiencias

es-l.airbnb.com

I have never gotten inside, but it looks beautiful. I think they do weddings there, too — the last time I was by they were preparing for a family baptism, but that was before it had gone to Air BnB status.

 

[C clearly]

And you are right about Vilanova. After Peñasillas, it's the next town at the end of the windmills and after you cross the highway.....

I see now what you have planned for this part. I think you are wise to keep your taxi arrangements based in one place, i.e. Rodeiro. (While Manuel of H. Vilaseco might be very helpful, he is largely a one-man show, so you can't rely on him being available.)

Oh, Vilanova de Camba! That’s where the beautiful pazo is.

Yes, that pazo is easy to identify.

 

[ebrandt]

Unfortunately the Pazo is booked solid! Too bad!

 

[ebrandt]

Oh, and you found the same taxi I did through Rome to Rio. I'll keep checking .....

 

[Glenshiro]

Day 4. Montefurado to Quiroga.what a beautiful walk. We took the train from A Rua to Montefurado.

An aside about the train. There is a Renfe ticket machine in the train station at A Rua. There is no ticket machine at Montefurado. I don't think the Renfe App works either. The app actually does not list Montefurado as a station. I thought maybe the stop had been eliminated, but I checked Renfe online and was able to book the tickets. I've used Renfe quite a bit and both their app and site can be funky. But paying with PayPal seems to work well.

We thought the scenery was fabulous and passing through wine country and abandoned or mostly abandoned towns was also interesting. The ups and downs were not too terrible and that's saying a lot coming from Tom and me!

We are staying in Hostal Quiper in Quiroga. It is quite nice.

Having said all of that, I have to confess the two of us are a bit of a mess. Today was only 16.4 and we are exhausted. Maybe it's the heat. It was 32 when we got to Quiroga. Maybe it's just lingering fatigue from COVID. We did not feel very sick at all, but we are really dragging. And I have developed a painful blister on the ball of my right foot. I have neuropathy and numbness because of my ankle replacement. And after feeling for weeks that I was getting a blister on the ball of my right foot and having nothing develop, I stopped checking. Aaaargh. It's developed. So tomorrow, we are going to take the train to Monforte and get a days rest.

I wrestled with the ticket machine at A Rua railway station for about 20 minutes before it finally give up and printed the ticket I wanted. I was given a choice of two fares for the same trip but one of then wanted amongst other things, my passport number! I had tried the app, but it refused to accept any credit card offered. In my frustration I forgot that I actually have an account with RENFE and should simply have used their website.

I am full of admiration for your tenacity. I picked up a blister on my first day day on the Camino this year, walking from Leon to Hospital de Orbigo. I walked 120 miles across Scotland last year with not a hint of a blister, and my last blister was, you guessed it, on the Camino, approaching Leon in 2019.

I agree with you about the absence of other pilgrims. I only met one, a Spanish man from Madrid, and that was on my last day. He, too, found it quite impossible to walk after 1pm. I really enjoyed this camino, and look forward to returning next year, hoping to complete it to Santiago.

 

[Canche]

Here goes. We are behind our itninerary because of injury and illness, but we are finally here! We decided to skip the first stage of the invierno because we are both still recovering from minor covid cases. We had planned to stay at the albergue at Vilavieja but we didnt want to risk that there would be other pilgrims there -- it seemed too soon to sleep in a dorm. So yesterday we took a cab from Ponferrada to Las Medulas. It was 41€, yikes! We are staying two nights at Complejo Rural Agoga. It is great. We are in a little cottage. Its lovely -- like a little fanciful wonderland. The owner is wonderful. We wanted to leave early today to hike up to Orellan because it is supposed to be 38 degrees. She gave us a great to go breakfast, and will do so again tomorrow so we can beat the heat to Sobradelo. Las Medulas is completely absorbing. Its hard to imagine that is is a man made landscape! My metallurgist husband cannot get enough. Nor can I. We walked a 10 km circle this morning that was really cool.

Tomorrow we will walk to Sobradelo. FYI we are using Manuel Mar for pack transport. He seems to deal with texts the best and is great. I'm looking forward to meeting him tomorrow. The pic is a panorama at Las Medulas!

Liz

I'm doing the Invierno this September so really appreciate this.

 

[C clearly]

I wrestled with the ticket machine at A Rua railway station

I tried too, but gave up and locals told me I should just pay on the train, which I did.

 

[ebrandt]

I tried too, but gave up and locals told me I should just pay on the train, which I did.

It's funny, I have now ridden different sections of this line three or four times and Only once have I seen a conductor. Using the Renfe website worked OK. I "printed my tickets as pdfs and shared them to iBooks on my iPad so I would have them offline. A screen shot would also work.

 

[ebrandt]

Day 5 and 6. We are moving forward again!

We had a great day yesterday in Monforte -- we took in the wine museum, the art museum and drinks at the Parador. We forgot that it was Sunday, however, so we couldn't pick up any breakfast or snack supplies. We were saved at the last minute from walking on fairly empty stomachs. There is a cute little tienda on the corner of the Avienda de Galicia and the Avienda Ourense that was open at 7:30 pm on Sunday and that carries lots of supplies in small packages including fruit and individual yogurts. The store has had crocheted goods in the windows so be careful not to pass it! If you are staying at Albergue Santiago 15, this is on the way to the Albergue from the center of town and is relatively close to the albergue.

What a beautiful day today was. No rain, temps in the 60s, clear air and a gorgeous totally Galician walk. Once we left Monforte, the trail went through canopied Galician paths, through farms and small towns, past a huge pass -- O Reguendo -- and ended at the delightful Torre Vilarino. I know there is a great loop walk from here but we are staying put, unfortunately. The blister on my foot was just the beginning of some foot issues, caused by my ankle. I think it's OK, but my neuropathy is acting up and is uncomfortable so we want to rest whenever possible.

Susana at Torre Vilariño is a dream. I asked her for the number of a local cab for tomorrow (we can't handle the walk down to the Miño and back up). She called and set the whole thing up for us. I have a number to call when we get to Diomondi and they will be expecting us. She explained that we want to take the scenic route as close to the Camino as possible.

Now Susana and her assistant are plying me with cafe con leche with aguardiente in it ! I am feeling no pain!

 

[grayland]

Another covid casualty perhaps. This was clearly a family-run operation, and the couple in charge was of retirement age. Thanks for the heads up!

Monforte is a good place for a rest day. I’ve never done most of the tourist things there, but both the wine center and the Escolapios get good reviews (there’s an El Greco or two there, but I am not a huge fan). What I have done is splurged in the parador, and I can recommend a nice drink in the bar and sitting on the walls outside to enjoy the views.

Hoping your rest will put that spark and pep back in your steps. You have had quite the eventful camino so far. Sending hopes that the last few days go well.

Laurie....It may be a very useful thing (for those of us who are planning an Invierno) to post the current link to your famous Invierno guide.

I am hoping that @Albertagirl will share her updates to the Brierley guide if and when she makes the updates in her guide.

 

[Albertagirl]

Laurie....It may be a very useful thing (for those of us who are planning an Invierno) to post the current link to your famous Invierno guide.

I am hoping that @Albertagirl will share her updates to the Brierley guide if and when she makes the updates in her guide.

At the moment, I am going in the opposite direction. With my walks on the Le Puy, the Bayone, and the Frances to plan this year, as well as the final walk on the Invierno, I am busily trying to get up to date on all these routes, with the Invierno being the one that I have walked most recently and, I hope, am least likely to get lost on or not find a place to stay. I feel that I must look at it last. But there are so many changes on the Invierno. I rely on the forum posts, and particularly, on @peregrina2000 , to update me on that route. For ongoing reliable information along all these routes, I rely on and very grateful to, Gronze. It is wonderful to have one place that is generally the most up to date on all things camino, on all the routes that I shall be walking.

 

[grayland]

I had thought you meant you were going to note some of the changes in your Brierley guide and did not notice that it was far down your list.

I will, no doubt, use Laurie's guide and personal experience to get a final guide together for late September. I have had to cancel several routes over the last couple of years so I am waiting until the last minute for route planning so as to not waste the effort on a cancelled Camino again.

 

[Albertagirl]

I had thought you meant you were going to note some of the changes in your Brierley guide and did not notice that it was far down your list.

I will, no doubt, use Laurie's guide and personal experience to get a final guide together for late September. I have had to cancel several routes over the last couple of years so I am waiting until the last minute for route planning so as to not waste the effort on a cancelled Camino again.

In late September I shall only be halfway through the Le Puy, so I am afraid that I shall be of no use to you.

 

[VNwalking]

Just after the Camino leaves Vilamartìn after the dam, where the senda starts, the Junta has a sign advertising an alternative, safer route. It has a very steep 200 meter-ish climb at the beginning and then goes along vineyard access roads. It's beautiful. And there is no big down. It's well signed and rejoins the main route near Bar San Roque. Here are some pics from the route.

This is wonderful news.
That stretch of road was really scary. And I don't scare easily.

 

[ebrandt]

I had thought you meant you were going to note some of the changes in your Brierley guide and did not notice that it was far down your list.

I made a guide for our trip and have made notes on it. I am not returning to the US until Aug 2 but will try to post my notes then.

 

[Albertagirl]

I made a guide for our trip and have made notes on it. I am not returning to the US until Aug 2 but will try to post my notes then.

I would very much appreciate it if you would post any notes that you may have about the Vasco Interior as well.

 

[ebrandt]

I'll post my Vasco notes too !

 

[Albertagirl]

I am somewhat confused here. If you mean your forum notes about the Vasco and the Invierno, I have read, or been reading, whatever you have posted so far, and can continue to do so. If you have any additional reflections, I should like to read them when you are home and have the time.

 

[ebrandt]

@Albertagirl, I'll post the guide I made, updated with the notes I've taken. L

 

[ebrandt]

Day 7: Torre Vilariño to Vilaseco. We had another great day. And we are past the 100 km mark! The walk from Torre Vilariño to Diomondi is on quiet paved roads along the top of the Rio Miño canyon. There were lots of low clouds today floating up from the canyon. It was very pretty. The church and new albergue at Diomondi were both closed when we got there but the whole development looks nice from the outside. Also for those of you walking by Torre Vilaseco, it's bar and restaurant are open to the public and a nice stop.

Because of Tom's knee and my ankle, we did not walk down to Belasar, but instead took a cab along back roads down to Belesar and up to Chantada. Chantada seemed like a lovely town. There was a market today. There also were many bars and cafes open at 10 when we arrived. After a coffee and stops at the pharmacy and grocery, we walked on to Vilaseco. This hotel seems like a major development out in the middle of nowhere. The owner is great. We sprang for a private room so I can't comment on the albergue. Mount meal was wonderful and they serve desayunos at 8.

 

[ebrandt]

Tomorrow, we are going to walk them"low road" to Rodiero rather than going up to Monte Faro. Not only will this be better for our joints, but it is supposed to be raining and foggy tomorrow. We were chatting with Manuel at Hotel Vilaseco and he shared a brochure detailing three Romanesque churches along the lower route. I've attached a picture of the brochure. He also says the lower route is marked with yellow arrows. I will include more info on it tomorrow after we walk. L

 

[Albertagirl]

I walked the high route in 2019 and did not go up to Monte Faro, because it was raining and I just wanted to get through it. I hope that you will have some access to the Romanesque churches along your route, but you can see them from the outside if they are, as usual, locked. The church at Diomondi has some wonderful carvings around the doors, which I am sure you enjoyed. Buen camino!

 

[ebrandt]

I hope that you will have some access to the Romanesque churches along your route, b

I suspect they will be closed unless we stumble on a care taker at one of them, but they will still be interesting.....

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I found the way up and down Monte do Faro to be easier than the way around! I thought it was a real slog to walk on the road. Then again, I didn't know about the Romanesque churches until afterwards.

 

[peregrina2000]

I suspect they will be closed unless we stumble on a care taker at one of them, but they will still be interesting.....

Someone, I can’t remember who, suggested asking when you pass through. In these towns, a señora with the keys is likely to live close by the church.

Based on my very sketchu geography, it looks like you will walk by churches 12, 11, and 10?

You are troopers, so glad you had a good day. And happy you got to go through Belesar to see the vineyards along the river! We’ve heard several good reviews about Vilaseco’s hotel. Looks like a good option.

 

[ebrandt]

I found the way up and down Monte do Faro to be easier than the way around!

With our joint issues, I think avoiding downs when possible is high priority! We will find out tomorrow haw much of a slog it is

Based on my very sketchu geography, it looks like you will walk by churches 12, 11, and 10?

Yes. We should walk by San Cristovo in Mouricios, San Vicente de Argonzón and San Miguel do Monte in that order. My thoughts are the same as yours. It's supposed to be raining so whether we find folks out and about is a question. But the outsides should be interesting.

And yes, Vilaseco is a lovely option. Manuel, the owner, is a native of Chantada. He speaks quite good english and German (he worked in Switzerland for many years). I think the hotel is a labor of love.

 

[ebrandt]

Day 8: Vilaseco Hotel to Vilanova de Camba.
Today was very good but for a nagging back issue that resulted from my ankle surgery. Aaargh! Briefly, before my ankle replacement my right leg was shorter than my left as a result of past injuries. As part of the ankle replacement they carefully made both legs the same length. This caused problems with my Sacro-Illiac joint. These problems hardly ever surface, but I guess 500 kms of walking has been a few kms too far. I will be fine but it's just one more nagging thing, ugh!

Back to today, it was an absolutely perfect day to take the low route as Monte Faro was shrouded in clouds all day. We left late as Manuel talked us into waiting for breakfast at 8 ( it was worth it -- queso fresco with honey on toast ). Then the bar in Peñasillas was open! Perfect timing for a potty break and second cafe con leche. She also made tostadas for a Spanish pilgrim. I'm not at all sure she is open early all the time, so don't count on it. When I asked Manuel at Vilaseco, he said her hours were erratic, mostly 1-5. So I think we lucked out.

We walked up to Mauricios, which is on the well-signed alternate route, only to find out that the 12th C church San Cristovo de Mauricious is not in the town. We decided to visit the ancient churches, so we walked down from Mauricios and continued along the very quiet LU-202 to the small town of San Cristovo. The church is lovely. It was locked and there wasn't a soul around but we enjoyed the outside of the church and the churchyard.

We then proceeded along the LU-202 under the motorway to the LU-213 near Limiñón. Just after joining the LU-213, there is a nice bar that was open at 10:30. We then continued along the LU-213 to San Vicente. The road was fairly quiet although there we some larger trucks on it -- dairy trucks and such. It was wide and we did not feel like it was dangerous. The signed alternate route rejoins the LU-213 just before San Vicente. So after that, we just continued along the alternate route. It rejoins the main Camino route just where the Camino goes over the motorway.

The church in San Vicente is especially pretty, but again was locked and we did not find someone to open it. We did not stop at San Miguel do Monte. It is signed from the Camino and I don't think it's far off the route, but it had started to rain hard and we decided we needed to get to our ending point.

With Manuel's help at Vilaseco, we identified a taxi driver who speaks a little English. He picked us up at Vilanova de Camba and we have made arrangements for him to return us there tomorrow.

In terms of the difficulty of the road route, it wasn't bad, although I don't think you save that much in climbing. The way we went, there was a long slow climb up from Limiñón and then another climb from San Vicente to where the alternate and the main Camino come back together. Both routes share a short by steep gravelly down hill from the end of the wind turbines.

All in all, we thought today's route was good and would be an interesting alternative on cloudy rainy days like today.

We are now ensconced in the Albergue at Hostal Carpinteira. It is very nice. Things seem new. The bunks are nice. They put us in a bunk room on our own because we are staying two nights, which was very nice. They have individual bathroom cubicles that each have a toilet, sink and shower. There is a good common space and nice kitchen area with a fridge, stovetop and micro. Tomorrow we will go back to Vilanova where we ended today. We are all set for the taxi to pick us up at 7. We will walk to A Eirexe de Pedrouso and then cab back to Rodiero for the night.

 

[ebrandt]

Here are some pictures of San Cristovo and San Vicente

 

[ebrandt]

Day 9, Vilanova to A Eirexe .

Today was more very beautiful Galician countryside, with cows and walking paths laden with cow s@#$ featuring prominently. Our taxi arrangement has worked well. It turns out that our taxi driver's father was born in the house across from the beautiful little church in A Eirexe where we stopped today! Tomorrow he will take us back to A Eirexe and we will walk to A Laxe.

Hostal Carpentieras has been quite nice. We got back in Time to make their midday meal today. It was very simple and quite good. The place is popular so we had to wait for a seat. They were grilling the BBQ right there. So my meal was quite good paella, BBQ and fries with membrillo and cheese for postre. I don't think I will need to eat tomorrow!

I don't know that I have any great route notes today. There is a good bar just past the gas station as you leave town. It was raining off and on for our walk and tomorrow promises to be constant rain, but clearing after that.

L

 

[Mycroft]

I made a guide for our trip and have made notes on it. I am not returning to the US until Aug 2 but will try to post my notes then.

That will be great!

 

[ebrandt]

Days 10 and 11: A Eirexe to A Laxe and A Laxe to Bandeira
We stayed at the Xunta Albergue in A Laxe last night and were not able to get on the internet. I had read reviews saying the albergue was not well maintained. We thought it was very good for a Xunta Albergue (no utensils ). The hospitalera was very kind. The only issue is that the area where the albergue is located is very thick with flies and mosquitos. ugh!

The walk from A Eirexe to Lalín is quintessentially Galician, deep paths with lots of overgrowth, small farms and lots of cows. On a rainy day there is also no place to sit! In Rabanal del Camino on the Frances, one of the Benedictine priests, Father Pius, made benches for pilgrims that are along the way in that area. I was channeling Father Pius or someone like him! But no luck. Stil it was a great walk. After Lalín, the path follows a beautiful linear park for several kilometers.

Today the walk from a Laxe to Bandeira was more ordinary. We still walked in the Galician mist, past cloud islands. The highlight of the day was the beautiful ancient bridge at Ponte Taboada. The way takes you down the side od a fairly significant canyon through a wooded area and under a high motorway overpass, and the, all of a sudden you come to this incredible ancient bridge! It's very cool.

We are staying at the Xunta Albergue in Bandeira. It is quite nice. The hospitalera is the sister of the hospitalera at A Laxe and is equally as kind. BTW, Bar Atly in Bandiero opens at 6 on weekdays and Saturdays and 7 on Sundays and holidays for desayunos.

Tomorrow we are walking to Outeiro, but we plan to stay at Hostal O Cruciero in Ponte Ulla. The Xunta Albergues do not accept bag transport and there is nowhere around Outeiro st which Manuel could leave our bags. So we will walk to Outeiro, taxi back to Ponte Ulla and then taxi to Outeiro the next morning to start our last stage to Santiago.

Here's some pics (although not from today as I haven transferred them from the camera).

 

[VNwalking]

@ebrandt, you're in Bandeira? OK, caution to the wind. Go out and eat those fabulous cakes at Dulce Deza that @Bad Pilgrim was raving about.

Bandeira: Do NOT miss the café-pastelería Dulce Deza. The best cafetería in the northern hemisphere. This time they gave me a pastry that I never had tasted before. It was the best thing I ever had. Softer than croissant, cream inside but more buttery than in a napolitana, and a white powder on top... Ah! I wish I had taken a photo of it so I could ask you if you know what it is called! But it ended up in my stomach all too soon. That cafetería deserves a pilgrimage on its own!

Buen camino to you both! May the next days be only a joy.

 

[Mycroft]

Days 10 and 11: A Eirexe to A Laxe and A Laxe to Bandeira
We stayed at the Xunta Albergue in A Laxe last night and were not able to get on the internet. I had read reviews saying the albergue was not well maintained. We thought it was very good for a Xunta Albergue (no utensils ). The hospitalera was very kind. The only issue is that the area where the albergue is located is very thick with flies and mosquitos. ugh!

The walk from A Eirexe to Lalín is quintessentially Galician, deep paths with lots of overgrowth, small farms and lots of cows. On a rainy day there is also no place to sit! In Rabanal del Camino on the Frances, one of the Benedictine priests, Father Pius, made benches for pilgrims that are along the way in that area. I was channeling Father Pius or someone like him! But no luck. Stil it was a great walk. After Lalín, the path follows a beautiful linear park for several kilometers.

Today the walk from a Laxe to Bandeira was more ordinary. We still walked in the Galician mist, past cloud islands. The highlight of the day was the beautiful ancient bridge at Ponte Taboada. The way takes you down the side od a fairly significant canyon through a wooded area and under a high motorway overpass, and the, all of a sudden you come to this incredible ancient bridge! It's very cool.

We are staying at the Xunta Albergue in Bandeira. It is quite nice. The hospitalera is the sister of the hospitalera at A Laxe and is equally as kind. BTW, Bar Atly in Bandiero opens at 6 on weekdays and Saturdays and 7 on Sundays and holidays for desayunos.

Tomorrow we are walking to Outeiro, but we plan to stay at Hostal O Cruciero in Ponte Ulla. The Xunta Albergues do not accept bag transport and there is nowhere around Outeiro st which Manuel could leave our bags. So we will walk to Outeiro, taxi back to Ponte Ulla and then taxi to Outeiro the next morning to start our last stage to Santiago.

Here's some pics (although not from today as I haven transferred them from the camera).

I do enjoy seeing heather no matter where. When you say at A Laxe there are no utensils, do you mean fork/knife/spoon? Is there a kitchen with pots and pans and cooking utensils? Curious to know if the flies and mosquitoes followed you indoors and bugged you all night.
Bridge sounds like just what I'd like to see. Looking forward to checking it out.
Stay safe.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

@ebrandt, you're in Bandeira? OK, caution to the wind. Go out and eat those fabulous cakes at Dulce Deza that @Bad Pilgrim was raving about.


Buen camino to you both! May the next days be only a joy.

OMG you remind me I have to eat them again this summer! And investigate if I also can find them in the panadería in Silleda! But maybe @ebrandt beats me to it!

 

[ebrandt]

Go out and eat those fabulous cakes at Dulce Deza that @Bad Pilgrim was raving about.

Yum is all I can say!

When you say at A Laxe there are no utensils, do you mean fork/knife/spoon? Is there a kitchen with pots and pans and cooking utensils? Curious to know if the flies and mosquitoes followed you indoors and bugged you all night.

Yes I do mean no pots or pans. No Nothing. That's been my experience with all Xunta de Galicia Albergues. We have plastic cups and sporks so..... And unfortunately the flies and mosquitoes did make it into the albergue so it was a long not great night

 

[J Willhaus]

We are on the Aragones and I must say that the Spanish flies are my cryptonite. I can barely eat at a bar knowing flies are heavy in the kitchen. In a former life, I was married to a pig farmer and the insects just make me super uncomfortable. I purposely went to Sportsman's Warehouse and bought bug netting to go over our hats based on your earlier post about the 'old lady who swallowed a fly'! Thanks for the heads y up!

 

[VNwalking]

Yum is all I can say!

Ok. I have to walk the Invierno again.
I missed this - and the bread in Rodeiro, too.

 

[ebrandt]

We are on the Aragones and I must say that the Spanish flies are my cryptonite. I can barely eat at a bar knowing flies are heavy in the kitchen. In a former life, I was married to a pig farmer and the insects just make me super uncomfortable. I purposely went to Sportsman's Warehouse and bought bug netting to go over our hats based on your earlier post about the 'old lady who swallowed a fly'! Thanks for the heads y up!

Oh my sympathies are with you! I'm really glad you have the bug nets!

 

[ebrandt]

Ok. I have to walk the Invierno again.
I missed this - and the bread in Rodeiro, too.

Yep, those were big misses! They demand a repeat!

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Yum is all I can say!

Yes I do mean no pots or pans. No Nothing. That's been my experience with all Xunta de Galicia Albergues. We have plastic cups and sporks so..... And unfortunately the flies and mosquitoes did make it into the albergue so it was a long not great night

Flies and mosquitos in that albergue, has always been a plague... I have stayed only once in A Laxe, couldn't sleep either because of the insects. And the lights turned on as soon as you moved in bed?! Lalín and Silleda have much better places to stay...

 

[ebrandt]

Day 12: Bandeira to Outeiro. Today was great. The Xunta albergue in Bandeira is nice. It's a bunch of pods connected by roofs, so you have to go outside to go from the dorm to the shower, etc. So not a place to stay in cold weather. But the common space is light and the dorm was nice. The hospitalera (sister of the hospitalera in A Laxe) was kind and funny. The Pasteliera, Dulce Deza, is to die for. We had a nice menu at Casa Nova and Bar Atly opens early.

The walk to Outeiro is mostly nice -- on back roads and paths. We were worried about the steep downhill before Ponte Ulla. Thanks to all who encouraged us -- it was not too bad. And it was very pretty. We went slowly and had no problems. The first part of the walk up to Outeiro was near the highway and a little stressful. We did not have to cross the highway and there was a senda with a cement divider on the busiest part. About a third of the way up the hill we turned off on what were essentially logging roads all the way to Outeiro.

We are actually staying in Ponte Ulla because we could not figure out where Manuel could leave our bags at Outeiro. We taxied down the hill to O Cruciero which seems fine. The restaurant and bar at O Cruciero are closed on Sunday so we are eating at A Taberna de Gundian in town. We just had the best churrosco with fries. The wine is good. The have queso con membrillo for postre. Life is good. We are enjoying our last night on the Camino. Tomorrow we taxi back up the hill to Outeiro and it's 16.7 km to Santiago.

L

 

[ebrandt]

Day 13: Outeiro to Santiago.
We arrived! This one was emotional as there were definitely days when I thought the gig was up!

What a lovely way to approach the city! It was a glorious day -- sunny and cool. We cabbed up from Ponte Ulla to Outeiro to start walking and popping out of the fog was amazing. The cloud islands were great. Pico Sacro was outlined against the blue sky. It was just lovely. We missed the midday pilgrim mass and went to get our Compostela. Everything went smoothly -- as @C clearly said, just show up with your pre-registered numbers and they will tell you what to do. I thought we would have to come back later or the next day since we arrived after noon, but no. We queued for about 10 minutes and walked out with out Compostelas!

One disappointment is that we got distance certificates because I thought they would indicate that we walked the Vasco. But it was like the people at the pilgrim's office had never heard of the route. Even though we told them, they just put the Camino Frances y Invierno on our certificates . I should note that when you register online you can't start in Irun unless you walk the Norte, so you can't include the Vasco on your registration. But that's a small matter.

I will try to finish with some final observations and pictures later but we want to make the 7:30 Mass and have some things to do in advance, so this is my update for now.

L

 

[VNwalking]

Well done you two - congratulations!
You know what you walked, even if the dumb computer system doesn't. And you did it, injuries notwithstanding.
May Santiago be a joy!

 

[ebrandt]

A couple of notes on today's stage: I didn't think that Hostal Curceiro in Ponte Ulla was anything special. It is right on the highway and quite noisy. The restaurant at Pension Taberna Gundian was nice. The pension is a little pricy but.... Also, the Xunta Albergue in Outeiro is in a beautiful location. If you took food up, it looked very nice.

We completely lost the Camino signs coming into Santiago. We got to the Colexiata do Sar and never saw another arrow. For some of the time we could see the cathedral spires and after that we broke out the gps tracks!

We really enjoyed the Invierno. We knew it was a quiet route, but I thought there would be more pilgrims than we ran into. It wasn't as quiet as the Vasco, but almost. We crossed paths with others a couple times, but until the last 100 km we never stayed with other pilgrims.

I definately think that with some creative planning and willingness to take a cab or two this route is doable in short stages -- less than 20 km. The only place that is a problem is the long stage from Quiroga to Monforte. We ended up skipping this stage because of post COVID fatigue and a very deep blister I developed on my right foot. Salcedo is the only current option and I think it's about 23 km if you take the way from A Ponte.

We thought the route was very beautiful. We loved the rugged landscape mixed in with wine country. We are really glad we walked this route and while we would have loved to meet a few more pilgrims on it, we were very happy not to be with the hordes on the Frances.

 

[Canche]

I can't wait to start the Invierno around Sept 2-3. Your descriptions and recommendations are much appreciated, especially Manuel the luggage guy.

 

[Glenshiro]

Very glad to hear you made it!

 

[WestKirsty]

Woo hoo!! I so admire your resilience and resourcefulness. What a Camino!

Thank you for the descriptive posts! I'm now thinking of walking the Invierno at Christmas and the notes are very helpful

Happy rest day!

 

[Mycroft]

A couple of notes on today's stage: I didn't think that Hostal Curceiro in Ponte Ulla was anything special. It is right on the highway and quite noisy. The restaurant at Pension Taberna Gundian was nice. The pension is a little pricy but.... Also, the Xunta Albergue in Outeiro is in a beautiful location. If you took food up, it looked very nice.

We completely lost the Camino signs coming into Santiago. We got to the Colexiata do Sar and never saw another arrow. For some of the time we could see the cathedral spires and after that we broke out the gps tracks!

We really enjoyed the Invierno. We knew it was a quiet route, but I thought there would be more pilgrims than we ran into. It wasn't as quiet as the Vasco, but almost. We crossed paths with others a couple times, but until the last 100 km we never stayed with other pilgrims.

I definately think that with some creative planning and willingness to take a cab or two this route is doable in short stages -- less than 20 km. The only place that is a problem is the long stage from Quiroga to Monforte. We ended up skipping this stage because of post COVID fatigue and a very deep blister I developed on my right foot. Salcedo is the only current option and I think it's about 23 km if you take the way from A Ponte.

We thought the route was very beautiful. We loved the rugged landscape mixed in with wine country. We are really glad we walked this route and while we would have loved to meet a few more pilgrims on it, we were very happy not to be with the hordes on the Frances.

Good job! Congrats!
Grateful for all your details. Add more as you think of some!

 

[mspath]

ebrandt,
It was a pleasure to follow your journey.
Thank you for sharing your steps, memories and pics.
Enjoy being back in Santiago.
Carpe diem!

 

[Pathfinder075]

Day 12: Bandeira to Outeiro. Today was great. The Xunta albergue in Bandeira is nice. It's a bunch of pods connected by roofs, so you have to go outside to go from the dorm to the shower, etc. So not a place to stay in cold weather. But the common space is light and the dorm was nice. The hospitalera (sister of the hospitalera in A Laxe) was kind and funny.

I also like that albergue at Bandeira. It was clean, quiet and the hospitalera was friendly (when I visited). The blue and white colours are kind of funky though, but not unpleasant. I will be back there next year to finish up my failed (last 100km from Ourense) VdlP walk from 2017. I didn't get to sample the local cuisine, my meal was pasta and chorizo, washed down with Dia own brand 8.4% beer (it was 40p a can).

 

[ranthr]

I can't wait to start the Invierno around Sept 2-3. Your descriptions and recommendations are much appreciated, especially Manuel the luggage guy.

I used correos on workingdays, they did that Monday to Friday. Had to mail them.

 

[Trish K]

Day 4. Montefurado to Quiroga.what a beautiful walk. We took the train from A Rua to Montefurado.

An aside about the train. There is a Renfe ticket machine in the train station at A Rua. There is no ticket machine at Montefurado. I don't think the Renfe App works either. The app actually does not list Montefurado as a station. I thought maybe the stop had been eliminated, but I checked Renfe online and was able to book the tickets. I've used Renfe quite a bit and both their app and site can be funky. But paying with PayPal seems to work well.

We thought the scenery was fabulous and passing through wine country and abandoned or mostly abandoned towns was also interesting. The ups and downs were not too terrible and that's saying a lot coming from Tom and me!

We are staying in Hostal Quiper in Quiroga. It is quite nice.

Having said all of that, I have to confess the two of us are a bit of a mess. Today was only 16.4 and we are exhausted. Maybe it's the heat. It was 32 when we got to Quiroga. Maybe it's just lingering fatigue from COVID. We did not feel very sick at all, but we are really dragging. And I have developed a painful blister on the ball of my right foot. I have neuropathy and numbness because of my ankle replacement. And after feeling for weeks that I was getting a blister on the ball of my right foot and having nothing develop, I stopped checking. Aaaargh. It's developed. So tomorrow, we are going to take the train to Monforte and get a days rest.

Did you notice if the albergue was open in Quiroga. Its on Wise Pilgrim but not mentioned on Gronze or in the Brierly Guide.....

 

[C clearly]

Did you notice if the albergue was open in Quiroga. Its on Wise Pilgrim but not mentioned on Gronze or in the Brierly Guide.....

It was open in late May.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Did you notice if the albergue was open in Quiroga. Its on Wise Pilgrim but not mentioned on Gronze or in the Brierly Guide.....

It has disappeared from Gronze; it was still on the list a month ago I think. According to other sites they are open as usual. I just sent them an email about this.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Did you notice if the albergue was open in Quiroga. Its on Wise Pilgrim but not mentioned on Gronze or in the Brierly Guide.....

I emailed them. All I got back was "Right now it is closed."

 

[Trish K]

I emailed them. All I got back was "Right now it is closed."

Mmmm - maybe they have decided to close up for winter. I'm not planning to be there until the end of November, so I'll drop them an email nearer the time and see what they say. Thanks for the updates all.