seanmcauley
Camino Frances
- Time of past OR future Camino
- del Norte 15,16, 17
Portuguese 14 Lisbon to Coimbra
13 Lourdes over somport
10,11 and 12 - French
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Yes I use gronze. It's very good.I’ve made a reservation to stay at the Portillo albergue, luckily it will be a Sunday. I’m assuming you’re using Gronze as your guide? Or have you found another source of information?
I hope you had a room with windows in the back, opening to the river. I remember lying on the bed with very painful blisters, but the sound of the rushing water was very soothing. The people here were wonderful — brought me some dinner and left out breakfast.I continued along the river to Hostel Ventasierra. Top place.
I also stayed in Presa in center of Riano. Riano is very sad. It has no heart or soul. Dead town. Big planning mistake.I hope you had a room with windows in the back, opening to the river. I remember lying on the bed with very painful blisters, but the sound of the rushing water was very soothing. The people here were wonderful — brought me some dinner and left out breakfast.
I’m having a hard time bringing up my memories of that stage, but I think I remember that a little elevated hut that I passed on this stage was used frequently by the Caudillo, Francisco Franco, as a fishing retreat. And isn’t there also some carved rock formation at the top of some point where some Spanish king (or was it a Roman emperor) watched construction below?
Where did you stay in Riaño, @seanmccauley? I was in the very nice Hotel La Presa because I couldn’t figure out the albergue situation — I think it was several kms out of town. Riaño is another one of those towns, like Portomarín, where they dragged up the romanesque church stone by stone before they flooded the village and then built a pretty awful bunch of cement block apartment buildings, plunked a plaza in the middle, and hoped that some real town would emerge. Maybe it has, but I found the whole place kind of depressing.
But I agree with you that the walk after the tunnel, at least the parts along the river, were very nice.
Is the stage into Cistierna the one where you meander around through an abandoned mine site?
You’re going to have to walk backwards now. Unless you turn northward from Cistierna and head onto the Olvidado. Might that be your plan?Big town - get me back to the mountains!
Yes wonderful place. No my plan now is finish tomorrow and go to leon for 1 day. Fly back to Ireland from santiago on Sunday.You’re going to have to walk backwards now. Unless you turn northward from Cistierna and head onto the Olvidado. Might that be your plan?
Did you eat in the Hotel Moderno? Great menú del día.
I hope you had a room with windows in the back, opening to the river. I remember lying on the bed with very painful blisters, but the sound of the rushing water was very soothing. The people here were wonderful — brought me some dinner and left out breakfast.
I’m having a hard time bringing up my memories of that stage, but I think I remember that a little elevated hut that I passed on this stage was used frequently by the Caudillo, Francisco Franco, as a fishing retreat. And isn’t there also some carved rock formation at the top of some point where some Spanish king (or was it a Roman emperor) watched construction below?
Where did you stay in Riaño, @seanmccauley? I was in the very nice Hotel La Presa because I couldn’t figure out the albergue situation — I think it was several kms out of town. Riaño is another one of those towns, like Portomarín, where they dragged up the romanesque church stone by stone before they flooded the village and then built a pretty awful bunch of cement block apartment buildings, plunked a plaza in the middle, and hoped that some real town would emerge. Maybe it has, but I found the whole place kind of depressing.
But I agree with you that the walk after the tunnel, at least the parts along the river, were very nice.
Is the stage into Cistierna the one where you meander around through an abandoned mine site?
I had an orange sitting on the porch, but sensed no presence of the Caudillo.
Thanks for bringing us along! I was hoping to get a good update for the stretch from Cistierna into Mansilla de las Mulas, because it was a LOT of asphalt. I have memories that the Association had planned to change the route (maybe going to the other side of the river???) but I don’t think I have ever heard from anyone who has walked it and can confirm whether that has happened.No my plan now is finish tomorrow and go to leon for 1 day. Fly back to Ireland from santiago on Sunday.
I am walking tomorrow am to Gradefes so will have latest before getting to leon.Thanks for bringing us along! I was hoping to get a good update for the stretch from Cistierna into Mansilla de las Mulas, because it was a LOT of asphalt. I have memories that the Association had planned to change the route (maybe going to the other side of the river???) but I don’t think I have ever heard from anyone who has walked it and can confirm whether that has happened.
Enjoy León and buen camino, Laurie
Not at all, but I am quite oblivious of many things--- I may have event perched on it without noticing.Oh, good, a Vadiniense peregrino with a good memory! @oursonpolaire, do you remember anything about a natural stone “throne” up high looking down over the river on that same stretch? Roman? Reyes Católicos? Felipe II?
Oops, @oursonpolaire, you’ve got the sequence backwards — from Gradefes, San Miguel de la Escalada is about another 9 km in the direction of Mansilla. I remember this clearly because when I walked the Vadiniense, I couldn’t walk another step beyond Gradefes (where there is a very nice monastery, Santa María la Real, with romanesque church. Luckily for me, a camino angel named Rebekah came and picked me up to go to dinner and we stopped in for a San Miguel visit. But I digress…On no account omit dropping in at San Miguel de Escalada on the way to Gradefes.
Hi Sean,I also stayed in Presa in center of Riano. Riano is very sad. It has no heart or soul. Dead town. Big planning mistake.
Yes I passed mine today.
Riano is still the natural place to stop. Just don't arrive too early.Hi Sean,
Now that you've stayed in Riano, and weren't terribly enthused about it, where else do you think you would have ended this stage? Horcadas? Or walk all the way to Las Salas? I've got Riano penciled into my schedule....
o heavens I was clearly on orujo afterfumes againOops, @oursonpolaire, you’ve got the sequence backwards — from Gradefes, San Miguel de la Escalada is about another 9 km in the direction of Mansilla. I remember this clearly because when I walked the Vadiniense, I couldn’t walk another step beyond Gradefes (where there is a very nice monastery, Santa María la Real, with romanesque church. Luckily for me, a camino angel named Rebekah came and picked me up to go to dinner and we stopped in for a San Miguel visit. But I digress…
Oh, yes, @seanmcauley, if you are as enthralled by ancient churches as @oursonpolaire and I are (though we may be off the charts nut cases), you would not want to miss a stop at the 9th century San Miguel de la Escalada. There it sits, out in the middle of fields, with a row of arches outside that are show-stoppers. And the motif continues indoors, it is just amazing. At a mere 14 km from Mansilla de las Mulas, I have often wondered why more pilgrims on the Francés don’t make a side trip, it oh so worth it.
Alipigrim, I’m planning to walk this way in July. I saw you were planning on August. Are you booking many places?I’ve made a reservation to stay at the Portillo albergue, luckily it will be a Sunday. I’m assuming you’re using Gronze as your guide? Or have you found another source of information?
Yes, I booked all except for the first 2 nights on the Lebaniego. I feel more comfortable going with private rooms this year....Alipigrim, I’m planning to walk this way in July. I saw you were planning on August. Are you booking many places?
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