Erik Anderson
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- GR11 Hondarribia - Cabo de Creus
3 X CF SJPP to Finisterre
Camino Mozarabe, VP and Sanabres
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Thank you for your kind reply. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.I walked here on 19 September and while there were diversions due to the AVE work (which meant some road walking) there were no major problems. It's important though to keep an eye out for the diversion signs... And there was no flooding as there hadn't been any rain for a long time. Hope it goes well for you.
Thank you for your reply and the information. The forecast is for a few days of heavy rains, hence my query about flooding, but I'm looking forward to an interesting hike.Looking back to the scarey bridge from the old way.
Many thanks. The biggest fire appears to be north of Gudiña right now but the rains today should be helping. I shall update tomorrow evening as I progress from Requejo via Lubián towards there.@Erik Anderson I hope you do get rain because there are a few fires that otherwise may be a concern. See this thread for links to maps with live updates, particularly the last link posted by @Thomas1962 at post #35: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/fires-impacting-on-camino.51286/
Erik, as a follow up, I was also wondering about bedbugs in A Gudina. I did not see any in the spring when I was there. It was not a spectacular place, but seemed clean to me, and the showers were nice and warm! Were there reports of a problem with bb this year?
I finished the Puerta de Sanabria to Santiago section of the Mozarabe a week ago and have a few observations which I include below.
Laurie, I can comment on a couple of your questions - based on my walk in April this year. The Castro Dozon albergue is still a up on the hill our of town a bit, just as you described. And the path did indeed cross near the site of the train wreck near Santiago. You are correct, it did not help my already emotional state of mind as I completed this Camino. I just talked to some folks who were on the Sanabres in September who also observed that only a few pilgrims were seen along this route. In the spring I was with only one other pilgrim in both A Gudina and Outiero, with just a few more than that in most towns.Thanks, that was a great post, Eric. Made me go back to my walks on the Sanabrés.
Tucked away in your report is the extremely sad news that the diversion from Aciberos is now complete. The last time I was there I remember seeing earth movers on my way down to the stream crossing, but the path was still open. It was one of the prettiest most peaceful green tunnel walks on any camino. I am sad that it had to be sacrificed for the train. You say the path is not blocked. Any idea whether it is still walkable?
When you say there was nothing on route in Villavella, I am wondering if that includes the 4 star spa, since it is just a couple minutes off the camino unlike the hotel up on the highway. When I walked we got a very good breakfast there at a reasonable price, and the staff told us all about special spa treatment prices for pilgrims. I remember vaguely that some have done this, any recent reports?
Is the restaurant in the Pensión Oscar in A Gudiña still open? I have had several long lunches there in a very crowded and animated restaurant behind the bar.
I take it you had a good experience at Casa César on the way out of Ourense. I was creeped out and would not have recommended it, maybe things have changed.
Is the albergue in Castro Dozón still a bit out of town in the municipal pool facility? The kitchen when I was there was very large, very well equipped. It was the "gang showers" that were a bit unusual, but they were sex-segregated. I still haven't made it to what is supposedly a gorgeous romanesque church (maybe monastery) a km or so off route. Has anyone visited it? http://www.arquivoltas.com/11-Galicia/01-Dozon1.htm
Does the entrance into Santiago still go over the RR tracks near the spot of the train crash? The homemade memorials were all still there last time I walked over and it was very poignant, adding another emotional layer to the entrance into Santiago.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to walk down memory lane, it sure seems like the Sanabrés is another one of those caminos languishing in the shadows. Not sure why, since everyone who walks it raves about it!
Buen camino, Laurie
Thanks, that was a great post, Eric. Made me go back to my walks on the Sanabrés.
Tucked away in your report is the extremely sad news that the diversion from Aciberos is now complete. The last time I was there I remember seeing earth movers on my way down to the stream crossing, but the path was still open. It was one of the prettiest most peaceful green tunnel walks on any camino. I am sad that it had to be sacrificed for the train. You say the path is not blocked. Any idea whether it is still walkable?
When you say there was nothing on route in Villavella, I am wondering if that includes the 4 star spa, since it is just a couple minutes off the camino unlike the hotel up on the highway. When I walked we got a very good breakfast there at a reasonable price, and the staff told us all about special spa treatment prices for pilgrims. I remember vaguely that some have done this, any recent reports?
Is the restaurant in the Pensión Oscar in A Gudiña still open? I have had several long lunches there in a very crowded and animated restaurant behind the bar.
I take it you had a good experience at Casa César on the way out of Ourense. I was creeped out and would not have recommended it, maybe things have changed.
Is the albergue in Castro Dozón still a bit out of town in the municipal pool facility? The kitchen when I was there was very large, very well equipped. It was the "gang showers" that were a bit unusual, but they were sex-segregated. I still haven't made it to what is supposedly a gorgeous romanesque church (maybe monastery) a km or so off route. Has anyone visited it? http://www.arquivoltas.com/11-Galicia/01-Dozon1.htm
Does the entrance into Santiago still go over the RR tracks near the spot of the train crash? The homemade memorials were all still there last time I walked over and it was very poignant, adding another emotional layer to the entrance into Santiago.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to walk down memory lane, it sure seems like the Sanabrés is another one of those caminos languishing in the shadows. Not sure why, since everyone who walks it raves about it!
Buen camino, Laurie
Hi Laurie,
I assume that there is still a navigable route around Aciberos because I saw signs still in place and there are definitely roads still in use there. At worst, one would have to tread on tarmac and find an alternative to the old track in the woods and by the stream.
When I walked through Vilavela, I saw nothing and even the bar was permanently shut. I must have missed the spa in the cloud and rain!
I arrived in A Gudina and walked up and down with my App looking for Pension Oscar but to no avail. It could still be there but I couldn't find it and it was not as marked on my app (VdlP), on the south side of the main road (N525) almost opposite Rua Viana, the turn off for the Municipal. (Neither is it visible on Google maps or its street view.) Could it be what is now O Peregrino?
What creeped you out at Casa Cesar? I was grateful for the bowl of soup and fresh bread there as I'd been walking without breakfast that day. There had been a stall selling fresh calamari at the top of the steep hill out of Ourense but the boilers were just starting up and my stomach couldn't wait for another hour!
As the other reply says, the Municipal at Castro Dozon is on the way out of the villages, en route for Santo Domingo, and getting food means walking back into the village. (The route has changed a little here too, compared to my app, but the differences are minimal.)
I think the route into Santiago is now more remote from the site of the train crash but the small memorials can still be seen on the fencing there. The first view of the Cathedral was most impressive from the hill above the city, especially as there had been the most magnificent sunrise that day.
I, too, am amazed at the seemingly few peregrinos on this route, but is this not its attraction also? Apart from the A Gudina beds issue, the Way was extremely quiet (away from the rock drills) and very peaceful.
BC
Hi Laurie,
I assume that there is still a navigable route around Aciberos because I saw signs still in place and there are definitely roads still in use there. At worst, one would have to tread on tarmac and find an alternative to the old track in the woods and by the stream.
When I walked through Vilavela, I saw nothing and even the bar was permanently shut. I must have missed the spa in the cloud and rain!
I arrived in A Gudina and walked up and down with my App looking for Pension Oscar but to no avail. It could still be there but I couldn't find it and it was not as marked on my app (VdlP), on the south side of the main road (N525) almost opposite Rua Viana, the turn off for the Municipal. (Neither is it visible on Google maps or its street view.) Could it be what is now O Peregrino?
What creeped you out at Casa Cesar? I was grateful for the bowl of soup and fresh bread there as I'd been walking without breakfast that day. There had been a stall selling fresh calamari at the top of the steep hill out of Ourense but the boilers were just starting up and my stomach couldn't wait for another hour!
As the other reply says, the Municipal at Castro Dozon is on the way out of the villages, en route for Santo Domingo, and getting food means walking back into the village. (The route has changed a little here too, compared to my app, but the differences are minimal.)
I think the route into Santiago is now more remote from the site of the train crash but the small memorials can still be seen on the fencing there. The first view of the Cathedral was most impressive from the hill above the city, especially as there had been the most magnificent sunrise that day.
I, too, am amazed at the seemingly few peregrinos on this route, but is this not its attraction also? Apart from the A Gudina beds issue, the Way was extremely quiet (away from the rock drills) and very peaceful.
BC
I'm a little surprised that I missed this Pension but it was dark and raining and the end of a very long day. I hope it still is there as it appears accommodations at A Gudina are at a premium anyway due to the needs of all the people working on the AVE projects in the area. I've not been on this site for a while but it would be good to have confirmation from anyone passing that the albergue is still fully fit for purpose.Madrilena and Oscar(very near Madrilena)were both fully booked with construction employees when I arrived on 20th September. I walked and walked further along the main street but found no other accommodation. Exhausted, I plodded back to the Albergue which was good enough and no bedbugs.
I was the only woman with five men, three of whom were my Camino buddies. Kitchen seemed ok as two were cooking there. I did think the place could do with a good clean though. Male hospitalero came at 7.30 to sign us in. Just an aside,one of my amigos said that the other two unknown men were not pilgrims.I'm a little surprised that I missed this Pension but it was dark and raining and the end of a very long day. I hope it still is there as it appears accommodations at A Gudina are at a premium anyway due to the needs of all the people working on the AVE projects in the area. I've not been on this site for a while but it would be good to have confirmation from anyone passing that the albergue is still fully fit for purpose.
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