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She is hiding! I cannot post where though.Laurie, I am coming after you!
Hi, Laurie!I thought I would have to change the title of this thread after LT and I went off on our own ways, but once again we are two peregrinas on the Invierno. I don't know how I've been so lucky, but after one short day alone on the Invierno (O Barco to A Rua), I am now walking with Reb and it has been glorious. One long hot but beautiful day along the Rio Sil to Quiroga, and now a very lovely pine forest day to A Pobra de Brollon, and the spotlessly clean family run Hostal, As Viñas, where kinky is very fondly remembered.
Tomorrow to somewhere beyond Monforte. For some reason, even though there are few albergues snd virtually no other peregrinos, this FEELS like a camino. I am loving it. Buen camino, Laurie.
She is hiding! I cannot post where though.
BTW Rebekah. I spotted a photo of you on twitter yesterday.
Here you are. The photo size is quite small.Post it here, Ribeira!
View attachment 19842 View attachment 19843 Excuse me jumping on this thread, but I just completed the Invierno on Wednesday. A few points to share, which might help.
About 200m from the Municipal Albergue in Ponferrada, where (I think) the Frances and Invierno diverge and the Invierno takes a road to the left to the bridge, is a little hut on the right which is the office of the camino Amigos de El Bierzo. I found top man Roger Moran working there and he kindly typed out some brief contact details and recommendations for the Invierno. I have photographed these and attached them. I couldn't get the Reb guide to work on the apps on my nokia phone so I used screenshots from the Gronze pages and Roger's information sheet - and it worked out really well.
I compressed the trip into 9 stages with the first one finishing in Puente Domingo Florez (about 34k) and the second finishing in A Rua (about 30k). Thereafter standard stages to Quiroga, Monforte, Chantada, Rodeiro and then A Laxe, Outeiro and Santiago. I speak only a few words of Spanish and I met no other pilgrims, besides two cyclists whizzing by early on.
Waymarking - excellent for the first three days and tapering off a little after that. The one place I lost an hour was coming out of Quiroga. At the first village (Nocedo?) the marker stone appears to point down into the village, but you will not find markers down there and are better off continuing up the road where the markers continue after 200m. Also, after Rodeiro I had more problems, but people were very helpful in redirecting me. There are a lot of yellow arrows on move-able brick-like stones, but these all appeared to be facing the right direction.. there are a lot of unmarked forks and you just have to work out the one that looks like the continuation of the road you are on to stay on the correct route. There is no way marking through Lalin at all, but you just head for the main road to Santiago and walk up that until way markers appear a few km later.
Accommodation. I stayed in:
Puente de Domingo - Hostal Mayo (€20?)
A Rua, the brilliant private albergue A Casa a Solaina (€12?) - great people and nice meal. But note: It takes about 30 mins to get there from when you first enter A Rua, via a circuitous route - but you will arrive there eventually.
Quiroga, the town albergue (not a pilgrims' hostel). Unstaffed after 5pm, it seemed empty at first but some people are residing there. (En suite €10?).
Monforte, at Hostal Duquesa (on the sheet) in a street of nightclubs, but actually quiet. Ensuite €17 and she did my washing for which I made a donativo.
Chantada, at Hostal Yoel, which was nice and also central €18 en suite. Try the first bar on entering Chantada, called Piolindo, run by Rachel. She will likely help you find the place you want to stay and serves the best (charcoal grilled) tapas I'd had for weeks!
Rodeiro, at Pension Carpentieras €18 en suite plus good meal for €10. It's about 250m further up from O Guerra, right at the top of the street and quite new.
The great thing about this route is that pilgrims are still a novelty on it and people are curious to know about you and to help you. Enjoy!
Cheers, tom
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