Day 1 Verin to Laza 18kms
Here I go again, completing the Via de la Plata. This is a good way of training for the long walk ahead of me in March. I had intended starting this one on Saturday and to drive down to Ourense, leave my car somewhere quiet and go to the bus station at a convenient time for the 10.30 bus to Verin but events caused a change as my car wouldn't start on Wednesday, it didn't seem sensible to sort out the problem and then to leave my car for a week so, as there are no buses at the weekend, I opted to start straight away. So I have had a 5.45 start, a 3 km walk and a 2.30 hours wait at the bus station, then a 2 hour drive to Verin. I got to Verin at 12.30 and went to look for a stamp for my credencial. I got started just before 1p.m. I'm not sure if it is good to walk along a road and to count every kilometre, I think that sometimes it is better not to know, it seemed slow going.
Where to park your umbrella when you go for a drink!
Eventually I came to a 'mojon', I thought that this was a 'one off ' for the Portuguese camino but then I found more so I reckoned that I had come to the point where the road I was following had reached the Camino Sanabres. The signs led off the road and through a little village, then back to the road, then stopped! I'm sure that there was a route off the road but I couldn't find it, so I stuck to the road. I got to Laza at about 5 p.m. I went to the 'Proteccion Civil' to register and then to the albergue.
I'm the only pilgrim here but it's a lovely albergue, really well equipped. I did some shopping, had a good meal and settled in for an early night:-)
Day 2 Laza to Vilar de Barrio 23 kms
I slept fairly well and got up at 7.45, so as to have breakfast before leaving the town. The weather forecast said it would rain, or snow, so I dressed up for wet weather. It was raining when I left the albergue but by the time I finished breakfast it had stopped and then the sun came out. The people at Civil Protection had given me a map and a profile of the walk to Vilar de Barrio, it was supposed to go up steeply for the first 15 kms then come down. The walk from Verin to Laza had been very unusual for Galicia in that it was all on the flat and today started flat. I realised that 15kms of very steep would get me very high so I started to hope it would not be too bad. The first 5-6 kms went smoothly, there were good signs, not just the normal ones but the fancy ones I had seen around Oseira.
Also there were plenty of yellow arrows. Someone had put in a nice sign pointing backwards, just in case I wanted to turn around and go back!
There were some pretty villages and signs of how pilgrims have passed through here for centuries.
When the path started to go up it really did, the worst steep/long path that I have ever walked.
It seems to have been a Roman road as there are signs of wheel tracks in the rock.
This doesn't really show how steep it is but it shows me!The first village at the top of the hill was Alburgueria, apparently there was a hospital here in medieval times, after that climb I can see why. According to Mundicamino, who had been the source of my info for this walk, there is no bar or anything there now. This is wrong as there is a super albergue, very welcoming. When I arrived there was no one there but the outside door was open and there is a toilet just inside, so I decided to sit outside for a drink and a rest and then use his facilities, but he turned up before I left, so I went in as well.
I had originally planned to walk 35 kms to Xunqueira de Ambia but after the steep walk I decided to stop in Vilar de Barrio. The walk after Albergueria was quite flat and I got to Vilar with no problem, the albergue there is good except that, although it has a lovely kitchen there are no cooking utensils and the bars in town did not do food so I had to have a cold meal. I couldn't even make a cup of tea or coffee. At least the place was warm.
Day 3 Vilar de Barrio to Ourense 34 kms
I didn't sleep too well, I kept hearing strange clunking noises and thought someone was trying to get in! I didn't get up to find out but in the morning I discovered that it was the fridge that clunks loudly. I got up early as I intended to walk all the way to Ourense, to make up for cutting yesterday short. It had poured with rain during the night and was still raining when I got up so, once again I dressed for rain but it only rained for a short time and then, once again, the sun came out. The first 13kms to Xunqueira were hard work, flat and boring to start with then a steep up and down. The down was particularly difficult as it was wet rock and very slippery. After Xunqueira it became easier but the shells were the wrong way round so I got confused, I was very grateful to find the other strange signs.
I had company for a little while, an elderly lady felt that, as I was walking alone, I should have someone to talk to but she insisted in talking in Gallego so it was a great test of my comprehension.
A pilgrim's corner at the edge of Ourense.
First view of Ourense.
When I arrived at Ourense I was alone again, and expected to stay that way but then a group of 26 Irish students turned up, very promising for the rest of the week!Day 4 Ourense to Dozon 37+ kms
The students were noisy until midnight. I tried ear-plugs and a pillow over my head but I could still hear them. I woke up at 6.40 and decided that, as I was a wake, I would get up quietly and get away before the rush started. I left about 7.15. the streets near the albergue were full of drunks going home from their night out. I found a normal bar and had breakfast and then started the walk. I had spoken to one of the students and found that they were going to Oseira, she told me where they were going after that but the names didn't make much sense in Irish. Logically it was likely that we would end up in the same places again so after a lot of thought I decided to go for a long day and get ahead of them. After a long walk I got to the edge of the city, from where they seem to start doing measurements! From here the first part of the walk is steeply uphill and I hate hills, it was 21 kms to Cea, and I thought about 11 or 12 beyond that to Dozon. I got to Cea about 13.30, when I asked how far to Dozon I was told 16 kms, I decided that, however hard it was going to be it was worthwhile, just to get away from the students.
In fact the walk from Cea to Dozon was hell, the first part was OK but then it took me across the motorway and then I got worried because the track just lead uphill and way out into the country, no sign of houses or people, or even roads.
Day 5 Dozon to Silleda 26 kms
I got up to find it was pouring with rain, after having one and a half days of good weather and 'normal' clothes it was back to 'wet' gear. I started walking in torrential rain but fortunately it didn't last too long, but by the time it finished my gloves were soaking wet and my hands were freezing. Eventually the weather improved.
After a good nights sleep I could see that yesterdays walk should have been very pleasant, it was lovely countryside, if I had done it in the morning I would have enjoyed it. I must try and be more relaxed and just enjoy.
I've done this walk, from Dozon to Santiago, before but I didn't remember any of it. It was OK up to Laxe, then it started getting hard, those last few kilometres seemed to go on forever. Many of the paths were soaking wet, I got to a cement draining ditch that was full of water flowing into a stream, there was a big stone to help cross over so I stood on it, the stone moved and I lost my balance, I put my foot in the drain but it didn't work and I ended up sitting in the water. For a few moments I was so unbalanced that I feared I was going to go right over, head first, into the stream, fortunately I managed to avoid that. I've often wondered what would happen if I fell over with a back-pack on, I imagined myself lying on my back like a tortoise, hoping that someone would come along and give me a hand-up! Fortunately I was able to grip the side and get myself up. It was a great test of my water-proofs, they worked :)
Eventually I got to Silleda, but it was hard work when so many paths are wet, muddy and slippery.
One of the nice wet paths.
I am staying in the same private Albergue that I stayed in last time, with a nice bed, and bedding, and a TV.
Day 6 Silleda to Vedra 24 kms
Well today was WET! It wasn't raining when I left the Albergue but it started soon after, first it was just off and on but soon it became very much on. It poured, the kind of rain that hits the ground and then bounces up again. I was soon soaked, as was my left boot, I don't know why but I felt as if I was paddling inside my boot. At one point there was lightening as well, I was carrying metal poles and I was a little concerned about metal poles and lightening.
I got so wet that I decided that I would just carry on and walk all the way into Santiago, I was doing quite well when I realised that my sopping wet foot was getting blisters. I was still going to carry on, I had opted to walk on the road and had ignored the turn-off for the camino and the albergue. Surprisingly I came to another sign for the Albergue, just 1 Km off the main road so I headed that way.
Chapel next to the Albergue.
When I got to the Albergue I was told that the Irish group were due to turn up, this had been another reason that I had planned to walk all the way to Santiago. Anyway I was given a little corner to myself, the handicap alcove, and I thought this would keep me away from the noisy people.
The weather became temperamental, heavy rainstorms alternating with sunshine. I stopped walking at 2pm so it got a bit boring but at least I was resting my feet and my boots could dry.
The last time I was here the 'hospitalera' did food but apparently this doesn't happen over winter. I had planned to have food here so I had not bought provisions but fortunately I had just enough left to tide me over.
Day 7 To Santiago +/-15kms
What a night! The Irish group arrived in dribs and drabs from 5.30 onwards, some walking some in taxis. By the time the albergue shut at 10 pm some had still not arrived. You'd think that by 6.30 or 7, when it starts to get dark, that they would decide to take a positive step to get to the next albergue or to stop somewhere else, the route was not completely away from civilisation, although the albergue is in the middle of the country it is only 5 or 6 kms from a small town with all facilities and until then always close to the main road. In the end these students knocked on someone's door at 12.30 a.m. and the 'hospitalera' was called to pick them up!!! So, lots of movement and noise, then a big group sat up and talked and laughed until 2.30 and then they got up at 5.45 a.m. ! It's not surprising that they are too tired to walk in a sensible fashion. Having been well and truly woken I decided to get up too. I don't like walking in the dark, I can't see the point but I started off. It is a pleasant walk in day light, through a forest, but the path was littered with big puddles. I was soon passed by a group of students and they were walking well so I don't understand why they had finished there days so late (apparently they had made a habit of arriving very late). My feet were suffering from having been wet the day before so I walked slowly, in any case I was not in a hurry.
After a while I saw a bar on the main road so I walked down to the road and had a coffee, I was just on the edge of the village of Susana.
From here I went back onto the camino and soon came to a 'mojon' with the distance marked.
Not long now!
The first clear view of the cathedral of Santiago.
I got a new certificate to say I have really finished the Via de la Plata, which would look better if I could turn it round the right way! Then I went to Mass and found that the 'Botifumeiro', the giant incense distributor' was going to fly. There were very few people so I had a great view, I thought I took a video but I still haven't sussed out how to do decent video from my phone and I had failed to press a vital button, so no video, not even a photo.
So this is an old one, and not very clear, oh well it just means I will have to return to Santiago and try again!I have 2 weeks until I start again so I must heal my blisters quickly. I need to have a good look at my boot and see what was the problem and I must reflect on what I have learnt from this week and try and put it into practice on the next walk.
