Zamora onwards

Maundy Thursday in Zamora

I arrived in time to watch the evening procession leave the Holy Week Museum. The procession was enormous, with about 14 'floats' and hundreds of people about. Calling them 'floats' is wrong, of course, as they are carried on the shoulders. I took several videos but most are too long to download, the one here was taken near the beginning of the procession so there are still loads of people milling around. I think the 'float' is 'The Agony in the Garden'.

Afterwards I had a chance to see some of the Romanesque architecture, and a bit of the walls.

Good Friday Zamora to Riego del Camino 34 km

It was a very noisy night, people kept passing all night and shouting, to make matters worse we had the window open as the evening had been very warm.

I had wanted to get up to see the 5a.m. procession but the Albergue is locked until 7a.m. so I gave up on the idea of getting up to see the beginning but decided to catch up with it and to see a bit before I started walking.

As I went through the Plaza Mayor I discovered why the night had been so noisy, nothing to do with religious processions, the square was full of drunken youths, empty and broken bottles and a healthy police presence. Some of the lads were quite abusive, shouting things at me as I went passed, one lot even threw something at me. 

I caught up with the procession but found it disappointing, I'm sure many, or even most, of the participants were taking it seriously but some kept dropping out to have a beer and a cigarette in one of the many open bars.

As I walked out of town one young lady called 'Buen camino' and told me that she had just walked from Logrono to Santiago and later, as I dithered at a junction a young lad came to point me in the right direction, this improved my impression of young people! Getting out of Zamora was a test of initiative, there are many new signs, I followed these until I met a Spanish couple coming back, they thought the new signs led to the Portuguese route. When I did it the Portuguese route started at the Cathedral but maybe the construction of the new high speed train track has caused this to change.

entering Roales de Pan

the normal signs for the camino

 The bar was shut in Roales de Pan so I had to wait until 19 km for a proper coffee! After that the route was completely changed. I had photocopied a page of map for today, the only day I had done it for, and I needn't have bothered, between the motorway and the high speed train the route has changed forever.

the view standing on the new train track!!

 

The new signs that appeared wherever the new train track caused a variation

Castrotarafe Castle

 Eventually I arrived in Riego del Camino, I can tell I am on the Via de la Plata now, and not the Levante, as the albergue was advertised right from the edge of the village. I seem to have 4 companions, Wow!! There was a small procession at 9 p.m., unfortunately I was already in bed so didn't see it properly but I could see some of it from the window by my bed. It looked like the entire village turned out and it was very quiet and religious.

Saturday
Riego to Tabara 32km
I started by missing the sign as I left the village. I was on a long straight path and I could see mountains in the distance and I just kept walking towards them, to make matters worse, when I got to a junction there was an arrow on an electricity pole which hid the sign behind, which said; 'Private property, keep out' so I carried on. It was a lovely walk as the path had fields with oak trees on either side. When I realised I was wrong I returned to the junction and could see 2 people in the distance, coming towards me, I waited about 5 minutes for them to get closer and then discovered they were not pilgrims. They were local so they could set me right and I had to return all the way to the village :(  I had added 2 to 3 kms to my day and wasted nearly an hour. When I got to La Granja I saw 2 of my companions coming from the opposite direction, they waited to find out what had happened to me, then pointed me in the direction of the bar, which is where they had just come from. It was great to have companions :)
In La Granja there is a split, the camino can either go to Astorga or Ourense, 2 of my companions went north, 3 of us continued.

The split in the Camino

The camino today has been diverted again and I am sure it is now longer, but the scenery is changing and is much more interesting.

We are 4 now as a Belgian man started in La Granja, the other 2 are Spanish and German. The albergue in Tabara has a 'hospitalero' and a communal meal.
Easter Sunday; Day 3 Tabara to Santa Croya de Tera 21 kms
A nice short day, mostly through pleasant countryside.

A deviation from the traditional path allowed us to have a break for coffee. I had booked a private albergue in Santa Croya because it is Easter Sunday and I wanted to have a nice lunch. I thought the Albergue had a restaurant but it didn't so I was disappointed. The albergue was fine really, once I got over the disappointment. We are down to 2 now as Theo has walked on further and Manuel has finished.

The statue of Santiago in Santa Marta, thought to be 11th Century

Day 4: Santa Croya to Rionegro del Puente 27 kms

Today was a beautiful walk. It started along a river, which should have been pretty but there was a quarry or gravel works along the other side of the path and the heavy lorries kicked up a dust as they passed but then it got better, through countryside, then past a reservoir and through woods.

I read, in one guide, that the Jara (Rock Rose I think) smells of incense, I've never noticed it before but it has been the pervasive smell of the last few days, especially in the morning, when it is damp, and today it has been mixed with Thyme and Lavender.

My notes, which I think come from Mundicamino. said that the village of Villar Farfon is deserted but it has an albergue run by a South African, he also supplies tea or coffee and toilet facilities to needy pilgrims!

The Albergue in Rionegro is an old Pilgrim Hospital which has been renovated, it is superb, one of the best albergues I have ever stayed in.
Day 5: Rionegro del Puente to Asturianas 25.5km
The bar in Rionegro was supposed to be open at 07.30 but it wasn't so it was a 7km walk to get breakfast.

The countyside looks like the Yorkshire moors!

The church at Mombuey

I actually walked with someone today, very strange for me. We both thought that there is a bar in Cernadilla, but there isn't, nor anywhere else either.

  The walk was through countryside though we had to cross the motorway 3 times and the High Speed Train track once. There were lots of wild poppies around, really lovely.







The albergue in Asturianos is next to the Sports Hall, it is modern  and there is a bar next door, the sensible thing would have been to eat in that bar but I was still wanting a special meal for Easter! We went to the Meson on the main road, the meal was OK but the service was the worst I have ever experienced, the waiter was moronic and he only wanted to watch the TV, we were definitely in the way.
Day 6: Asturianos to Puebla de Sananbria 15kms.
A short walk through countryside to Puebla de Sanabria. Here I finish, so just a visit to the old town and then a train home.