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Links: to Spain, by way of Windsor: 02 Rally Finish Onto Spain: 05 onto Leon 06 Astorga 08 to El Acebo 12 O'Cebreiro
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Ponferrada, Spain. 18 May, Sunday 17km.
Five hours walking, two and a half hrs rest breaks Yes, today was better than yesterday - no climbing at all! The continuing descent nearly made up for that. We came down 600 metres, I think, in three hours, over about 8 kilometres. A bit steep.
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| As we very cautiously edged our way down, I wondered why there weren't the same number of peregrinos passing us as they did yesterday or the day before.. The numbers appeared to have fallen dramatically. Then, when I had a clear sighting of the main road which roughly parallels the old goat track used for the Camino, I realised why. The other walkers were taking the comparatively easier way down, by walking down the tarmac, instead of slithering down the rocks, as Dave and I and a handful of others were. In hindsight, we wished we'd done the same! | ||||||||
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In California, these flowers are known as "fried egg flowers" I can see why |
We stopped for a cool drink mid afternoon at a bar which had a car theme - resulting in this recycling of old tyres. |
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Sometimes, as we walk along the Camino, we see memorials to deceased friends, presumably ones who had done the Camino, or who had died before achieving that aim This one today was a little unusual - it was in memory of a 78 year old man who died while actually on the prilgrims' way!. |
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Tonight, we are staying in a very comfortable hotel, right on the town's main square. I think in an earlier life, it may have been a convent. The Camino entry to the square is via a gate under a clock tower, presumably several hundred years old. So far, it's been chiming quarter hours with a very tinny sound. Since our bedroom window is about 80 metres from the clock, I'm hoping it doesn't ring through the night. The other hope on my list is for the weather people to be wrong with their forecast for tomorrow. Rain periods. But since it doesn't appear as if we'll have to deal with any mountain climbing, maybe a bit of rain won't be too bad. The guide book refers to it as "a day of not many challenges". Just the way I like it.
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