March 25: Laza to Vilar de Barrio

Today was a short day -- just 12 miles. THANK GOODNESS! Today was another rainy day. Like yesterday, the rain was intermittent and not too nasty for the first two hours. I didn't make good time, though, like I did yesterday (when I ran a lot) because there's a HUGE climb up a really rocky path in part of this segment.

The rain really came down (along with terrible winds again) when I reached the top of the mountain at Albergueria. I stopped in the local bar -- a very pilgrim-focused business -- and found 2 other pilgrims and about 10 local workers taking a break from the elements. I don't normally make stops like this, but I had to get out of my wet coat and poncho and try to dry my soaking wet gloves (yes, today I had 2) in front of the electric fireplace.

I was contemplating staying longer to enjoy a cafe con leche, or even a glass of wine, when I decided I'd rather knock off the last 4.5 miles and get to my casa rural for the rest of the day.

Shortly after I left, it began to rain steadily. This leg is mostly downhill, so things got super muddy and flooded. Then it REALLY began to pour. By the time I got to town, I probably carried 5 extra pounds of water on me. 

Thinking quickly, I decided to hit the tienda to gather dinner supplies so I wouldn't have to venture out again. Got the food, then found the casa rural. It's lovely, but after cleaning up and starting to work on my app updates, I realized it was super cold in here. Indeed, the temp was only about 60.

The owners of this place live in Madrid, so it took some calling back and forth and some difficult English-Spanish conversations for me to be able to figure out how to work their heating system. (You'd think these systems would be easy and intuitive, but they're not.)

In the end, all is well. I'm warm, I figured out how to use my phone to make a hotspot so I can get online anywhere and get some work done, and I'm looking forward to a dryer (I HOPE!) day tomorrow.

March 24: Vilavella to Laza

Things are getting a bit tough out here. Definitely tougher than any other Camino trips I've made. I keep telling myself what I'm going through is nothing compared to what the "real" pilgrims of the past dealt with.

Today I had 30 miles on the docket. So of course it was supposed to rain all day. Oh, and did I say I'd be in a really mountainous stretch? And that just as I was leaving my lodging, I realized I only had one glove?

Things actually worked out fine. It started raining about 45 minutes into the day. But every time I got to the point where I was really hating it, the rain stopped. I was able to turn my headband into a glove for many miles, then used extra socks.

The taxi driver taking my bags to Laza kindly told me there was a detour marked in A Gudina that I should NOT take. It wasn't necessary, and it added 5km. Thank goodness he said that! Indeed, the construction was all off to the side, and the Camino was fine. The only difference was that there were more trucks than usual going by in one short (2-3 mile) stretch.

This segment from A Gudina to Campobecerros and then on to Laza is quite beautiful. I'm glad the last time I walked, it was a beautiful, sunny day. Not that I'm complaining. The rain held off for much of the time, although I did face some VERY strong winds on the mountaintop, and a few times the rain would really come down for 5 or 10 minutes.

Still, at one point after an intense few minutes of rain, I looked up and saw the largest, fattest rainbow I've ever seen in my life (see photo below). Wow.

Ran into Peter from the Czech Republic a few miles outside of Laza. He said he'd lost the family farm back home, so ended up here, where he was volunteering at a new albergue being built in As Eiras. He also mentioned how he'd seen a few wolves -- during the day -- since he'd gotten here. HUH?! Locals told him to use the same trick as you do with threatening dogs -- pretend to pick up a rock and throw it. Sure. O.K. (ACK!)

Got to Laza and am staying in the great Pension Blanco Conde. I'd stayed here once in the past, and the woman actually remembered me. Had dinner at Bar Picota, the spot everyone recommends. It was good, and they're happy to make pilgrims dinner at any time. No waiting until 8 or 9. Life is good.

March 23: Puebla de Sanabria to Vilavella

Oh my. This was definitely one of those days every pilgrim needs to have at least one of. I got lost several times. I got wet. I was exhausted. I had some magical moments.

So here goes.

First, the day dawned sunny and beautiful. I finally got great views/photos of Puebla de Sanbria's famous castle. Then, I promptly got lost on the first leg. Sort of.

When I did this leg last time in the fall, I was with about 5 others. We got about halfway through the trail, which was a mix of forest and field, when a handmade arrow pointed us onto the nearby highway. A Germany guidebook said the rest of the way was very difficult to discern and follow, hence the homemade arrow. So we all walked over to the highway.

This time the area was quite flooded. I didn't even recognize it as the same trail. I was following arrows and walking where I could without getting wet, when suddenly the arrows stopped and I couldn't see the highway. I knew I wasn't lost, and that the highway was to my right somewhere (there was a river on my left the whole time, so I knew I couldn't have gotten off track). So I picked my way around and eventually found the highway. But my feet got soaked in the process.

Of course I didn't pack dry socks, and still had some 21 miles to walk, but amazingly I never got blisters. (Kudos to Smart Wool socks!) I met another peregrina on that roadside who had had the same experience getting lost and getting wet feet.

The next segment from Terroso on had been one of my favorites: beautiful, well-marked, etc. This time the markings were confusing, and it didn't look nearly as pretty. There were more flooded sections, and once I had to run back a short ways to find my sunglasses, which had fallen off when I'd jumped over some wet spots.

From Requejo on had been a beautiful, uphill climb for 7 miles. Now, due to the Ave construction, we were routed on the highway first (uphill about 4 miles), then onto a strange path with numerous oddball shortcuts onto barely-there paths marked with lots of homemade arrows and such. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but I made it.

The next leg also had a detour due to construction, and then I took the path into Lubian. No one there knew about the ancient wolf traps that are in town, according to a guidebook I'd read.

Almost finished for the day. Phew! Yet a 5.5-mile uphill climb to windmills was next. This leg starts out by a church. I got there as a priest was putzing around inside, so I got to take photos. Then, as I was filling up my backpack at an outside fountain, he left and locked it, but not before turning on this beautiful Christian music that was played over the loudspeakers into the hills. It brought a tear to my eye, and fortified me to tackle the mountain.

This path was very flooded, and at times it was hard to figure out where the Camino was. Even when there was no water, sections were deeply eroded. My dry feet got wet, and because it was so late, they got cold. But I made it, then on to Vilvella, my destination.

I had to ask locals to direct me to the town's hotel. They kept trying to tell me I wanted the albergue in another city, but I said no, I had reservations at the hotel. It's modern and quite lovely, with a spa too, no less. When i got there, another pilgrim was walking around in his spa robe and slippers! What a day.

March 22: Rionegro del Puente to Puebla de Sanabria

Maura's tendonitis was pretty painful today, so I left her to explore Puebla de Sanabria (a great city) while I went back and hiked there from Rionegro del Puente, about 26 miles away. The day was mostly sunny and fresh, although at times I was walking straight into a ferocious headwind, which was tough.

It was wonderful to explore this section of the VDLP again, and in a different season. I appreciated the fact that the mosquitoes that had "bugged" me so much in September were nowhere to be seen. While there were some flooded spots, I was generally able to hop around them on rocks and other objects. 

There is still much highway construction going on, and the signage can be confusing. One Camino marker between Mombuey and Valdemerilla had a detour sign propped up against it, but the sign was pointing to the ground. So did that mean it was left over from last season, and there was no detour, or ...? I took the original route and ended up in yet another construction zone, but was able to see Valdemerilla and so could get there. Whether I went the right way, who knows?

Leaving Entrepenas, a gazillion arrows pointed me to a detour over the bridge. But a local who lives in a house right next to the "real" Camino told me to take the original route, because it was still passable and the detour added 1 km. I did, and it was fine.

Back in Puebla de Sanabria, I got Maura off on the Avanza bus to Madrid; she'll leave for the U.S. tomorrow morning. It was sad to see her go. Oh -- she managed to find these fantastic cream puff-type pastries for us to eat before she left. We'd had one other cream puff this trip in Granja de Moreruela, purchased from the tiny tienda, not a pastry shop. Both were really fantastic. I would never have thought Spain would be the place for cream puffs. But I have to say, they rival the famous ones made at the Wisconsin State Fair. And that's saying something, seeing as we're the Dairy State.

Tonight I was able to tour the city's Giants & Big Heads Museum -- very cool. Even better, a group teaching local folk dancing uses the museum to practice, and they were practicing when I stopped in. So I got to hear/watch them, too. Like the autonomous community of Galicia just north of here, the Sanabrian part of Zamora has Celtic influences, so the music featured a bagpipe-type instrument and Celic-type of hand drum. 

March 21: Santa Croya de Tera to Rionegro del Puente

Today could have been a real coup, but sad to say it wasn't. When we got to Santa Croya de Tera last night, Ana (the owner of the popular albergue Casa Anita) told us that tomorrow and the next day or two were special. The neighboring church in Santa Marta de Tera has this religious depiction near the altar carved in stone. Twice a year (March and September), the light shines through a window in the church and illuminates this carving. 

We arranged to be dropped off at the church shortly before the prime viewing hour (8:45 a.m.). Keep in mind we've had sunshine all week. Today dawned cloudy. About 2-3 dozen people were at the church, including a lot of media. Sadly, nothing special could be seen due to the clouds. Oh well.

Because of the delay, we didn't end up starting our day's walk until 9:45 a.m. The day initially was warm and, ironically, got a bit sunny. But then it got cloudy, windy and cool. 

Thanks to Maura's presence, I was able to check out a few spots where pilgrims can take one of two routes around a town. A fellow pilgrim told us in one town that it was supposed to rain in 2-3 hours. We had about 10 miles left, and tried to hoof it.

Unfortunately, Maura's tendonitis had gotten quite painful, so we couldn't walk too fast. Luckily, we beat the rain. It's hard to believe Maura leaves tomorrow night!

March 19: Zamora to Granja de Moreruela

Today was another long day -- about 28 miles. We left Zamora and passed through one small town, then headed toward the next, Montamarta. There's an enormous amount of highway construction going on here (as it had been when I last passed 2 years ago), but this time it's quite confusing.

While on the trail, we suddenly came upon a new bridge. New as in the road bed wasn't finished. So this bridge was new, as was another road leading off to the side. No Camino markers in sight, presumably because everything was so new. So which way to go? There were all sorts of concrete blocks that looked very similar to Camino markers on the side road, except there were no arrows or shells on them. Was this a sign for pilgrims to take that path? If not, what were they for?

We took the path, and ended up on the highway. We tried to use our maps to see where to go with no luck. Using my app, I called Montamarta's ayuntamiento (town hall) and spoke with a woman who told us to take the highway into town. We were only about 2 miles away by then. We continued to walk along the highway, but it was so busy and pretty dangerous. Suddenly across a vast farm field we saw a Camino marker on a farm road, so we delicately picked our way through the crops (being careful to step on the dirt, not the plants) and got back on track. I assume we should have taken the bridge. 

After Montamarta we went through a few more towns without incident. Finally we had only about 3 miles to go to reach our lovely casa rural (akin to a B&B) when we stumbled upon more highway construction. Once again, markings were largely missing. I called the casa rural owner, but she had no idea what to do. I was able to flag down a highway worker who randomly was driving down the unfinished road and we made it into town safely. Phew!

We cleaned up in the inn and bought groceries at a small tienda (store), then had dinner at the local bar. There were 3 German pilgrims there, some of the only ones we've seen all week.

March 20: Granja de Moreruela to Santa Croya de Tera

Today we faced a nearly 50-kilometer hike. Intense. But what countryside! We left Granja and wandered throughout gorgeous land before coming upon the Esla River and the old Roman bridge spanning it. We crossed that as Maura noted the opposing cliffs were like Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin. Ha! Little did she know the Camino runs around and up those hills, so we experienced a hike/climb very similar to what we do at Devil’s Lake.

One exciting stop was Faramontanos de Tábara, where we ate our lunch outside the ayuntamiento (city hall) and realized we could tap into its free WiFi.

Heading out from Faramontanos, we crossed major highway construction that’s been underway since I last came through (fall 2011), and then some flooded areas that required smarts (me taking off my shoes and wading) or guts (Maura leaping across small chasms).

We made it to Tábara in time to take out some $$ from an ATM, then were under the gun to get to Santa Croya de Tera before it got too dark/late out.

Oops.

Maura started to feel some tendonitis, so we couldn’t run much. Plus the highway construction areas were a bit confusing. Got to Santa Croya around 7 pm, but then some minor (but time-consuming) confusion with plans for our overnight stay. Long story short, ate dinner at 10 pm, headed to bed right after and are excited to see what tomorrow brings.