El Camino de Santiago : Ponferrada to Portomarin

Kilometres this section : 119

Kilometres completed : 692

Walking through the snow.

I head out of Ponferrada, past the large and impressive Castillo de los Templarios, it was also shut yesterday, and I really don't have time to wait until 10am for it to open today.  Some other time... Ponferrada is big, takes me a while to walk out, and then more easy, flat walking, mostly on road, though the hills are getting nearer.  I am now getting into Galicia, seems to have a different character to Castilla y León, houses have slate roofs, wooden balconies, and often place names seem more like Portuguese than Spanish.  There are also places offering the local delicacy, 'botillo', this being a kind of sausage made with, among other things, the tongue, jaw, and tail of a pig - think I will pass.  I am back in wine country too, and clearly spring has arrived here, the vines have leaves on them, as do the trees. Makes for delightful walking when I finally get away from the road, yes there is a bit of climbing now, but it is hardly strenuous.  Tonight my stop is Villafranca del Bierzo, another lovely place - I get the feeling that from now on, it would be easy enough to alternate one day of walking, then one of sightseeing.  No time for that, I need to do my daily clothes wash, then beer and once again, spaghetti then cod.

From Villafranca del Bierzo the Camino follows the river Carce upstream, it's mainly road walking and again easy.  But, for a surprise it's actually raining, not heavy but a persistent drizzle, I wear my raincoat on the trail for the first time.  It feels cold too, honestly I am happy with this, after the heat of the last few weeks it makes a nice change.  The river dwindles to little more than a stream, and then the trail leaves the road, and wow, actual climbing, the trail is somewhat steep.  Up to around 1,300 meters, to a mountain pass, and the end of the day, O Cebreiro.  Not sure why this place is here, right at the high point of the pass, it is odd too - circular, stone buildings with thatched roofs, and I think it's a bit of a tourist trap?  Gift shops, restaurants, and not much else, but there is a municipal albergue, only my second.  Wow, it is cold up here, I am glad to find one restaurant has the heating on, and I could order the usual menu but hey, pizza, works for me.

Cloister at the Mosteiro de San Xulián e San Xulián e Santa Basilisa.

I emerge from the albergue in O Cebreiro, and wow it has snowed overnight, well we are up a mountain I guess.  From here I have to climb, a little, it really is snowing, well, nice that carrying my cold weather gear all this way wasn't a waste of time.  I keep my hat and gloves on most of the day, before long the trail leads downhill, along another river, but it's still cold.  As I descend, the snow of course turns to rain, and not much to see as clouds hug the hills, well I can cope with this.  After lunch at Tricastela, there are two routes, obviously I have planned to take the longer of the two, which after 10km takes me to Samos, where there is a very large monastery.  There are of course also bars, and I find a menu with different things!  Very greasy things as it turns out - croquettes and calamari.

Mural inside the monastery.

I am due for one last zero day, well, there's not much to Samos but it will do, in fact I have booked a pensión for two nights, such luxury.  Good to have a rest, and wash all the clothes I am not wearing, and indeed not walk on a cold, wet morning.  In the afternoon the sun comes out, and I take a guided tour of the monastery - an actual Benedictine monk shows us around, there are two cloisters, and interesting murals and statues. Other than that I don't do much, barring the usual consumption of giant bocadillo, spaghetti, and so on.

Out of Samos, more easy walking along a river, at intervals you can see where a dam and mill race were constructed, flour mills I imagine.  Obviously the buildings are now ruins.  So, I need to pay for the rest with a long day, some 37km, no time for sightseeing at my lunch stop, Sarria.  This is just over 100km from Santiago, which is the minimum distance to walk in order to get a certificate at the end.  This means lots of new walkers, not all of whom are prepared - I see a group waiting for a taxi, and others walking in their 'evening shoes'.  I remember doing that on the Pennine Way, over 20 years ago now.  Well, nice walking country anyway, rolling hills, there are dry stone walls, sheep and cows - it could be the UK.  I eventually reach the day's end at Portomarin, it is past 6pm but no matter.  Nice place, and again looks kind of British - not least it is on the bank of what seems to be a loch.

Portomarin, seen from across what is actually Río Miño.