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Phil MerrellPhil Merrell
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traveled in 3 countries Read more
  • TravelerCamino 2023
    1
    Day 12

    Hospital de la Condesa from Trabadelo

    October 29, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    A beautiful morning with this strange glowing orb in the sky! It has been a gradual ascent the last half of yesterday and all of today. I walked to Las Herrerias where the gradual grade changes to a steep, reportedly muddy 8 k climb up to O Cebreiro. I took the route of discretion and shared a cab with one of my dinner partners from last night.

    While having a juice outside a bar, waiting for transportation I was talking with another walker and mentioned my hip was bugging me. He asked if I would like him to fix it. Turns out he is a retired acupuncturist on his Camino and he carried a bag full of treatment gear. He opened up sterile packs and gave me a treatment that was amazingly effective right there at the table!

    I still took the cab to the top of the hill. Then I walked another 6 k to my stop for the night. It’s a really nice new albergue run by the Region of Galicia (like a state). Only one other person in the whole place. The only bar in town closed down earlier than posted, but I banged on the door and was able to get some food to take back to the albergue. Will do laundry in the morning before I walk.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2023
    Day 11

    Trabadelo from Camponaroya

    October 28, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Nice morning for walking. Overcast but no rain to start. I’m walking through the Bierzo valley, the center of production for Mencia wine. Lots of vineyards starting to show fall colors. I took a slightly longer route that stayed away from highways and it was really pleasant. Dale and I took the same route on the previous camino.

    I’m still working my way into trail shape. I stop and stretch my hip and back every hour or so.

    About halfway through the day I had to choose between stopping early with only 14 kilometers or going to the next village which was another 10 k. I decided to see how my body would hold up. By the time I made it to Trabadelo I was feeling it. Met up with some people from earlier stops and had dinner together.

    The mountains are coming. Tomorrow I’ll have to deal with the pass at O Cebriero.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2023
    Day 10

    Camponaraya from Ponferrada

    October 27, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Private room, so I enjoyed sleeping in. I didn’t have to check out until noon, so I left my gear and went out. Chocolate and churros is a Spanish delicacy that I had neglected to try on the previous Camino. Decided to try it out and wow! The chocolate is so thick it’s almost pudding. And delicious, and you just have to dip your deep fried churros in it! Massive chocolate and sugar high.

    I then speed walked to the Ponferrada Castle and examined it in great detail. It’s a really well preserved castle built in 12th century by the Templar Knights to protect pilgrims on the camino from robbers and extortion. Most of today’s pictures are of the castle.

    Started walking after noon and it was pretty nondescript most of the day. Getting into and out of big cities is not a high point of the camino. Got rained on a couple of times, but nothing like the last few days.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2023
    Day 9

    Ponferrada from El Acebo

    October 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Started out the day in a steady hard rain. That turned out to be the theme for the day. Apparently, there is a huge Atlantic system that is pumping precipitation into Europe and particularly Spain. The forecast is for more of the same for the near future. The small village of El Acebo was closed up tight, so walked to the next small village, Riego de Ambros, for coffee and food. It is a pretty, well kept village.

    The local people at the Albergue said the Camino from there on down to Molina Seca was much easier than the previous day coming down from Cruz Ferro. Except that it was raining so hard the trail was a stream most of the way. And it was still pretty damn steep. At times like this, I remember the old fishing proverb, “the worst day fishing is better than the best day at work”. If I didn’t have good gear, this day would have been miserable. As it was, I had time to reflect as I paddled my way down the creek. The Camino is good for reflecting.

    So I made it to level ground at Molina Seca, and from there the remaining 6 k walk to Ponferrada is entirely on sidewalk. I decided to celebrate surviving getting down the mountain by getting a private room instead of staying in an albergue. Was able to do much needed laundry at the hotel also.

    Ponferrada is kind of lacking in character. It’s nice enough, but the people don’t seem as open and friendly as other cities. I am planning on visiting the Templar castle on the way out of town tomorrow morning.

    Time for bed - g’night!    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2023
    Day 8

    El Acebo from Rabanal

    October 25, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Had a great sleep last night. Waited but the bus didn’t show. Found a bar open and got coffee and breakfast before hitting the road. I had been concerned about the path up the hill, but it really wasn’t as bad as I expected.

    Arriving in Foncebadon, I encountered an accordion concert in progress! After a hot cup of tea, went on to Cruz Ferro at the top of the mountains. Tradition is to bring a rock from home representing your sins and cast it at the foot of the cross. I forgot to bring a rock, again, so I guess I’m still burdened.

    While I had worried about going up the mountain, I should have worried more about getting down. It was a rough rest of the day. Steep grades, exposed bedrock, and loose rock on top of exposed rock faces. My knees don’t do downhill well in any form, but this was special. And it started raining about that time. Going slowly, I made it in pretty good shape, but definitely feeling the day.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2023
    Day 7

    Rabanal del Camino from Astorga

    October 24, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Woke up to 34 degrees and rain in Astorga. Rolled over and slept some more but it didn’t go away. Packed up and headed out anyway. Went straight to the sporting goods store and bought a fleece blanket. Maybe leaving the sleeping bag home and just taking a sleeping bag liner was a less inspired decision. Rain quit after breakfast, but the rest of the day it was either raining or not. My rain gear is working fine, which is everything.

    Started a gradual ascent into the mountains,, it was uphill all day. Tomorrow is a really steep and muddy 4k section up into Foncebadon I’m a little nervous about. There is a bus that may be going that way at 8:00 in the morning that I may be on, haven’t decided.

    Not much in spectacular scenery today. Visibility was not great with the rain and overcast. Took photos of some old buildings

    Staying in the municipal albergue in Rabanal del Camino tonight. Went to a vespers service in an old crumbling church in town. I had never been to one before. The chanting and responsive reading was really moving. Had dinner with albergue people after.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2023
    Day 5

    Hospital de Orbigo from Villar Mazarife

    October 22, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Another short day, getting my body into walking shape. Walked 14 kilometers to Hospital de Orbigo, stopping to stretch out and rest complaining hip joints at every opportunity. I’m walking a little better today.

    Started in the dark around 8:00 AM. The days are short. Lunch in Villavante was the old standby tortilla de patatas, which is like a potato omelette and doesn’t have anything to do with tortillas as they are known in the Americas.

    Staying at a real nice albergue in Hospital de Orbigo. The owners encourage anyone who wants, to paint. The place is full of interesting art. I’m sparing them my artistic talents. This good sized town has a long, famous bridge. In olden days, a knight made an oath to joust and beat 300 others to prove his love for a woman he wanted to impress. He and his buds didn’t make it past 170 however. I don’t know if he ended up with his love interest or not. True story.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2023
    Day 4

    Astorga from Hospital de Orbigo

    October 21, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    On the road at 8AM. Sun came up around 8:30. The next village was supposed to have an open bar for coffee and food, but the only things up were some dreadful looking pilgrim scarecrows. A guy was selling fruit out of his garage and I asked where I could get coffee. He took me into his kitchen and made me coffee and toast! Had a monster rooster on guard duty.

    The rain held off for the first 2 hours, then it rained steady for the rest of the day’s walk. Of course it dried up when I stopped for the night.

    Seeing a lot of people on the trail today. I had read it was getting crowded this fall, but hoped it would have quieted down by now. Have an alternate route I can take from Ponferrada in a few days if it’s getting more crowded.

    Toured the Astorga cathedral this afternoon. As impressive as the cathedral in Leon but in different ways. Look at the size of those stone columns! Took a photo of a painting of a demon harassing a saint. A 14th century version of Freddy Kruger I guess.

    Heading into the mountains in a couple of days. I chickened out and bought some long underwear this afternoon. Then dinner at the alburgue with nice people.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2023
    Day 4

    Villar de Mazarife from León

    October 21, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    First day walking. Decided to skip the long walk (4 miles) out of León on city streets. Shared a cab to the edge of the city with another pilgrim and have no regrets. Cloudy and windy, but no rain all day! Weather has definitely turned to fall. But that’s pretty much what I expected. I’m geared up for it, except for sleeping. I brought my sleeping bag liner instead of my sleeping bag, in order to keep weight down. I may live to regret that. Also didn’t bring my walking sticks. Mountain pass in a couple more days so we’ll get to see if that was the right choice also.

    Pretty uneventful walk, but hey, I’m back on the Camino!. Body is protesting and I stopped to stretch out on picnic tables and park benches whenever they were encountered. It went this way on the first Camino. Sadly, I neglected to buy anti-inflammatories yesterday. Now I’m in small villages and on the weekend, so nothing open until Monday.

    Staying at a nice alburge and had dinner there with a bunch of nice folks. Tomorrow will be 18 k if my bod holds up. They passed the anti-inflammatory hat for me at dinner, so I may survive the weekend.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2023
    Day 3

    A Day in Leon

    October 20, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    Got a relatively good sleep last night. Did laundry in the sink and then went out walking for most of the day. Talked with a couple of other people who are walking the Camino. The temperature last week was in the 90’s and people were struggling. It doesn’t look like that will be a problem for the foreseeable future however. The forecast is for rain, followed by more rain for the next few days. Hopefully that won’t be the theme of this Camino!

    Some photos for the day. Good doors are important to Spanish people. Even in relatively run down areas, the doors are solid wood and one of the most notable features of a house. In nice neighborhoods doors are artwork.

    Went through the cathedral again. The architecture is astounding, especially considering the technology they had. It was built over a 50 year period. The city had a population of 5,000 at the time.

    Bedtime now. Tomorrow I start walking!    Read more

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