Ponferrada 2

Once I’d got myself sorted, it was time to explore Ponferrada.

In the first instance, I was keen to find some lunch and people watch until things started to reopen at 4.30pm.

My principal objective for the afternoon was to check out the splendid Castillo de los Templarios (Templars’ castle) the building of which began in the late 12th century. The king of León later gave the town and castle to the order of the Knights Templar, with a view to protecting the peregrinos passing by on the Camino de Santiago. The order was however disbanded about 100 years later and the castle passed through the hands of various nobles who extended and reinforced the castle buildings over successive centuries.

From the castle towers, there were great views across the town, including the 11th century bridge known as the Pons Ferrata (Iron Bridge), from which the town gets its name. As you can see from the picture, this is nothing like the Ironbridge in Shropshire! It’s a stone bridge, reinforced with iron, and which crosses the ravine of the Rio Sil just along from the castle.

I also visited the renaissance and baroque Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Encina (Our Lady of the Oak Tree). The legend behind the veneration of Mary in connection with the Oak Tree is that Templar monks were cutting down oak trees, for timber to be used in the extension of the castle, on 8 September, the feast day of the birth of Mary. One tree split in half and the half left standing miraculously contained a niche with a form of the Holy Mother and Child.

After playing the tourist, I returned to the albergue for a rest, including some quiet time in the beautiful chapel at the end of the albergue garden.

It was also lovely to have calls with each of my children shortly before (my) bedtime. And then it was time to clamber into my top bunk!Baca lagi