Day 37. Fuentenuevas to Villafranca de Bierzo

Made it once more! Out at 8:45h into a fresh morning. It rained during the night, but stopped before we got going and did not start again all day in spite of a very black menacing cloud.

Straight road for many kilometres with lots of people walking. A first longish pause with breakfast in Camponaraya, nice oldy worldy pub. Then another quick one, still on this main road, in Cacabelos. And finally we came off the road on to an alternative (also marked) path which led through vineyards to Valtuille de Arriba and from there to Villafranca. This was farm track most of the way and finally the sun came out. From up there vast views across the valleys!

No bar in Valtuille, so we had another sitdown in nature off the track with even a siesta for me.

Villafranca is another one of those places with narrow streets and a mixture of renovated old houses with balconies above the street and other old houses in a more or less advanced state of decay - also with balconies above the street which we try to avoid walking under. Sometimes the section of sidewalk is even fenced off!.

Close to the Plaza Mayor where our hotel is situated we came to a huge building complex with its church, San Nicolas el Real. This dates back to the 17th century and used to be a Jesuit college. What struck both of us about the interior of this church was the high altar. The structure is similar to what you find in most if not all the churches on this camino - delicately carved columns holding paintings of saints or scenes from the Bible. The difference here is that only the background in the paintings is guilded (see photos), whereas in the other churches the complete structure of the high altar is guilded, blindingly so!

Quite close is the Colegiata de Santa Maria del Cluniaco, a huge church from the 17th century built on the remaining 12th century structures of a Benedictine monastery of which nothing is left. Very impressive!2q

Bite to eat and a glas of wine in a bar far from the touristy Plaza Mayor and to bed where I was asleep even before reporting here.Read more