From the Embalse to Grimaldo

Last night close to sunset the sky opened up. I heard a lot of thunder but didn’t see any lightening. I was glad to be watching it from inside!

My room of three women last night was great—lots of space, no noise — and since it was such a short day today I didn’t even get up till 7. Unheard of! The price of the albergue included a breakfast of sorts, but by the time we three women got there it was pretty much all gone. Not a big loss.

The peregrinos are mainly German and Dutch. Last night there were three Japanese men, and they told us that they have all walked many Caminos and have never coincided with more than one other Japanese. One is from Hiroshima, one has a daughter who got her masters at Northwestern, and one has climbed all of Japan’s 100 peaks twice. And that is all I know about each of them!

This was another day with very little asphalt —it’s really amazing how little there is on the Vdlp. Two parts were especially nice — one through a pine forest and another through meadows with cork trees. The Jara flower was everywhere. Some bushes have white flowers with five bright red spots, while others have all white. Very pretty.

There is an albergue here in Grimaldo, but I remembered it being very small and cramped. So I opted for the luxury option — a Casa rural that gives pilgrims a special rate of 20€ if you share or 30€ for private. The owner Cesar is an architect who, like many, lost his job with the housing crash in 2008. He bought this house in ruins and is renovating it little by little and with no bank loans. It is spotless and lovely, with a little garden, and a kitchen.

The restaurant in town is also excellent with a 10€ menú del día. After a good lunch I spent about an hour with Cesar, as he showed me his labor of love— large organic garden, fruit trees, the work to get the upstairs ready for habitation. All in all, a great little pueblo and a great Casa Rural for pilgrims and non-pilgrims alike!Read more