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Camino 2022 , Torres and GeiraCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
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Camino 2022 , Torres and Geira

September - October 2022
About 640 km, starting in Salamanca, heading over to Portugal, and north from Braga to Santiago. I am combining two different caminos, the Camino de Torres and the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros. Read more
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  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    1

    The Pack and packing

    September 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    I bought a new pretty Osprey Sirrus pack, highly recommended by all who use it. I took several long walks with it fully loaded and it was fine. BUT…. in the end, I have decided to go back to my 21-year-old Mountainsmith Ghost (no longer made), which I have used on every camino except my very first. If you look the picture of my Camino Clock (made for me by my dear camino buddy Dana), you can see that I am wearing that pack (I am the pendulum). So why would I test fate?

    This is going to be a “fingers crossed” camino. Fingers crossed that my hamstring injury is healed enough to enjoy the walk, fingers crossed that the home situation is good and that I am not needed. But what gives me calm is knowing that I can get home in a long day of travel, after all, it’s only money.

    I had a little pre-Camino scare today. Yesterday I had sent the dermatologist a picture of a funny looking thing that has just appeared on Joe‘s nose. She said she wanted to see him today. I immediately started imagining what that could mean. But with good advice from my Camino friends, I took a deep breath, went to the appointment, and was happy to learn that with the biopsy and scheduling the treatment, we are probably looking at a Mohs treatment in 5 to 6 weeks. How perfect is that timing?

    Now it’s just a matter of waiting till September 6 and my early morning flight out of Champaign.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    1

    Two travel days

    September 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Three planes on Tuesday. Champaign to Chicago to Charlotte to Madrid. Long day but no surprises or delays. The food on American seems to reach new lows every time I fly. But we arrived about 30 minutes early so I’m not complaining!

    I got off the plane at 6:35 and by 7:15 I had been through immigration, taken the train to the main terminal T4, gone through the vaccination check, taken the commuter train to the Chamartin train station, and was drinking my first cafe con leche. I’ve said it a million times but Spain really knows how to do public transportation!

    I was a little worried about using the train station’s bathroom. But one euro gets you through the turnstile and you get spotless toilets and sinks, hot water, soap and towels. And when you close the stall door, a recording of birds chirping starts to play.

    I am now on the train to Salamanca and am glad to see that masks are still required. Whoever heard of a train scheduled to leave at 8:50 that shuts its doors and starts to move at precisely 8:50? Are you listening Amtrak? It’s 1 1/2 hours on the fast train, which means I’ll have time to do all my pre-Camino chores before things shut down for midday break.

    I was a little flat yesterday but am now transitioning to joyful camino mode!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    131

    Day in Salamanca

    September 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    I love these power-thru days. I just have to keep going, walk a lot (my phone says I’ve walked 12.3 miles), get a lot of fresh air and sunlight and hope that my circadian rhythms do an about face and I wake up on Spain time.

    This week is fiestas in Salamanca. Their patron saint’s day is tomorrow. Santa María De la Vega. Good thing I arrived today, because everything will be closed tomorrow. Lots of outdoor concerts, food and wine stalls everywhere, processions popping up, just your typical Spanish fiesta.

    It was kind of a hodge podge day. I got my Spanish SIM card first thing. Then buying stuff like water and food for snacking while walking, my favorite sun lotion, etc. In between I did some fun tourist things—cathedral roof tour, medieval art museum, hunting down the house where Unamuno lived and died, finding the restaurant where Joe, David, Katy, Ben and I had a very nice meal in 2004 (El Pecado, it’s still there!), sitting in the Plaza Mayor and having a 3.5 € glass of wine (well worth the high price to sit in this spectacular plaza and watch the world go by).

    By 7:00 I was ready to start heading to my hotel for bed. But on the way I ran into the patron saint’s procession, so I delayed bed time a bit. People from all the towns of Salamanca province came to walk with flowers and music. Each has a different outfit, hairdo, hat, shoes, it’s pretty amazing I was transfixed for an hour. And the thing that’s most incredible to me is that there were lots of children, lots of teenagers, lots of young people, all wanting to preserve this tradition. Amazing.

    And then why not wait a few more minutes for the fireworks?!

    I’m walking tomorrow but I am going to have the slowest start of any camino I have ever walked. I promised myself I would do it, so 17 km is all I will do.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira

    Day 1 walking

    September 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The first “stage” on this walk is about 32 kms. Normally I would walk that without batting an eye. Especially since it’s flat, flat, flat. BUT … my hamstring injury from last year is not completely healed, and I am now in the 70-something cohort. So I decided to split it. At about 17 km, there is a highway hotel about a kilometer off the Camino. So that’s a pretty good place to split the day. But then I was thinking, yikes, why would I want to get to a highway hotel at about noon and have to spend the whole afternoon there?

    So here’s what I did. I walked to the highway hotel but got a cab back to Salamanca for the afternoon. Tomorrow I will take a cab back to where I stopped walking. The pilgrim puritans will say this is ridiculous, and I sort of agree, but I know myself well enough to know that I would otherwise just have kept on walking the whole 32 kms. stage. And I know I shouldn’t do that.

    You might wonder why someone would travel thousands of miles to walk on flat terrain through brown fields, sandwiched between the superhighway, the national Highway and the railroad. I can go in any direction from my house and find that landscape.
    I will admit that if I were looking at a whole month of this, I would not have chosen this route. But even so, there was something very different today about walking than there would’ve been if I had done it out in Champaign County cornfields. It’s hard to describe, it’s like being in a bubble where I don’t have to think about anything other than walking and whatever my brain presents. Sometimes those things are totally banal but sometimes I find myself contemplating some of life’s biggest questions.

    Anyway, I got back to town with plenty of time to enjoy the festivities. I picked two of the following options — the medieval market, the parading around of all the bulls that will fight in the next two weeks of bull fighting merriment (in honor of the patron saint, mind you), and a parade of “giants.”

    Salamanca is always fun, but during the fiestas it’s even more special. I will be glad to be totally on my way tomorrow, no more motorized transport, I hope, till I am taking the bus back to Santiago from Finisterre or Muxia!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    18
    Day 2

    Salamanca to Robliza de Cojos

    September 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    When I got out of the cab and put on my pack I really felt like the Camino was starting. It was another short day, about 18 km, and all of it was on the Cañada, a long series of connected paths that shepherds walked with their flocks to take them from northern Spain down to the south for the winter. These routes are now protected by law, and the general public can use them along with the flocks and herds going south. This is called the transhumancia, though I don’t think it is much used for that purpose anymore. Much more common to see cyclists and walkers than anyone working with animals.

    It’s been a beautiful day for walking, with a cool breeze and bright sun. I passed several people working in the fields and met a cyclist out for his morning ride. He has walked many of the same Caminos I have, and we actually had a few friends in common if you can believe that! He told me not to worry about the bulls, and that I would likely be seeing quite a few in the next few days. I told him how some friends of mine on this Camino had seen one in front of them and had squeezed under a fence to avoid walking right next to him. This guy said that the fence wouldn’t have stopped the bull from charging if he had been interested, so that I shouldn’t waste my time and dirty my clothes by squeezing under a fence. 😱

    I passed many fields of sunflowers, but unfortunately they were all black and hanging down. Every now and then I saw a few late bloomers with bright yellow flowers, which picked up my spirits. Actually the fields reminded me of an art exhibit I had seen in the Bilbao Guggenheim years ago– it was a room filled with vases of sunflowers dipped in lead. The ones in the fields looked a lot like those in the museum, and neither was very attractive.

    The albergue is in the old school building. It’s very basic but it has two beds, a bathroom, and a shower -nothing more needed. There’s a cafeteria on the highway about a kilometer away, so I will probably walk over there to get something to eat. There’s also a little shop in town but that’s about it. I haven’t seen too many residents, but thankfully the wife of the mayor was at home when I knocked to get the key to the Albergue. Based on the registry, it looks like there are about two or three people a month coming through here. No moving Pilgrim sidewalk on this Camino!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    31
    Day 3

    Robliza de Cojos to San Muñoz (25 km)

    September 10, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    This Camino offers a great way to start up slowly. . Perfectly flat, all off road, and all on the Cañada Real. I’ve seen several maps of this wide path (90 Castilian varas, or about 72 m wide and at least 500 km in length). It was first decreed by Alfonso X in the 13th century, so this is a tradition dating back to the time when people were building my favorite type of church. I passed the ruins of an adobe venta/inn where the drivers would stop for food, information plaque and all.

    Today I played “where’s the mojón” game, looking for old stones on either side to mark the borders of the open cañada path. Private land is on both sides, and some of these parcels have lots of livestock, many of them looking to me like bulls. Since most of the fences looked pretty sturdy, I wasn’t too worried. I did misread one arrow, though, and opened the gate to walk through a ranch. There were lots of cattle walking all around, but none came close to me. About 10 minutes later I realized I wasn’t on the Camino but should have been on the other side of the barbwire fence. I’m pretty sure that if there had been any dangerous bulls, there would have been a clear warning, like others I’ve seen. But in any case I hightailed it out.

    I arrived in my destination at about 1 PM. The señora behind the bar at the Bar Chan told me where to go to pick up the key and also told me she’d come back to make me a lunch later.

    The mayor herself greeted me and told me I would be sharing the albergue with a Ukrainian family. It felt very intrusive, but I really had no other option. I have met the young mother and her six year old boy, and the father is off working the grape harvest in Zamora. We have had some basic conversation via Google translate but I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to barge in and start asking all the questions I would love to ask. I can’t imagine what they’ve been through, but I guess in many ways they are the lucky ones.

    The mayor told me she takes Igor on a walk every afternoon and teaches him vocabulary. She is coming back this afternoon to take me to visit the church and she said Igor will come too.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    11
    Day 4

    San Muñoz to Alba de Yeltes (26 km)

    September 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    It was 3 km from town on an untraveled road to where I picked up the Cañada again. What wonderful walking. Even in the fall, with no water to cross, no flowers, dry harvested fields, it is peaceful and the encina are so majestic. With the Sierra de Bejar (I think) popping out in the distance every few twists and turns. In springtime there are several water crossings and even a real river to ford, but not one drop of water did I see. The locals tell me that the Yeltes River for “toda la vida” had at least some water in summer, but not now.

    A few more kms today than yesterday, a few hundred m more elevation gain, I’m taking it slow. Several long stops, stretches every time a muscle gets my attention, lots more water than I’ve ever drunk on a camino. I am really being the model Peregrina.

    Alba de Yeltes has had an albergue here for years. The hospitalera Aurora’s husband was the moving force to get the town to dedicate some unused space. It’s a perfect albergue and has thought of everything. That’s because her husband walked many Caminos before a double lung transplant did not take and, sadly, he died. The albergue is named after him and it is a wonderful legacy that peregrinos will have this perfect stop on the Torres. With a bar/restaurante next door and a very accommodating staff, there is nothing missing. Except maybe a few peregrinos—I am the first to stay here since the end of June!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    11
    Day 5

    Alba de Yeltes to Ciudad Rodrigo (26 km)

    September 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    The first thing I saw in my inbox this morning were some pictures of my grandkids! Smiling familiar faces. What a nice thing to wake up to. And then I thought of the 6-year old Ukrainian boy living in the albergue in San Muñoz, the same age as one of my grandkids. Lots of thoughts went through my mind, none very original or profound — but I am so glad all my family is happy, safe, and healthy. And wishing all kids were the same.

    The second bunch of thoughts going through my brain were much more pragmatic — today’s stage was where my friend Maggie had her close-up encounter with a bull. And I realized that although I had spent a lot of time yesterday formulating my bull strategy, those plans were worthless today, because today’s walk was not through the wide Cañada. Today I was walking on a path about the width of a driveway with fencing on both sides. So I moved on to Plan B —a fervent hope that the bull wasn’t still hanging around outside his pasture. I did come upon a herd close to the fence, all of which stopped what they were doing to line up snd stare at me. But thankfully, everyone stayed behind the fence. I hope you realize that this is written mainly in jest, and I know very well that no bull would be hanging around in the same place for three years waiting for a passer-by.

    Ciudad Rodrigo is an old Castilian walled city. No albergue, but I’m in a modest hotel near the Cathedral. The parador, in the castle, is closed for renovations. I have already walked around the walls, which have a special meaning for our family involving some adolescent temper tantrums. I’ve also visited the cathedral, and I’m going to try to get a good nights sleep so I can get going early tomorrow.

    Rain is coming. Lots of it.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    131
    Day 6

    Ciudad Rodrigo —Fuerte Concepcion(33km)

    September 13, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    I left right around seven, headlight showing the way, and it was raining. From there the weather was ever-changing. Some drizzle, some steady rain, some pouring rain, with some very welcome dry spells. But as I’m sure some of you have heard me say —once I am totally wet, I’m not going to get any wetter so what difference does it make to walk for another hour in the rain? It’s hard to describe, but even though I walked in rain for a total of four or five hours, it was a wonderful walk. No spectacular scenery, soaked feet, a fair amount of livestock to navigate, a cold wind at times…. But there I was.

    I was lucky that when I went through the two main towns on this route, it wasn’t raining. They probably don’t rise to the level of “town“ but are more like little villages. There were few people about, in part because the medical clinic was open in one of the towns, and in both places, the town hall was open for official business. Which meant I was able to get my Pilgrim stamp, given to me with great flourishes and the town seal! The woman in Gallegos told me the town was hanging on but just barely. No young people, no jobs, the same story you hear all over rural Spain. . Get this — town of less than 100 people gets a weekly visit from a doctor. Pretty amazing. I talked briefly to her and she told me that she has a regular circuit and that she likes her practice very much because she really gets to know all of her patients. And then as I sat on a bench eating an apple, I got my typical array of questions from the Señoras who converged from nowhere, and got lots of advice about walking.

    There is an albergue in Aldea Del Obispo, but I had seen on the Internet that just another km on is a hotel in an old star fortress. I think they are called Vauban forts. It was built in the 1600s when Portugal was fighting to separate from Spain. Then when Napoleon invaded Portugal, the fort figured prominently in the Napoleonic Wars. And somehow the Brits and Lord Wellington were involved. But the fort fell into ruins till some enterprising entrepreneur decided it would make a great hotel.

    The special off-season rate made it an easy decision for me. Though the restaurant doesn’t open until 8:30, I have to remember that when I cross the border into Portugal, the clock goes back an hour, so I think the late dinner will be just fine!

    More rain tomorrow. If it’s as good a day as today, I’ll have no complaints.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    1
    Day 6

    Fuerte Concepcion-Pinhel (36 km)

    September 13, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    I was tempted to sleep in and enjoy breakfast, but I am an early morning walker more than I am a big breakfast eater. I had been told that the night shift would make me a coffee and have a small breakfast laid out for me. As you can see, it was anything but small.

    Except for the last couple of hours, it was pretty much a steady rain all day. The walk was actually a little longer than my ideal, and I know I should not have taken an hour to walk around the city of Almeida. But the rain had temporarily let up and I couldn’t resist the chance to climb around another old star fort. It is much bigger than where I stayed last night, because the entire old city is inside it!

    The walk was entirely off road. Through vineyards, some olive groves, some fruit groves, and at some point the landscape changed and there were huge boulders everywhere.

    Some of the paths were lined with blackberry bushes and I remembered how I gorged on them in late September on the Salvador. But these were bitter and much smaller, so I’m wondering if drought has taken its toll. Another reason to be glad if more rain falls.

    One of the highlights was walking over the Coa River (a Douro tributary) on the 17th century bridge. Just as nice was being able to take a rest out of the rain at a spot under the newer much higher Coa River crossing.

    I got to Pinhel in mid afternoon and learned in the tourist office that the newly opened Casa da Praca was very nice. It’s right in the main square, a little old house whose owners took 10 years to renovate it. There are about 7 rooms and it’s really very charming.

    I have walked around this pretty old town, been to the castle snd walked through the Santiago door.

    The owner has recommended a restaurant across the square, and I can eat at 7 pm! My day tomorrow will be shorter, and yes they are forecasting more rain.    Read more

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