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Vía Serrana and El Invierno
  • Laurie Reynolds
Apr – May 2024

Vía Serrana and El Invierno

Gibraltar to Ronda and Ponferrada to Santiago Read more
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    April 11, 2024
    Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    32

    Travel Day

    April 11, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    So the day started out great. I was up at 3:30 after 7 1/2 hours of sleep, rested and ready to go. The Uber came at 4:45, and I was at the airport by 5:00. When I went to check in, the agent was surprised to see that I gave her Joe’s passport to check in. Talk about panic moments. Long story short, I was extremely lucky that Steve had his phone on. He raced down to pick me up, took me back home to get my passport, and delivered me back at the airport about a half hour before departure . Thankfully, I know everyone at this tiny airport, and with the help of the wonderful people at TSA and American Airlines, I got through and got on the plane. To say I am filled with gratitude would be a gross understatement.

    The one problem was that I was too late to check my bag, which was filled with food for my Spanish friends. They let it through and gate checked it, but I had to go out of security in Chicago to check the bag as checked baggage all the way to Málaga. Small price to pay.

    I am now in Charlotte—I chose this flight to Madrid because of its extremely early arrival time. If all goes well, I will make the 7:40 flight to Málaga and have plenty of time to do all the pre-Camino errands and mail my box of food.

    Now that I have had a couple of hours in Charlotte to eat lunch, talk to family, and calm down, I am finally sensing that wave of camino peacefulness. It’s the sameness of it all, with lots of newness sprinkled in. I have my dirty, old and frayed backpack and my 25 year old green fleece that I’ve worn on every camino and couldn’t do without. Ready to go and hoping that my travel crises are over.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    11

    Second Travel Day

    April 12, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    I am in La Linea de La Concepción, about 130 kms and a two hour bus ride from Málaga. La Linea is on the border with Gibraltar, a vestige of the British empire. This year’s Camino, which is called the Via Serrana, starts there and finishes in Sevilla. If I had more time, I would love to continue from Sevilla on the Via de la Plata, which I really love. But because of my time constraints, I hope to hop on the train in Sevilla and start walking again in Ponferrada, where the Camino De Invierno begins. Since I haven’t been to Gibraltar since 1970, I decided to take tomorrow to walk up to the top of the rock. Then on Sunday, Clare and I will start our Camino!

    I arrived in Málaga at 8:30 this morning, but unfortunately my duffel bag didn’t make it. Iberia told me they couldn’t get it to me before Monday in the best of circumstances, because there are no deliveries of lost bags out in the province on weekends. The best plan B I could come up with was for them to just send the duffel bag up to Santiago. That meant that I had to buy a new pair of hiking poles, but I can easily mail all the food to Paco and Olga from Santiago.

    I got my poles in the Corte Inglés, and then walked through the historic center for a while. Then over to the Roman theater and to visit the castle as well as the Alcazaba, the Moorish fortress. I had been there a few years ago with Joe, but I can never resist the opportunity to climb up to and around a castle, or in this case, two castles! The Alcazaba is a poor stepchild to the Alhambra but has many of the same features. I loved it.

    Then it was time to get going. On the way to the bus station, I picked up fruit and yogurt for the next couple of days of walking. So my errands are done.

    La Linea is not much of a place to visit, but I’ve got a room in a hotel on the water with a view of the Rock of Gibraltar, and I am looking forward to a good sleep. Clare arrives in a few hours but I don’t think I’ll be able to stay up to welcome her.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    2121

    Visiting Gibraltar and walking 36 km

    April 13, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    My plan for today was to walk up the Mediterranean steps, view St. Michael’s cave, visit the tunnels and the Moorish castles. That was 22 km of beautiful views, interesting historical facts, monkeys, and walking across an active airport runway. From La Linea, it’s an easy walk to the border, and from there up to the rock is very pleasant and interesting.

    I got back to my hotel room at about 3:30, and heard from Clare that she was going up the cable car in Gibraltar. She had already walked the first 8 km of tomorrow’s route, and was going to spend some time over in Great Britain. I decided I would also walk those first 8 km, which would make tomorrow’s day an easy 20. Note to self: do not start walking on a Camino at four in the afternoon.

    Wikiloc tells me me my total was 32, but that’s not the whole story. My phone died as I was doing this last segment, so I had to wing it. My visual memory of the trail was that it kept going straight instead of turning left on the road. Down down down I went and when about 12 dogs came bounding out barking at me, I had a moment. Luckily, I heard a woman’s voice and called out to her. It turns out I had gone the wrong way, and I would have to retrace my steps for another kilometer or so up, and then have a 3 km roadside walk into San Roque. I was beat when I got there and very happy to find a cab to take me back to La Linea.

    Clare was at dinner when I got back to the hotel, but she waited at the restaurant for me so we could finally see each other! Had a really good dinner thanks to Clare’s Google searching, and we finally got to catch up. I am not a foodie, but it was an excellent salad.

    Tomorrow we only have 20 K, and since Clare is still very jetlagged, I’m just going to wait till she calls me. I’m so glad I walked that first segment today, even though it took a lot out of me, because now Clare and I have a walk in the park tomorrow!

    I am recording my tracks on Wikiloc for those of you who use it, and you can find them under my username of peregrina2000.

    https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/spatialArtifact…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
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    To San Martín del Tesorillo (20.7 km)

    April 14, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Sounds like a short day but it wasn’t. But it was beautiful and a lot of fun. A few kms on asphalt at the beginning and at the end, but in between all off road and through springtime countryside.

    We took a cab to the place we had walked to yesterday, and after a coffee, off we went.

    Lots of wildflowers, cork trees, Holms oaks. No cattle today (unlike the many big groups I navigated yesterday). We had four or five ups and downs and then one large descent over caked mud that had been stampeded over by herds of some animal. That wasn’t fun.

    We knew there was a river crossing, and that there were two options. One is to go check out the level of the water at one point and wade across if it’s navigable, and the other is to walk on a rickety swinging wooden bridge. Since I just recently got up my courage to go on a zip line, I assumed the bridge would be fine. It was a little scary as it swayed back and forth, but we both survived.

    We arrived at our pensión Ochomín a little after 2. By 3 we were down in the restaurant next door. By 4 we had given them our order. One of the staff is home ill, and the owner was rushing around taking orders. He recommended a fresh fish with vegetables and a nice green salad. He told us we would remember this meal. Let’s see if he’s right.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    1

    To Jimena de la Frontera (25 km)

    April 15, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Yesterday’s meal was good- the sea bass was freshly caught (we are only 10 km from the ocean after all) and grilled. And they served a really delicious and unusual entrada, which was a salad of sorts —avocado, oranges, onions in a tangy sauce. Since we’ve walked through many avocado and orange groves (with the incredibly sweet scent of the blossoms all around), it seems like an excellent way to show off local produce.

    Today’s walk had about a 300 m ascent up to the ridge of windmills. From there, the views were just gorgeous. Everything was green, lots of wildflowers, valleys, and hills and mountains. It was beautiful. After the descent, the rest of the walk was kind of a slog, a lot of it on asphalt. We had heard from many people on the forum that there was a virtually impassible brambly segment that we could avoid by taking a minor road. That meant about an extra kilometer and some more ascent but hey, we’re here to walk.

    Somehow, I managed to pick the Casa Rural (la Posada Grande) that is about as high as you can get in this town. At the end of the day, it was hard. But we are right in the centro histórico and the place itself is very comfy.

    What luck to find that this town keeps their castle open even on a Monday. After a late lunch, I spent about an hour climbing around the castle and am now having an icy agua con gas on a shady terrace looking out over the countryside.

    I have read that 2-3 years ago they discovered a pit with skeletons of some of Franco’s victims. That led to the opening of a little museum in town, which I would very much like to see, but it’s closed on Mondays.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
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    To El Colmenar

    April 16, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    It’s hard to believe that this was only 21 km, because we did not arrive until nearly 3 PM. We started early, but our first challenge was to figure out whether to climb over a fence or not. There had been a lot of discussion about this on the forum, and our GPS tracks are not micro level enough to tell us which side of the fence we should be on. So we decided to climb over. After a few minutes of shoulder-high brush, we decided we should in fact be on the other side of the fence. So over we went again. It was not terribly complicated, but not simple. Then we had to figure out how to get safely by a small horse who was tethered in a pathway that was only about 8 feet wide between fences. It seemed really skittish, so we were afraid it might jump on us, but we made it unscathed.

    Our next potential challenge was the Cortijo Los Lirios . This is a huge private ranch, but it also has a Cañada Real passing through it, which means that the public has the right to walk through. A couple of forum members had found the gate closed, which causes big logistical problems. But lucky for us, the gate was wide open.

    From that point on there was an almost continuous ascent through the ranch. Fortunately, a lot of it was nicely shaded. Wikiloc tells me there were only 600 m of elevation gain, but it sure felt like a lot more. Must be the aging process.

    Our Rural hotel is charming, and now that we’re showered and have clean clothes, I think we’ll go soak our feet in the swimming pool. Today was our hottest day by far (86 F/30C), but we were sensible. We took good, long rests, drank a lot of water, and ate oranges.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
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    To Jimera de Libar (26 km and 860 m)

    April 17, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Long and hard, but most of all beautiful and exhilarating. One of those days that leaves you tired but grateful and feeling full. A few kms after leaving El Colmenar, we saw the hydroelectric plant and Clare was able to explain what is to most people a long fat pipe, but which she calls a penstock. Then came the gorge, with a lot of rocky ascents and beautiful views. The trail was very well maintained with a wooden bridge or two, a tunnel through some of the rock face, and railings to hang on to at exactly the right points.

    After the gorge there’s a little hamlet where I bought a cold Aquarius in a shop. Then came a much less strenuous ascent through fields filled with wildflowers everywhere and the Serranía de Ronda (name of the mountains) circling the meadows. Lots of jagged peaks all around.

    Clare and I went at our own pace today. I would have stopped to wait if there had been any dicey spots like last year’s canyon walk, but it all seemed manageable.

    I got to our Casa Rural in Jimera with time to take a quick shower, throw my clothes in the washing machine and get a ride from a neighbor up to the Cueva de la Pileta, a privately owned cave with amazing formations and paintings dating to 40,000 years ago. The newer ones are only 3000 years old. I don’t really know anything about prehistory, but it was pretty amazing to lay my eyes on paintings that had been drawn such an inconceivably long time ago. There were skeletons down at the bottom of a pit, an unsolved mystery of whether they were accidents, sacrifices, or maybe even a burial place. All of the rooms where the paintings were had evidence of smoke, so the inhabitants must have built fires inside. No photos allowed, so I bought a few postcards of these amazing drawings — a horse, a fish that had swallowed a seal, and some stick figures were my favorites.

    The only restaurant in town is closed tonight, but thankfully there is a little grocery store where we got sandwich fixings. We’re in a Casa Rural with a pool and magnificent views. Our tomato, cheese, and jamón Serrano sandwiches were more than enough!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
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    To Ronda!!! 21 km and 850 m

    April 18, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Lots of up and down today, but it was a short distance in terms of kilometers so it was all very manageable. I started out in a not so great way – walking down to the train station with Clare (she took a train for a few kilometers and then walked on), I realized that I had left my hat in the Casa Rural. Anyone who walks on a Camino knows that you cannot walk without a hat, so I had to trudge back up the hill and retrieve it. I think it only added about 800 m to my day, so not really a big deal.

    The walk had two very distinctive parts. The first part, to Benaoján, was along a river with the craggy mountains in the background all the time. From there to Ronda was up and then down through a beautiful valley, up to another high point and then into Ronda.

    The wildflowers were just spectacular today. And now we know why – it rained nonstop for the entire week before Easter. That was terrible for all the people traveling that week, but the benefit for us is pretty incredible. I have always seen wild irises on my Caminos, but I have never seen an entire field of gorgeous purple irises. Then there were red, pink, white and yellow flowers all over the place. It was truly gorgeous.

    Ronda is in a beautiful spot. It’s hard to describe, but I’ll attach some pictures.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    1

    Afternoon in Ronda

    April 18, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    One of the real advantages of having a relatively short day into a very nice place is that the afternoon is just there waiting for you to explore. Since we were both in our hotel rooms by a little after one, we met for lunch at two.

    After lunch, we walked down to the Moorish baths, which my Wikiloc guide (Island Walker) tells us are repurposed Roman baths. They are well preserved and very atmospheric. From the bottom, where the baths are, we had to go back up to the top, over to the other side, and then down, to get to the newly opened path down to the bottom of the Puente Nuevo. This is a very safe and easy to navigate path, which they call the Desfiladero (gorge). There is another phase planned, so stay tuned.

    I went to the church of Santa Maria La Mayor, got a stamp in my credencial, and walked up onto the roof. Good views. Clare had already been up there, so she waited down below and had a beer. Time for bed for this Peregrina!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
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    Ronda-Acenipo-Sentenil-28 km 750 m

    April 19, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We decided to take a slight detour to the Roman ruins at Acinipo and then continue on to Setenil. It added a few km, and it probably had more road walking than the camino route, but it was worth it. The weather was very cool, sunny, and extremely windy. Though we didn’t walk in any mountains today, they were never out of sight. Lots of olive groves (the first I’ve seen on this walk) and fields of bright emerald green. With the wind blowing at such high speeds, you could see waves in the fields as the grass blew around. It reminded me of the meseta on the Camino Francés.

    Acinipo once had a population of about 2,000 in the 2-3 C. All that remains are the ruins of the baths, ruins of the domus (noble house), and the theater. The setting is high on a hill, with clear views in all directions. The theater, with its circular seating carved directly out of the granite rock face, was the most imposing and interesting.

    We got to Sentenil, designated as one of the prettiest Pueblos in Spain, and I think it is a worthy designation. We’re in a very cute Casa Rural with a stunning view over this town below. We have walked around a little bit, climbing up and down, and looking at the two “cave streets”, one on each side of the river. The river is now very small, but over the millennia it carved out these long promenades. It’s pretty impressive. Touristy, but not too much.

    The one snafu of the day was that I woke up to find that my power bank was not charging. This is a problem, because my phone is old and only holds a charge for four hours or so. There seemed to be two options — one, to stay in Ronda till everything opened, or two, just walk as normal to Setenil and hope that the little computer/phone/technology store in town has them. No way was I going to sit in Ronda till stores opened, so on we went. I called the owner of the store in Setenil from the Roman ruins, and he told me he had power banks, and that he would be open in the afternoon at five. I got to the store at six, and it was closed. Still waiting with fingers crossed that I will be able to get a new bank.

    Update: I sat waiting on the stoop for 45 minutes with a very chatty young man who was also waiting. He kept me entertained with many stories about his children, his job, the weather, the Virgen de Los Remedios in tomorrow’s town. But I got a new power bank! It’s much heavier than my old one, but I am HAPPY to have it!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    1
    114

    To Olvera (18 km and 540 m up)

    April 20, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    It’s hard to imagine a more perfect short day. It had a little bit of everything that I love about the Camino — beautiful countryside, interesting churches, chances to talk with people living their lives, a great stopping mid-point for a Kas de Limón (terrace with a view), a few aerobic ascents, a charming pensión, a beautiful castle to climb, and a fabulous restaurant.

    The first bit to Torre Alhaquime was all cropland. Many green fields but some that looked brown and barren. Much to our surprise, we saw people out there working in those brown fields. Turns out it’s asparagus picking. Backbreaking work that must be done by hand because the shoots mature at totally different times. The man we talked to had a family business. He said that between February and May, they come out to the fields every day, and slice off by hand the ones that are ready. He told us that today’s crop would be heading to Germany.

    We had a long, gentle decent to the town, where there were remnants of an Arab fortress, and walls that used to surround the town. We had a nice break out on a terrace. In the bar, 3 tables of men were playing dominos. After that, 4 km to our destination, with a few huffing and puffing ascents. In the middle was the chapel of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, a Virgen who answers many petitions.

    In Olvera, we are in a 5-room old style, family-run pension. We walked up to the castle and then had a great meal in Tarara. If you are looking for a really good restaurant in the area, this is the one. Kind of a foodie place.

    Post-prandial activities will include walking up to a garden on a promontory and going to a grocery store.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
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    To Coripe (26.5 km and 470 m)

    April 21, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    It’s hard to believe we climbed 470 m when our destination is at a lower elevation than our starting point, but since it was almost entirely on a Via Verde (rails to trails), the grade was very gentle and continuously up and down. There were about 20 tunnels to walk through—some lit better than others and done with no lights. Our little challenge for the day.

    We left our little pension at about 7:30 and by 2 we were at our Casa Rural in Coripe. It’s hard to imagine a stage more different than yesterday’s. This was a stage with no variation in scenery, not much to see along the way. It was all scrub on high undulating hills, but there was an impressive outcropping or two interspersed. And they came with some big raptors. But basically, it was one of those days when the camino goes inward, me and my thoughts.

    We walked into the small town of Coripe just as they were finishing their celebration of 130 years as a municipality. It’s a small place with a small store (closed on Sunday) and a few bars. We found one that had some food, and had an iceberg lettuce salad. Then came a “campero” — a plate of eggs, french fries, jamón serrano, shrimp and who knows what else mixed up. I won’t say it was gross, because I ate a lot of it, but I will say that yesterday’s meal bears no resemblance to this. It’s all part of the total package.

    Having a washing machine is always a real treat, even though the Spanish lavadoras are incomprehensible to me. The cycle took more than 3 hours, so we now have no sun and little daylight left to dry our clothes!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
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    11

    To El Coronil (31 km, 440 m)

    April 22, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Great day! The first half, to the town of Montellano, was all track, through ag lands with people out and about, always happy to stop and chat. Olive groves, sunflower fields just sprouting, and some green fields of grain along with some that were ready to harvest. And the wildflowers, oh the wildflowers! There was a small castle way up on a hill, but I wasn’t even tempted to climb up! And several Moorish atalayas (watch towers) in sight in several directions.

    In Montellano, I got a stamp in the town hall, with a nice chat about the Via Serrana with the two functionaries. The last 12 km into El Coronil were also very nice, except for the 4 km on the side of a fairly busy road with a shoulder that was overgrown with wildflowers.

    There was a “water feature” on this stage, which meant getting over to the side of the running current, finding some branches to cross the stream, and then walking in water up to my knees and crawling through an opening of about 2 feet between branches. This meant taking off my backpack and carefully transporting things from side to side. I know this is a terrible description, but believe me, it was a big challenge, and I was happy to make it with just my feet and legs wet. But the reward soon after was a 13 century Moorish castle that was really impressive.

    As I arrived in Montellano, I saw the turn-off for the consulta médica and headed in. I was very sure I had an infection, and even though I know exactly how to treat it, Spain has really clamped down on its pharmacists. No prescription, no nothing. Not at all like the old days.

    But this visit was quick and painless. I entered an empty office, with one doctor and two nurses, one assistant, and me. They asked for my health care card, but when I said I was from the US, they shrugged and gave me the cup. No more than 5 minutes later I was out of there with a prescription and a second prescription in case I still had symptoms a few days later. My Belgian friend Sabine was exactly right – Monurol was the medicine of choice. They had no way to charge me for the visit— this is a regional health care center, open 24 hours a day, with no billing office, no cash register, and no insurance forms to fill out. For someone from the US, it was mind-blowing.

    Clare found a great restaurant and we had an excellent menú del día, nothing like yesterday’s glop. Casa Miguel, in case you are ever in El Coronil.

    Two days to Sevilla! I can’t believe it.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    1

    To Dos Hermanas (41 km, 150 m)

    April 22, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    This is a longer day than I would have wanted to do, but cascading events made it the only choice if I wanted to walk the whole way.

    Jumping ahead to Thursday— we have train tickets to take us from Sevilla, where this camino ends, to Ponferrada, where the Invierno begins. Our train leaves at 9:30, so the only way to have a good chunk of time in Sevilla was to have a short day tomorrow, which in turn required a long day today.

    It was hard for me, even with essentially no elevation gain. The first part was lovely — rural and mostly off road. I had a long break in a charming plaza in Utrera and began the second half about noon. A good chunk was through the very shady and quiet Cañada Real, but the last 9 km were out in the sun, on a dirt road, alongside the train tracks. It was a case of mind over matter, step by step. I got to our little apartment by about 4:45, pretty wiped out. We are now going for pizza to a highly rated pizzeria owned by an Italian.

    But having a 15 km day tomorrow into beautiful Sevilla will be one reward for this penitential day.
    And the other reward is that I now have proof positive that there will be no more 40 km days for me. It’s good to have a reality check, and to get a good understanding of what makes sense for this old lady.

    And here are two good tidbits— I heard from my friend in Santiago that my duffel bag finally arrived. And my power bank looks like it has revived itself!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno

    To SEVILLA!!! (17 km, no elevation!)

    April 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today we had a really nice walk. Entrances into big cities are usually kind of ugly and garbage filled, but this one was very pleasant. It took us a while to get out of Dos Hermanos, which is a bedroom town for Sevilla now. But once we were out., we walked through nice fields, until we got to the outskirts of Sevilla. No industry, no illegal garbage dumps, no big commercial areas. There is a huge military cuartel (barracks) in a beautiful building about 5 km outside of town. We had a nice chat with the guard who explained that both the Guardia Civil and other military personnel live in these barracks.

    The Camino essentially took us down a promenade that used to be filled with mansions. Some are still standing, but many have been replaced by modern buildings.

    We went past the soccer stadium, and into the beautiful Maria Luisa park,where we had our first bit of evidence that Sevilla is mobbed with tourists, From the Plaza de España, we made our way to the main tourist center and went to the Cathedral for our pilgrim stamp.

    We are staying in the same hotel I have stayed in twice, when I walked the Via de la Plata. It’s still a one star hotel, but it’s prices are no longer one star level. Sevilla has become very expensive. I last stayed here in 2013 or 14, and the room that I’m paying €110 for today cost 30 or less 10 years ago.

    Luckily, we bought tickets months ago to visit the Real Alcázar, can’t wait!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
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    The Alcázar and surroundings

    April 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Though our rooms weren’t ready when we arrived, we were able to drop off our backpacks and change from trail runners to Chacos. We headed to the Real Alcázar, where we had different entry times because of availability (and this was several months ago!)

    I had forgotten how beautiful the Alcázar is. I don’t think I had ever visited the Cuarto Real (royal apartments, parts of which are still used by the royal family when they’re in town), and that was a treat. The gardens are cool and lush, and the patios and interior rooms will definitely remind you of the Alhambra (no surprise there). The Moorish parts span the 10th to 13th centuries, and when Fernando III of Castilla took Sevilla in the late 1200s, the Catholics kept adding on to the original building. Even Fernando e Isabel added some rooms. Incredibly crowded but still gob-smacking.

    I did not venture far afield but after a very good tapas meal in El Baratillo, I went through Santa Cruz and the Judería. Sevilla’s centro histórico is just beautiful. So happy to have had this time here, end of the 250 km Via Serrana.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    111

    Repositioning day

    April 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We have finished the Via Serrana, and if I had the time, I would just keep walking from Sevilla north on the very beautiful Via de la Plata. But I don’t have that luxury, so today was a day of train rides to get to Ponferrada, where the Camino Invierno begins.

    The walk to the Sevilla train station, about 3 km, was very pleasant, taking us through the maze of streets in Santa Cruz. I could not have navigated it without Google maps.

    First train — an Ave (fast train) to Madrid. 2.5 hours, 300 miles.

    Then in Madrid we had to change train stations, from Atocha to Chamartín. In the not too distant future the two stations will be “one station with two stops,” so we won’t have to use the commuter rail system to transfer. Currently there is no high-speed rail connection between the two, which means that high-speed trains from the south have to stop in Atocha and high-speed trains from the north have to stop in Chamartin. Connecting them is a huge project, even though it’s only about 8 km. Current price tag is estimated at more than 500 million euros and many years of disruption in both stations.

    But that’s not all that’s happening in that area. The project Madrid Nuevo Norte is going to cover almost 6 km of tracks and make that entire area available for development. Another mind-boggling, complicated, and expensive project.

    Two more train rides, and by 6:30 we were in Ponferrada. I got a cab to take me to Santo Tomás de Las Ollas, a 10 C church I’ve tried and failed to visit several times. This time I thought was going to be more of the same, because the Señora with the keys did not appear to be home. But a neighbor told me to just knock louder, and she did appear. Just a beautiful circle of horseshoe arches. From there I walked a few kms into town and am ready to start the Invierno tomorrow.

    The weather forecast looks less than great, But we haven’t had to use our rain gear yet, so it seems only fair.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    11

    Sevilla at night — for Irene

    April 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Since I am not walking tomorrow, I took advantage and walked through Santa Cruz and the Judería after dinner. And then around the Cathedral as night fell. It is beautiful. I also got a great ice cream. How could I resist? There had been a huge line there all day and as I went by on my way back to the hotel, there was only one other person there. My first ice cream on this Camino, and it was really good. The name of the store Abuela in case you are looking for a great ice cream in Sevilla. You will recognize it by the long line!Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    6

    Ponferrada -Peñalba de Santiago- Montes

    April 26, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    This was a tough but exhilarating day. 27 km and 1200 m up — I think that’s the most elevation I’ve done yet. Actually it was a couple of steep rocky descents that almost got me, but I did fine with my poles and going very slowly. One water crossing had a lot of very fast moving water, but luckily it was not that high at the space I had to cross.

    The trail started out through vineyards and fields, and then switched to forests. The last part was mountainous and rocky. It was a great combination.

    My first destination was the beautiful little pueblo of Peñalba de Santiago. It was one of the last places to get electricity and paved roads in all of Spain, I believe. The houses are stone, with slate roofs, sometimes lots of flowers, sometimes wooden balconies. And there in the middle sits a 10 century Mozarabic church. It has horseshoe arches just like Santo Tomás yesterday, and a recent restoration revealed some original frescoes. One side of one doorway has some beautiful calligraphy, written in what I am assuming is Latin.

    I had a long stop in this town, meeting the man who runs a small Albergue here, and also getting my Kas de Limón fix in the small bar in town.

    Then came the last 8 km or so, starting out with a very steep and rocky climb to a field with a maze laid out in tiny stones. But it was the descent that was the piece de resistance. Incredibly rocky and steep, with frequent water crossings, and signs that I was walking in Roman canals. Though it’s hard to believe, for me at least, the Romans transported water from here to 24 km away where they had a gold mine whose remains I will visit tomorrow.

    My destination for tonight was the monastery of San Pedro in Montes De Valdueza. Though the monastery is pretty much in ruins, the local church authorities opened a small Albergue here, not so much for people walking to Santiago but more for the many people who walk in these mountains. The woman who is in charge lives in town, and she gave me the keys to the monastery! I can’t get into the church though, unfortunately. Because I am a Pilgrim, she will bring me my dinner and fixings for breakfast. It’s kind of weird being the only person in this big place, but tomorrow night there are going to be 70 mountaineers here, and I think I prefer being alone!

    I dodged a bullet and had only a few sprinkles on the last couple of kilometers into town. It’s raining now, and the forecast is that it will continue. But maybe I’ll be lucky tomorrow like I was today.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    311

    Snow and 800 cyclists

    April 27, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Today I walked from Montes de Valdueza to Las Médulas and then another 8 or 9 km to Puente de Domingo Florez. Wikiloc tells me it was 35 KM and about 900 m elevation gain.

    It had been raining all night, but Pilar had told me that the entire distance was on a “pista forestal” (Forest track). That meant no jagged rocks, no extremely steep elevation, all dirt, and no rivers to ford. As I went from one side of a mountain to another, the weather kept changing. At one high point, it was snowing. About halfway there, I ran into three guys setting up a refreshment stand. They told me I was about to encounter 800 cyclists, all of them completing a 101 km circuit from Ponferrada. There were about 200 walkers, but I was unlikely to see them given that they would be much further behind.

    When I started down from that point, it turned into a pea soup fog, with an occasional few minutes of rain. But when I got to Las Medulas, it wasn’t raining, and the view was as spectacular as ever.

    I was going to spend the night there, in a little rural hotel, where I have been several times. But when I got there, the grounds were covered with campers and tents and caravans. I decided that even if there were rooms available, it was going to be a late night party. I decided to continue on nine more kilometers. That will make tomorrow a very short day so that’s nice.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    31

    To O Barco de Valdeorras

    April 28, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Nice walk, nothing spectacular, but pretty. It was our first encounter with the Sil River, which merges with the Minho eventually. It is very full these days because of all the rain.

    The camino goes through some abandoned villages, and one real town. There are lots of small family owned vineyards. I talked to a couple out working on their parcel, and they said that they and most of the small owners in this area just grow enough grapes to make their own wine for the year. There are lots of huge industrial vineyards as well, but the Camino didn’t pass by any of them today. Since it was a day on the short side, I left late and didn’t really get into my normal walking mode. Kind of lollygagging and realizing I was feeling tired.

    Three of us had a late lunch and when I got back to the room at about five, I lay down and woke up after midnight. That was probably the longest night uninterrupted stretch of sleep I’ve had since I’ve been here! Maybe it had something to do with the allergy pills I’ve started taking (a regular occurrence when I walk in Spain in the spring), but whatever it is, it’s a strange sensation to wake up at midnight, feeling refreshed, and ready to go!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    2

    A longer route to A Rua

    April 29, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The day from O Barco had to be either 13 km or 40 km. I was not interested in the 40 option. I had learned on the forum that there was a way to visit an old abandoned estate (Pazo) on the other side of the river, which would also add a little bit of distance. I did some more searching and found that there were several trails on that side of the river that would take me up high, to some waterfalls, and then to a couple of little towns on my way back down to the river. I pieced together some Wikiloc tracks and got a good alternative – more than 13 but less than 50! I wound up walking 24 km with about 600 m elevation gain.

    It was a combination of two local trails, both very well-maintained and marked. I saw several people out walking, all single women from the nearby villages, and also met a man tending his little patch of grape vines. The waterfalls were quite nice, and the walk along the ridge at the top gave such a different view than what we normally see walking down by the river. I came into town over an ancient pedestrian bridge, and saw that there was a Roman millario right next to it! I am very happy to have done this route, and I arrived in A Rua just in time to have a menú del día with Clare.

    Despite the weather forecast, it was a glorious day, but rain is back in the forecast tomorrow. It looks like the morning will be dry, so I will start out good and early!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    231

    To Quiroga in the rain (28 km and 700 m)

    April 30, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    It wasn’t a totally rainy day, but there were several long-ish periods, so my shoes and feet were soaked most of the day. This is a very nice stage even when it’s raining, way up high with four other paths paralleling below — the river, the train tracks, the national highway, and the local highway. And there I was on top of all of it! The Sil River is dark green, blending in with the greenery all around. With the grey sky, the color palette was fairly reduced—except for billions of bright yellow flower bushes (gorse or broom, I’ve been told they’re called).

    The Camino goes through several little villages— all have at least a few inhabitants, a few renovated homes, and the great majority falling apart. I can’t imagine that there is anything that will bring these places back to life, but maybe the Camino will do it!

    One of my two favorite Sil River horseshoe curves is on this stage, and luckily it wasn’t raining when I got to that spot! I sat and had a few handfuls of trail mix and soaked it in — then the rain started and I really soaked it in.

    I am in a nice place in Quiroga— hair dryer and heat! Now my shoes will dry for sure.

    Looks like rain for the next few days.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno
    23

    22 km and 700 m to Pobra de Brollón

    May 1, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    I woke up this morning and saw that once again weather.com predicted clouds and no rain till late afternoon, while the Spanish, weather website aemet.es showed rain all day. I chose to put my faith in weather.com, even though it had let me down yesterday. Both websites showed the same cold temperature, though – 38 F/3C. Another day to put my smartwool socks on my hands. But I would much rather have those warm lambswool gloves that are sitting at home in my Camino box!

    This was a planned short-ish day, because I wanted to have a good chunk of time in Monforte De Lemos tomorrow. I have stayed there two or three times, but always arrived on the late side after a pretty hard walk. It’s a small city with some interesting things to see.

    I had forgotten how beautiful this stage is. Lots of green, lots of flowers, lots of big vistas from up high. No cultural or historical sites, but plenty of natural beauty. And the rain held off until I was about four minutes from my destination.

    There is now an albergue in town, but I learned that the pensión where I had stayed years ago had reopened (its owners closed it when they retired, but their kids have reopened it). Very nice.

    Clare and I have had a good and very filling lunch in La Taberna Vieja, and we are going to stay here till the thunder and rain stop.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsVía Serrana and El Invierno

    Nice day to Monforte de Lemos

    May 2, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    It seemed almost like a rest day. The walk was very pretty, and I took a little detour to go to a hill fort that dates to the first or second century, before the Roman arrival. At places like this, I stop and think about things — my life, their life, whether we were similar in any ways. There were many body-shaped rock-lined spaces right below the surface, and I wondered if they were graves.

    We did have one fairly short and not too steep ascent, and we also came across our very first loose dog. He barked, and he did come close, but that was about it. That was the first loose dog we’ve encountered during almost three weeks of walking.

    When we got into town, I went straight to the pharmacy to see if I could get something for my incessant cough. This is very similar to something that has happened to me on two other Caminos— it starts as an allergy and then deteriorates into a bad cough, and I cannot shake it. I showed the pharmacist the name of the medicines that I had been given the last time, and she just pulled them off the shelf and gave them to me. That’s a very different attitude towards prescription medication than what I found in the south of Spain.

    We were in town early, and by noon I had checked into the parador— a splurge I booked months ago. It’s in a 17 C convent right next to the 13 C castle tower. The receptionist was very nice and found me a room that was ready, even though I was hours before check-in. I guess that walking into a parador with a grungy backpack and hiking poles gets you some special treatment, or else it gives staff the incentive to get you out of sight quickly.

    One of the best things about staying in a Parador is that the towels are so huge and thick that you can squeeze all the water out of your hand washed clothes with them.

    Clare and I had a good lunch in a popular local place, while she played around with schedules and accommodations to figure out her next moves. My bet is that I will start out from Monforte alone tomorrow.

    It’s a cold grey dreary day, but at least we didn’t get rain while walking.    Read more

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