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Camino Sanabrés

August 2023
A 23-day adventure by Luka Read more
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  • TravelerCamino Sanabrés
    1
    11
    Day 1

    Prologue

    August 2, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    About a roadtrip, a cat and the first little Camino touch.

    I am in the lucky circumstance that I can drive to the Camino. It is 'just' crossing a little mountain range (Picos de Europa, the one I look at every day from my garden) and then the Meseta.

    However it was an extremely beautiful roadtrip I haven't been extremely happy today. One of my cats was missing when I left home. Yesterday morning I saw her for the last time. My housesitters were on the lookout and there was nothing else I could do than just leave and hope she would return soon. But she has been on my mind the whole trip today.

    I arrived in Zamora around 6.00PM and then found out that the lodging I had prebooked was actually in... Calle Santiago. I didn't want to stay in the lovely municipal albergue, because I wasn't a pilgrim yet. The plan is to catch a train tomorrow evening to Puebla de Sanabria and start walking from there the day after tomorrow.

    As roadtrips can also make you sweaty, I improvised a clothes line in my hotelroom and washed my clothes in the sink like I walked all day.

    And then, just before bedtime, I got a message from my housesitters. My little baby is back (archive photo). So all is well now.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Sanabrés
    Day 2

    Zamora - Puebla de Sanabria (train)

    August 3, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    A whole day to spend in Zamora and that is no punishment. I had been here before 10 years ago, when walking the Via de la Plata, but then I was a bit too tired to walk around a lot. Today that wasn't the case. I could leave my backpack in my lodging and explore Zamora.

    In the afternoon I paid the albergue a quick visit. The hospitaleros told me there were not a lot of pilgrims on the road, which isn't surprising. The Via de la Plata is scorching hot these months. Crowds will start from Ourense.

    Then I went to the ferretería to buy karabiners. The man behind the counter told me he walked the Camino Sanabrés 25 years ago. His eyes started to glow when he digged up memories.

    There was only one train from Zamora to Puebla de Sanabria, in the evening. It was running 40 minutes late. The sun was setting when I travelled through La España Vacía. The station of Puebla de Sanabria is a little piece of art. I still had 2 kms to walk to the albergue, but after only 100 meters I was offered a lift and dropped off right in front of albergue Casa Luz.

    No sign of the owners, but the door was open. And there were other pilgrims! An American girl and 2 Spaniards. The albergue had everything a pilgrim could ask for. Even duvets on the beds! Very welcome because the nights are cold here. I helped myself with a stamp, filled out the form and left the money on the counter.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Sanabrés
    Day 3

    Puebla de Sanabria - Requejo (14)

    August 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    I am getting behind! Too much to do and write to catch up here.

    Because I injured my Achilles tendons which lasted for months, I am starting slowly. I walked about 2 kms more than the 'official' 12 to Requejo. First because of sightseeing in the beautiful citadel of Puebla de Sanabria. And then because I followed the wrong arrows, which led me past the Guardia Civil on the wrong side of the river Castro. So I had to walk back.

    I walked more on the N-525 than strictly necessary. Yellow arrows are sometimes pointing you to that (quiet) road when there is a much nicer alternative along the river.

    Being a vegetarian on the Camino isn't always easy. Apart from potatoes and bread there isn't much I can eat in bars and restaurants. The bar-tienda in Requejo had a tiny little shop. I managed to buy an onion, garlic, a couple of cans and jars (tomatoes, white beans and broad beans) and 2 oranges. And called it lunch, dinner and lunch for the next day.

    I stayed in albergue Casa Cervino which I could recommend. A little kitchen, a balcony with chairs, fresh sheets on the beds. I was the only pilgrim, but around midnight 2 girls arrived by car. They were quiet as a mouse.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Sanabrés
    Day 4

    Requejo - Lubián (18,5)

    August 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    This stage has had a lot of changes. I'll describe here what I did (also have a look at the photos).

    Almost all tracks on Wikiloc are slightly different. I followed the mojones and official signs, which keep you away from the N-525 almost until Padornelo.

    Ojo: when walking out of Requejo, past the Botas Peregrinas and at the corner of the cemetery, the deviation sign is still there. I ignored it and followed a nice path through an oak forest. It ends up at the former AVE construction site.

    The downside is the climb on a cement construction road. I walked there still early in the morning, but it must be really hot in the middle of the day.

    The official path leads you underneath the N525 and A52 and makes a little loop around the valley. Longer, but IMHO nicer than walking along the N525. The last part until Cruz de Peregrino is on a cement path.

    I had a quick stop at the little bar in Padornelo, a peculiar place which also seems to be the day care for the local 'loco'. 😅

    After a couple of boring kms along the N525 the Camino follows a very nice path through a forest and the village of Aciberos. It sometimes follows a stream which means walking on pebbles and I don't know how high the water level gets in other seasons.

    The municipal in Lubian is basic but great IMHO. We were there with 8 pilgrims in total (of which 2 bicigrinos) and had to pay 5 euros instead of the advertised 3 euros. Still very cheap. After a shower and a wash, I spend a big part of the afternoon with a Spanish couple and a South-Korean pilgrim in the local bar.

    There is a shop in Lubian, but the shelves were rather empty. It isn't easy to lay your hand on fresh fruits and vegetables in these little villages. I stocked up as much as I could, as it would be Sunday tomorrow. I bought a pomelo, an orange, 4 servings of yoghurt, oreo cookies, rice, a courgette, a can of artichokes and a jar of garbanzos con espinacas.

    At the albergue I started mealprepping. I boiled rice and made rice with chickpeas, spinach and garlic as dinner, rice with courgette, artichokes and some cheese as lunch for the next day and put rice, chickpeas, garlic and courgette in another plastic container to heat up in the microwave in the next albergue.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Sanabrés
    Day 5

    Lubián - A Gudiña (11/taxi)

    August 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    One of my fellow pilgrims snored like a tractor, so I fell asleep late. As I woke up at 7.15h everyone else apart from the bikers had already left. I took it slow, because I had decided to make it a short stage today. Lubián to A Gudiña would be 24 kms. Most likely too many for my still vulnerable tendons. And besides, it would be a hot day again and my pack was heavy with food and prepped meals.

    I had breakfast at the chapel just out of Lubian. An orange, yoghurt and nuts, making my pack a little lighter before it would go uphill again.

    Shortly after I had a scary experience with 2 big Spanish mastifs. When I heard their heavy barks I took off my pack to get my pole. Just at that moment they came running and barking, crossing the path about 50 meters ahead of me. No idea what they were after, but I took my chances and moved on quickly. I could hear their barks for quite a while but they didn't come after me.

    The climb through the forest to the pass (and border with Galicia) is nice and beautiful. Almost all in the shade. The last few 100 meters were hard and rather steep, but the views were worth it.

    The decent is more gradual and also along a nice and easy forest path. When I arrived in Vilavella the only bar in the village was closed. This isn't the easiest part of the Camino for a thirsty or hungry pilgrim. Long live selfcatering. I started eating from my prepared salad while I waited for the taxi.

    Just a heads up for other pilgrims who might need a taxi. There is a lot of advertisement on the mojones, especially between Requejo and Lubián. I phoned them and they asked 40 euros. They said because they had to come all the way from Puebla de Sanabria. But why advertise on this part of the Camino then? I then googled a taxista in A Gudiña and he charged me 16 euros. So it is worthwhile shopping around.

    The new Xunta albergue in A Gudiña is wonderful and so was hospitalera Ana. A beautiful and spacious building. They opened only one dormitory which makes sense because of the cleaning work. We were there with 8 walking pilgrims and 2 bicigrinos. This part of the Sanabrés is not as quiet as I thought it would be in August.

    Together with another pilgrim I took the opportunity to a refreshing swim in the piscina municipal next door. What a delight.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Sanabrés
    Day 8

    Fin del Camino

    August 9, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    I walked my last kms on the Camino between Alberguería and Vilar de Barrio. A nice meandering path with blooming heather on each side. I walked at a very slow pace and every now and then I felt a jolt of pain in my Achilles tendons.

    I then knew my Camino was finished.

    I had been adjusting the lenght of the stages. After only 3 days of walking I took a restday and travelled by train and bus from A Gudiña to Alberguería. But it was still too much.

    This morning I caught a bus from Vilar de Barrio to Ourense. I'll stay here for 2 nights and then catch a train back to Zamora, where I left my car. And then? No idea. Still 2 weeks to spend until I can go home.

    It is what it is.    Read more

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