Fuente De to Portilla de la Reina

There are no towns or services between the Parador, where we were staying in Fuente Dé, and the town of Portilla de la Reina, some 23 KM away. This is a long stretch without food and an even longer one without coffee. We opted to stay at the hotel for breakfast before heading out.

Breakfast in Spain can be hit or miss. You may get toast and a glass of OJ. You may get coffee and a pastry. And sometimes you get a full buffet, which is what the Parador offered. We had discussed eating a heartier breakfast today, knowing there would be no other food than the snacks we carried. We brought back plates full of toast, fruit, yogurt, pastries, sliced meats, cheeses, and little jars of jams and applesauce. They brought coffee to our table as well as the bill.

“Sign here, please, sir.”

I signed. It was €20, about twice what Bonnie and I have been paying for breakfasts together. This is a Parador, so I signed without complaining. Bonnie and I kept chowing down.

“Look, Dad. This sign says that they will also make us scrambled eggs or an omelet if we want!”

We both laugh, wondering how anyone could want more food than what is already on the buffet.

“Excuse me, sir. We only charged you for one breakfast. Would you please sign here on this adjusted bill?”

Our send-off breakfast was now €40.

I swallow hard, and then look up at Bonnie, who raised her eyebrows at me.

“Of course,” I say, as I sign. “And could you please prepare two jamon and queso omelets to go?”

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Yesterday we took a cable car 700 meters up into the Picos Mountains and then strolled down. Today we walked 700 meters in elevation in the opposite direction in a little over 8 KM. It took us to a marvelous viewpoint of where we had traversed since leaving the ocean. Today we had cloudless skies. Mount Horcada de Valcavao sits at nearly 1800 meters. This is 500 meters higher than the village of O Cebreiro and 300-350 meters higher than the Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross) and Mt. Col de Lepoeder, the highest points on the Camino Frances. A cyclist, the only other person we saw all morning, arrived at the top just before we did, and we took photos for each other.

While strenuous, this last week has been magnificent. “I’m going to miss the climbs, Dad. I love these mountains. I don’t know why more people don’t walk this stretch. I find it personally more meaningful than any man-made church or cathedral.”

While we may be in the second stage of the Vadiniense Camino, today felt like a closing of a chapter as the remainder of this route goes down to, and then across, the Meseta. The few pilgrims we walked with this week are either going back to the Norte or taking other stages. We met one other pilgrim today when we checked into our albergue. He is from Spain and will walk further than us tomorrow. If he can’t find a place to stay, he will taxi to Leon. Almost half a million pilgrims completed Caminos last year in Santiago. It is kind of amazing to think that there are only three of us at this stage on this route right now. This is a quieter, lonelier Camino.

The last five KMs in the Picos were equally as stunning on this side of the pass. We found new Camino markers for this area and walked by an old shepherd’s hut. The remaining 10 KMs of this stage were on pavement, which made us miss the dirt path from earlier today. We found a couple of arrows that indicated an alternative route, but it hadn't been kept up and looked impassable. Since we had no cell service, we decided to play it safe and stick to the side of the road.

The albergue we are staying at is known for its hamburgers. We may not have had anything to eat since our big breakfast (we didn’t really take omelets to go), but I couldn’t finish the whole burger. The young couple who own and run this little inn are so cute and are great hosts. They also have a cute dog and a great swinging chair in their garden.

Our hearts and stomachs are full. We will miss our ups, but we will move forward.

Ultreia et Suseia!Okumaya devam et