Spain
Lubián

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    • Day 9

      Day 45 - Lubián - 16.8 km

      November 4, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

      Weather: 0 - 11 and cloudy
      Clothes: The same

      The day started clear with yet another beautiful pink sunrise. Relaxed breakfast coffee and toast at the bar and then off I went.
      The first part of the walk today was along the road going up, up and more up. Today we get to the highest point of this Camino before a long downhill to Santiago.
      I read that the route has also been a bit disrupted by building the AVE ( high speed train route) but all in all it was fine. The sun was shining and even though there was a cold wind that needed some adjustment of headgear from time to time, I felt snug.
      Just as I was getting a bit tired of the road the route went left to the tracks and dirt roads of previous times. The route wound under the new overpasses and I crossed a wonderful river cascading over rocks. Then to my surprise I came to a white concrete roadway that took me to the highest point. I sat in the sun just before the top. I wanted to savour this stage because it felt like the end of the endless stage of the Camino. I am definitely coming into that last stage I spoke about in a previous post - before I know it I will be in Santiago. It now seems harder to stay in the day I am in - the mind keeps jumping ahead to the end.
      The monument, sitting on green grass flanked by Birch trees, was a short way down from the actual highest point. I spent quite some time there before the body/mind was ready to move on down the hill.
      Before long I came to the tiny village of Padornelo which never the less had a significant hotel and bar/restaurant. Warm fire, coffee and Jamon bocadilla, and I was ready for the last 8 km to Lubián.
      The last section was as beautiful as the first section and yesterday’s meandering track. While I am not yet in Galicia itself I am definitely in Galician country. I feel so at home here. If yesterday was a fairy path today was the dwarf path. Wonderful.
      More rivers, bridges, trees and tracks and I eventually got to Lubián. The albergue door was unlocked - as they all have been over the past few days and given it was 3.30 pm I went straight to get some food. I just scraped into the restaurant’s lunch time - ends at 4 pm. I couldn’t have waited till 8.30 pm and didn’t have the energy or brain power to buy food and cook. A lovely woman guided me to the Bar through the winding streets of this small village.
      Right now I am sitting in the Bar grabbing some Wifi.
      Then it’s back to the albergue to get ready for tomorrow.

      Buen Camino

      Reflection
      The monument at the pass at A Canda (1365 metres) was a powerful moment - an important moment - a place to stop and reflect. It has taken me 6 weeks to reach this point and in two weeks I will in Santiago.
      In my mind’s eye I could see Santiago ahead and after that the rest of my life - which at that moment seemed more terrifying and uncertain than walking the Camino forever.
      My mind very naturally reflected on the last 6 weeks and various Camino memories arose - the hard bits, the easy bits, the inspiring bits. In that moment I wanted to go back to Sevilla and do it all over again.
      This Camino feels like getting to know a stranger with all the ups and downs of that journey - only to discover that as you come to thoroughly know them, there is only love. And love. And love.
      My eyes keep getting wet and I am not sure why. Anticipation of the Camino goodbye or the love that the Camino elicits?

      Camino amigo talks about Galicia
      I had a buddy last night. A man from Madrid, Serge, who is riding his bike from Sevilla to Santiago in 15 days. That’s all the time he has. Phew! He wants to ride through Chile. The Camino is part of his preparation.
      Serge lived in the US for a year and is a flight attendant. We had a great chat. And he gave me the warmest farewell after coffee in the morning. I again saw that I am shy of goodbyes and letting people know how much they mean to me - something to let go.
      Serge’a father comes from Galicia and he told me a little about this district. It’s one of the poorest in Spain because it is so mountainous. Serge said his father left the village at age 14 to go to school and that in the 60’s people started to move to the cities. There are only two people living permanently in Serge’s father’s village. Many who have left villages have kept and renovated their traditional village homes and go there for the summer holidays. So the villages can be busy in summer but deserted in winter. This part of the Camino goes through tourist areas - hence the bigger hotels and Bars.

      PS. I am standing outside (catching some internet bars) as the sun sets and the moon rises. It’s clear and cold but so fresh and pleasant. I am a mountain person. Beautiful.
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    • Lubian to A Gaduna

      April 16 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

      This is not a walk for sissies! Soon after leaving Lubian, we start up an unrelenting, steep trail. Even better, there is water running down the path and deep mud. After each of us missing a stone and plunging a shoe in the water, we changed into sandals for the rest of the ascent to Portela de La Canda, on top of the ridge, the gateway to la provincia de Galicia.

      On the way down from the summit, we sighted in the distance a gas station up on N-252 highway, where we stopped with Brooks in the rental car on the way to the start of our walk in Puebla de Sanabria. That freeway passed through high hills, either barren, or covered in grey and brown, pretty grim looking, which made me dubious about our coming walk. I knew below us in the car) somewhere was the camino route.

      As it turned out, on the actual path across those hills, we walked through purple heather, yellow, white and pink flowers, through tiny medieval stone villages and past impossibly green meadows. And birds I couldn't recognise, with melodious songs. Except the Spanish Cookoo, with it's tell tale call "COOKOO, COOKOO". It sounded like a person doing a bad imitation of what the bird SHOULD sound like. "Get a voice coach!" I yelled at them, "You can do better than that!"

      Olivia was famished on the way to the next town, Vilavella. Ahead of her, I stopped at empty windows in abandoned stone houses and placed my order, "Yes, I'd like the combination plate with enchiladas, tacos, frijoles and papas. What"s that? Yes I'd like red chile and a fried egg on top." She never laughs at my jokes.
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    • Day 29

      Im Regen gestartet....

      January 6 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

      und mit Schnee geendet.

      Heute haben wir auf unserm Weg nach Portugal den dritten "reinen" Fahrtag hinter uns gebracht.

      Zwischenzeitlich sind wir 2100km näher an Portugal als vor drei Tagen 🤸🏼

      In Frankreich hat es noch wie aus Eimern geschüttet. In Spanien wurde das Wetter langsam besser.

      Nach einer Fahrt durch endlos erscheinende Agrarflächen in Spanien, sind wir der Grenze zu Portugal nicht mehr fern.

      Unser Stellplatz für die Nacht liegt heute auf 1200m. Es hat leicht geschneit und um uns herum sind Berge.

      Wir hoffen mal, dass uns der Schneefall nachts nicht überrascht.

      Die Wettervorhersage jedenfalls sagt uns eine kalte aber schneefreie Nacht voraus.
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    • Day 6–10

      Requejo de Sanabria to Lubian

      April 15 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

      We stayed at an older Albergue in Requejo, Casa Cervino. There were lots of trucks in this tiny strip town which was confusing until I started seeing guys who looked like they belonged in Tucumcari, New Mexico - drinking beer, wearing camo hats - and realized it was deer hunting season.

      We left Requejo, walking alongside a highway for a little ways until, just after the tiny town of Padornelo, there was a turn off with new-looking Camino markers and yellow markers.pointing to the right toward the village of Aciberos. All the guides pointed that way, EXCEPT for the WisePilgrim app we were using that told us to ignore that turnoff because it was "the old camino" and continue on the road till we saw a turnoff to the left, which was the "new camino."

      So we did that, heading down through a grassy meadow into the trees.
      We crossed a river and kept walking, almost bushwacking sometimes, seeing no evidence that anyone had walked that way before us, other than rare, tiny wooden signs with yellow arrows. If it weren't for the realtime map on the WisePilgrim app, showing our location on the trail, we would have gotten lost. But it was beautiful walking and we were glad we went that way.

      We didnt see one other walker until we reached Lubian, where we checked into the pilgrim Albergue and saw some familiar faces. Martin, a very tall (2 meters, 6' 5" with size 16 shoes) German, 30+ yrs old, with red hair and a silly sense of humor, Katarina, a Danish woman in her 40s, pretty, down-to-earth with whom we had several great conversations, a young Korean woman (we ran into her every time we stopped) who kept to herself and seemed not to speak Spanish or English (altho someone later told us she did speak English). She never joined our table and it was hard to get her to make eye contact. A very heavy French guy who was struggling on the trail... when he'd bend over, we were privileged to see at least 6" of his butt crack. An older snooty Dutch couple who took every opportunity to one-up others. We started dubbing them with trail names. Martin became Bigfoot, the Korean woman we called "the silent assassin", the French guy we named "Butt crack" but when we got to know him a little better and liked him, we shortened his name to BC.

      While sitting at dinner in Lubian a man came up to me and asked if I was American, then told me I needed to call Casa de Cervino, which we had left about 5 hours before in Requejo. I called and found out that we'd forgotten to pay. I started suggesting different ways I could get the money to her. She said No hay problema, I can drive there and get it from you at the cafe. I said are you sure?? That seems like a nig inconvenience. But 15 minutes later, she showed up before we'd finished eating. After walking all day, that seemed like a miracle!:
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    • Day 44

      D40 to Padornelo

      April 3, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

      Got an early start, knew it was the highest point and could be long. - 22km
      Very cold my water tube froze in 15 min and didn’t thaw 2 1/2 hrs late.
      Was able to stop after the first 11k as I had hoped for a coffee and tortilla and stretch before the real climb
      There were many trail branches as there were many detour s during the high speed rail construction through the mountains. At on point my trail turned into a stream, followed a small side trail, got my feet wet crossing a largish stream and bushwhacked a short bit end the end to another trail. Had 4 maps, 2 were showing different trails but a couple showed all the connections even if they were not whatever the official trail was. A small amount of stress but expected a chance of problems.
      Even with all that and the ups it was still a good day!! Time to stop and few times, put on dry socks, stretch and toot, my harmonica a bit 😊
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    • Day 34

      Requejo de Sanabria - Lubián 19 km

      June 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

      I had a great sleep, one of the best on the camino so far, the albergue was warm and comfortable, it was definitely one of the best I had stayed in, and the hospitalera was so nice and friendly. I always pack my bag the night before and try to be as quiet as possible in the morning but as I was stripping my bed (as instructed by the hospitalera) I was worried that I had woken up Mirjam in the bunk next to me but she assured me later that I hadn't.

      I was leaving early because there was a lot of uncertainty about the path ahead. The guidebooks all warned about diversions on this section due to the AVE high speed rail construction. The guidebook advised obeying diversion signs and I encountered several but clear directions were given at each point, and in the distance across the valley I could see the tunnels for the trainline exiting the mountain. However, as I left the sleeping beauties in the albergue, I had no idea what lay ahead for us so I wanted to go ahead of them so that I could report back about any diversions or roadblocks.

      The first part of the walk was all on the road and all uphill. The ascent on this section is 535 metres but the road smooths some of that out, trading steepness for length so the first 6 km was all uphill, but not too steep. I wore the trainers I bought in Salamanca until I got to that point and then changed into my boots. Off-road the path continued on uphill for at least another 2.2 km reaching the pass at A Canda, at 1365m it is the highest point on the Camino Sanabrés and the Via de la Plata.

      Just another 1.5 km away was the town of Padornelo, and the camino path went right past a café, so of course I stopped for a coffee. The café was well stocked with provisions of jamón and cheese and wine, so, all the essentials. Just a little bit along the road was a petrol station with a shop so I stopped there and restocked with water. As I waited to cross at a junction the driver of a huge truck blocked all the traffic so I could cross safely, I waved my thanks.

      As I was walking through the countryside I found a post with a yellow arrow on the ground, it looked like someone had torn it down. I dragged it along the path a bit then propped it up so that the arrow was pointing in the right direction. Just five minutes later I discovered that the path was partially blocked, someone, probably the landowner had put wire and rope across it. I double checked the map to make sure I was on the right path, and then climbed over the wire and kept going.

      Once again I was the first to arrive at the albergue, the cleaning lady was there and she showed me around, she was lovely and we had a good chat. Great toilets and showers, so after showering, changing and getting my washing hung out, I went in search of supplies. when I returned I found that more pilgrims had arrived, a girl from Latvia striking blond hair and lots of tattoos, and...all the snorers. After thinking about it for a few minutes I went up to the private albergue where Meg and Kathleen were staying and booked a room, then went back and got all my stuff except my washing, I could get that later.

      I met Meg and Kathleen for lunch, it was my treat for Meg because it was her birthday today, she was...well a gentleman never tells. Anne and Mirjam had picked wild flowers for her, and surrounded them with her favourite snack bar, they are such lovely thoughtful people. We had all agreed to meet later to toast Meg's birthday with a glass of wine, we even had some ice cream, and it was lovely to have Jeanette and Arno there as well.

      As we drew nearer to Santiago it became clear that we might not have much time left together as a group as we all had to be in Santiago on different days in order to travel to our respective homes or other holiday destinations. I was determined to savour each moment with each one of these lovely humans who were no longer strangers but who were becoming the dearest of friends.
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    • Day 54

      To Lago

      June 3, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      Had to book for this one as it was the only auberge - no wonder - Lago is barely more than a group of farm sheds. Good place to stay though. Met Bianca the glass half full kiwi. Teamed up with Katarina the Swede. Found the owner of an ininji tie sock we picked up in a cafe early in the day. Very good buzz out of that as the woman was most pleased and surprised to be reunited with it.Read more

    • Day 6

      Padornelo

      July 31, 2014 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      There was a new building site for the new high-speed train line from Madrid to Galicia. From this building site there was a good abbreviation (- ~3 km) to the pass Padornelo, 1350m, which we arrived at 14:20 – Yatta!
      15:30 lunch in Padornelo: beer+chips
      We arrived to the albergue at 17:50, but it was closed.

      We tried to call the number written on a sheet on the door – nobody answered. Then we met a boy on the street, he pushed the door and let us in. There were already 2 pilgrims. We took the upper (empty) room and went to the village to have a dinner. The menu in the bar we had found was quite disappointing: only meet or bacon, at least for the starter we got salads. On the way back we met the hospitalera, she recognized us as pilgrims and said she would come later to the albergue (our Spanish was getting better every day :-)). Back in albergue there was an Italian couple (Paulo+Patrcia) in “our” room. They spoke English, they started in Puebla and came from Milano. They did it already two times, Paulo said Santiago was like a drug, when you did it once you couldn’t stop.
      Then came the hospitalera for the “check-in”: only 3€. Incredible coincidence: when Peter looked at the names in the pilgrims book one name catch my eye: “30.7. Olga Sklenářová, Prague.” Unbelievable!! The same women was last year in albergue Aguncheiro two days ahead! This time only one day, so maybe next year we would catch up with her :-).
      Before going to bed at 10pm we played Bluetooth-chess. Peter won, so Martin wouldn’t play any more with me.
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    • Day 154

      Puente de Sanabria - Labián

      April 26, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

      Gestern war ich noch einkaufen. Habe mir ein eingeladen Brot, Pastasauce und Oliven geholt. Die Pastasauce habe ich auf das Brot gestrichen und dazu gab es Oliven. War auch lecker. Nach dem die Wäsche dann trocken war, nahm ich diese zusammen und packte meinen Rucksack für den nächsten Tag. In meinem Zimmer waren mit mir insgesamt 8 Personen und ich vermutete, das davon 4 Franzosen waren. Meine Erfahrung mit Franzosen war, dass diese nie bei offenem Fenster schlafen werden und es deshalb in der Nacht warm und stickig sein wird. Die ganze Zeit über in dieser öffentlichen Herberge, kam ich mir von den zwei Hospitalieros sehr beobachtet vor. Das schien aber nicht nur bei mir so zu sein. Beide waren bestimmt über 70 und auch verheiratet. Mit Argusaugen beobachtete die Frau das treiben der Anwesenden. Besonders dann, wenn diese in der Küche waren. Häufig schaute sie nach denen und auch in den Zimmern. Mit ihrer Gehhilfe ein seltsamer Anblick. Und wenn ihr etwas von ihrem Zentralem Ort aus nicht korrekt vorkam, rief sie Sätze mit ganz vielen "R" und innerlich verharrte man was falsches getan zu haben. Der Zentrale Ort ihrer Beobachtungsstelle war ein Platz, von wo sie aus den Flurbereich ankommender bzw. potentiell in die Küche Gehender einsah und den Hofbereich wo sich ein Snackautomat und die Duschen befanden, überblicken konnte. Der Mann war nur damit beschäftigt, Neuankömmlinge das Haus zu zeigen und auf spanisch zu sagen was sie dürfen und was nicht. Ich fühlte mich trotz des schönes Hauses im Zimmer eingeengt (weil zu viele Betten) und nicht wohl. Mein Innerstes drängte weg von dort. Aber zuerst musste ich die Nacht überstehen. Diese war wie erwartet schlecht. Zwar schlief ich schnell ein und dank meiner Ohrstöpsel hörte ich kaum das Geschnarche, aber es war warm und sehr stickig. Ich genoss regelrecht meine nächtlichen Ausflüge zum WC. Dort war die Luft frischer als in dem Zimmer und es war ziemlich anekelnd, wieder in das Zimmer zurück zu gehen. Schuld waren die Franzosen.

      Die Nacht war vorüber und ich stand nach 2 Stunden wach liegend gegen 05:30 Uhr auf. Zog mir einen kaffe aus dem Automaten und aß nach dem Anziehen zwei von mit mit Pastasauce am Vorabend zubereitete Schnitten. Dann kontrollierte ich meinen Rucksack und ob ich alles habe und ging los.

      Endlich von der Umklammerung befreit, ging ich die nächtlichen Straßen von Puebla de Sanabria entlang. Erstaunt stellte ich fest, dass die stolze, alles überragende Burg nicht beleuchtet war. Schade. Dann folgte ich den Koordinaten meiner Wander-App und ging zuerst ins Tal und dann über die 280 Stufen zur Burg hinauf. Oben angekommen hätte man das Gefühl, einen kurzen Moment im Mittelalter zu sein. Wenn da nicht diese Autos gestanden hätte, könnte man etwas in Historie schwelgen. Aber ich verließ den Kirch-und Burgplatz und folgte meiner App. Zuerst ging es quer durch die kleinen Gassen zurück auf die Hauptstrasse und dieser folgte ich in Richtung Requejo. Bald zweigte der Weg links Richtung Fluss ab und folgte diesem, um dann später erneut auf die selbe Straße zu treffen. Die zwei aus Mönchengladbach waren auf der Straße unterwegs und sie erzählten mir am Vorabend, dass sie auf der Straße bleiben werden. Sie wollen "nur" die 11,5 km bis Requejo gehen und dort übernachten. Am nächsten Tag wollten sie dann den Pardonelo-Pass ebenfalls auf der Strasse entlang gehen. Denn schon Tage zuvor und auch in der Herberge war DAS Gesprächsthema der Pass und welche von den drei Varianten man nehmen würde. Eigentlich an es ja 4. denn die vierte war ein Taxi oder den Bus bis Lubián und das machten erstaunlich viele. Für welche Variante ich mich entscheiden würde, wusste ich noch nicht. Denn das wollte ich vor Ort beschließen.

      Auch ich ging dann den Weg bis Requejo auf der Autostrasse und durchquerte den Ort auch ziemlich schnell. Der Ort schien "nett" zu sein. Weiter und nun den gelben, immer spärlicher werdenden Markierungen. Bald stand ich vor dem Punkt, wo man sich entscheiden muss. Eine riesige Baustelle, wo ein Tunnel für die Hochgeschwindigkeitsstrecke des AVE gebaut wird. Ich folgte etwas unsicher und aufgeregt, trotzdem den Koordinaten meiner Wander-App und befand mich dann mitten in der Baustelle und den Baustrasse. Dieser Baustrasse folgte ich ca. 10 Meter und bog gemäß meiner Wander-App zurück auf den eigentlichen Weg auf eine kleine unscheinbare Nebenstraße ab. Vorbei an großen LKW, welche gerade mit Schutt beladen wurden und dem Tunneleingang aus dem ständig LKW führen, folgte ich den Koordinaten. Dann kam ich an eine Stelle, wo man sich erneut entscheiden musste. Rechts ginge es an einer Hausruine auf dem Originalweg weiter oder links an der besagten Hausruine und neben einem anderen Eisenbahntunnel (aus dem just in diesem Moment ein Zug kam), folgte ich der linken Variante. Das hatte mir Dorothea vorgeschlagen. Denn diesen sei sie 2010 und 2015 auch gegangen. Aber man sollte und musste, wie ich später feststellte, sehr aufmerksam und konzentriert sein. Denn häufig hätte man das Gefühl, als stünde man ohne Weg in freier Natur da und da half mir erneut meine Wander-App. Sie zeigte mir die Richtung und tatsächlich befanden sich in unbestimmten Abständen Holzpflöcke mit gelber Markierung, welche man extrem schnell übersehen kann. So schlängelte sich der Weg, der hin und wieder von kleinen Rinnsalen "überspült" wurden, den Berg hinauf zum Pass. Es machte durchaus Spaß, immer mal wieder auf den Steinen zu balancieren, um nicht in ein Rinnsal zu kommen. Bei starkem Regen allerdings, halte ich diese Variante für schwer begehbar. Es begann kurz zu Kiesel und dann würden daraus kleine Hagelkörnchen. Ich zog meinen Regen-Poncho über und ging weiter. Nach geraumer Zeit kam ich oben am Padornelo-Pass an (1356m) und war ziemlich erfreut, dass ich den Weg doch gegangen bin. Bei all den vorherigen Gesprächen und Bedenken diesen Weg zu gehen, war ich glücklich. Es kamen ein paar Freudentränen und am Granitkreuz am Pass, machte ich ein Selfie. Dann folgte ich dem Weg nach Lubián, welcher nun wieder leicht bergab ging und der Hauptstraße erneut folgte. Bald zweigte dieser wieder links ab und die Hauptstraße führte in einem Tunnel. Diesen Tunnel Überquerte ich auf dem Weg an seinem höchsten Punkt und später unterquerte ich die Autobahn, welche parallel in einigen hundert Metern an der Hauptstraße verlief. Auf Feldwegen ging es dann nach Lubián. Am Ortsanfang war auch die Herberge. Ich ging hinein und sah sie mir an. Es waren auch tatsächlich schon "Pilger" anwesend. Was soll ich sagen? Es war eng, es war stickig, es war nichts für mich. Dafür das ich den Weg zum Pass in Angriff und auch gemeistert habe, wollte ich mich belohnen und ging in eine private Herberge mit Einzelzimmer, eigenem Bad und Balkon. Es war toll. Dort fühlte ich mich sofort wohl und das hatte ich auch verdient. Nach dem duschen ein kleines Nickerchen und dann ging ich mal schauen, was der Supermercado so im Angebot hat. Essen wollte ich jedoch das in der Herberge und Bar Javi für 9€ angebotene Pingermenü. Der Wirtin habe ich schon vorab erklärt, dass ich Vegetarier bin. Sie stöhnte kurz, aber wollte etwas anbieten. Das macht mich neugierig.

      Fazit des Tages: Trau dich und du wirst erfolgreich sein!
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Lubián, Lubian

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