El Camino Frances Week 4 6th October – 12th October 2017

October 6 Puente Villarente
Day 22. 26 Kms. El Burgo Ranero – Reliegos – Mansilla de las Mulas – Puente Villarente. Another 0630 start with a beautiful full moon to guide us till daybreak at about 0800. Sunrise didn’t happen till 0830. Then it was a bit of a hot, mind numbing trudge beside the N – 601 to here at 1330. This town is the typical outer reach of a major city: two bars and a funeral home. 😂 The municipal albergue was lovely. A beautiful lawned courtyard with washing and drying facilities plus lounge chairs to enjoy cevezas. Leo, Ria, Kirsty, Jane and I made new friends during the wonderful pilgrims’ meal that night.

October 7 Leon
Day 23. 16 Kms. Puente Villarente – Leon. We had this idea that we would pass through Leon and check it out on the way through but we decided to stay and checked in to an albergue just off the Plaza de Regla next to the cathedral. We did the touristy things then, that night, the town exploded in a fiesta. Jane and Kirsty decided to spend an extra day here. We left the fiesta at about 2200 but it was still going strong @ 0400 the next morning. Conveniently located albergues are not always the best choice.

October 8 Villavante
Day 24. 32 Kms. Leon – La Virgen del Camino – Fresno del Camino – Villar de Mazarife – Villavante. We left @ 0630 while the cleaners were fire hosing out the plazas from the night before in preparation for the night to come and had a very hot walk across the Paramos to here passing numerous canals and rios. We arrived at 1430 ready for a shower. p.s. the Sierra de Ancares are getting closer. We start climbing after Astorga tomorrow.

October 9 Murias de Rechivaldo
Day 25. 29 Kms. Villavante – Hospital de Orbigo – Villares de Orbigo- Astorga – Murias de Rechivaldo. We wandered in to Hospital de Orbigo just on daybreak. The bridge in to the town overlooks a jousting field. Seriously. Knights, armour, horses and lances. It’s still a “sport” here. We crossed the bridge to a cafe and had cafe americano y croissants for breakfast. As we were leaving an American lady stopped us and asked us if we were the two Australian scouts she had heard about. We admitted guilt and she said that she was an American Girl Scout Leader (read Guides) and said that Sonny said to say hello. Sonny we walked with about a week ago. Now, Sonny was about twenty kilometres ahead of us and this lady had just caught up with us to pass on Sonny’s greeting. Go figure. Anyway, a lovely stroll through the countryside. Astorga is a wonderful town but it was the weekend and overrun. This is getting to be our standard lunch (pictured) which costs about €1.75 each a day.

October 10 Foncebadon
Day 26. 21 Kms. Murias de Rechivaldo – Santa Catalina de Somoza – Rabanal del Camino – Foncebadon. A long steady climb up the Sierra de Acares to one of the best albergues we’ve stayed in. It was a real new age/tree huggin’ place with an awesome paella for dinner. Only €7 with breakfast. It’s October and autumn’s here. We have a real international trail family now who all are travelling at the same pace and whom we’ve grown very attached to. We are travelling with Canadians (Elaine, Edith & Lorry), Americans (Charlie, Cody & Meredith), Dutch (Ria), Germans (Claudia), Irish (Jane) and Australians (Kirsty & Erica)

October 11 Molinaseca
Day 27. 22 Kms. Foncebadon – La Cruz de Ferro – Acebo – Molinaseca. Just for something different (not), we left in the dark and climbed up the sierra to watch dawn at el Cruz de Ferro (the Iron Cross). It really was a spectacular sunrise and definitely worth it. It was, however, a long slow descent down to Molinaseca from 1500 metres to 600 metres.

October 12 Cacabelos
Day 28. 25 kms. Molinaseca – Ponferrada – Cacabelos. A lovely walk in to Ponferrada for breakfast and then on to Cacabelos. Ponferrada is one of the homes of los Caballeros Templarios (the Knights Templar) and it has the vibe.