Pilgrims on the Way

As we leave the village of Vega de Valcarce, the Camino is carefully watched by the ruins of the Castillo de Sarracín on the hills above. Despite the similarity of names, the castle has nothing to do with the Saracens, except perhaps that the Moors destroyed the original Christian castle on this site in the year 714. It was rebuilt […]

After spending entirely too long at our second breakfast, we popped our heads into the the local church, which turned out to be quite lovely. For you liturgists following along, the altar is laid out in a fine example of the Benedictine arrangement. Among the statues and shrines in the church are those of Santiago, and of the patroness of […]

Here we see Francine and Rebecca happy to see their second breakfast. We stopped into a little village bakery to treat ourselves. It was delicious! As you can see, everybody is already pretty tired, and it’s only 9:30 in the morning. We’re steeling ourselves to climb a mountain. Date: 25 April 2016 Place: Vega de Valcarce (Castilla y León, Spain) […]

There was some incredulity surrounding Friday’s post about “the Bridge of Ambasmestas“. Well, here’s a clearer view a little further down the valley, in the village of Vega de Valcarce. In this one, you can get a pretty clear idea of the scale of the thing. That’s a major highway up there. It’s terrifying. Date: 25 April 2016 Place: Vega […]

Continuing our theme of hand painted signs involving quadrupeds, we come to this sign, which might be done by the same painter. And I mean, how could you not want goat cheese? Though the goat looks more like a giraffe to me. Date: 25 April 2016 Place: Ambasmestas (Castilla y León, Spain) Today’s Map:

Through town and countryside, the Camino climbs up from the valley of El Bierzo to today’s goal: the first town of Galicia, O Cebreiro. It may not look like much of a climb in the photo, but one look at Francine’s face will dispel any notion of ease. The nearby shops have a large selection of walking sticks available for […]

As you enter the village of Ambasmestas, the first thing you’re likely to notice is the highway bridge overhead. It soars what must be hundreds of feet over the little valley nestling this village and several others we will pass through. I can’t imagine living here with the threat that a car accident might result in several tons of metal […]

The thing that strikes me funniest about this sign is that it’s in English. The upward slope as we climb out of El Bierzo and into Galicia is becoming more pronounced all the time. Apparently the locals have sensed an opportunity! Date: 25 April 2016 Place: Somewhere near Ambasmestas (Castilla y León, Spain) Today’s Map:

This is the Hostal Camynos in La Portela. The building sits by itself on a cliffside on the two-lane road the Camino takes at this point. Seems like a lovely place, if a bit isolated. The Camino has already begun a gentle climb, and soon it will begin to climb in earnest towards the rim of the valley as we […]

The architecture of the buildings, while still very similar to that in other parts of Castilla, definitely has some differences. The most obvious is the sudden appearance of slate roofs. These can be found on most buildings now, whereas earlier in the the Camino they are only rarely seen. Date: 25 April 2016 Place: La Portella (Castilla y León, Spain) […]