Via de la Plata - My second Camino: Day 7

Fran & Bea planned on a 6:30am departure Friday morning but got delayed by a passing thunderstorm. I had been awake since 3:00am because of some "emergency" (non-emergency) call I got from Anne. The water sprinkler valves directly above my car space at the apartment needed to be repaired.  Problem was my car wouldn't start.  Dead battery I was told and will need a service assistance for that.  I couldn't make sense of that because it was running ok before I left for this trip.  Anyway, a long story and another night of sleep deprivation.

At 6:00am, people started stirring and moving around the dormitory.  All gearing up for the foul weather.  At 7:30am, I decided to put on my backpack and don the poncho I borrowed from my daughter.   She lent me the one she used when she did the Camino Frances from SJPP for 5 weeks back in 2019.  Now it was my turn to put it to good use.  It steadily rained, heavy at times, but the more I walked in the rain, the more I find pleasure rather than misery in it.  Perhaps it was dejavu.  It was the same feeling I recall when walking in the rain in my boyhood years.  Or was it just the fun memories of walking in the rain as a young child?   Idk.

The rain eventually let up.  About two hours later, I arrived at the old Roman Bridge at Ponte Taboada.  I know I wanted to sketch this old bridge even if it was raining.  I don't know how long I sketched there but others like Fran & Bea soon showed up at the spot and our paths crossed again.

The Ponte Taboada Roman Bridge.

Some more uphill/downhill hikes on this trail and with less service infrastructure in between towns compared to the more popular Camino Frances route.  However, the lush greens views all over and the sound of silence was actually something I enjoyed.  

Old oak forest. 

At Silleda around 11:00am, the sun came out and I got my first cafe con leche that day and paired it with jamon tostadas and pastries for breakfast.  I still had about 14 kms left before the next stop at the highly rated Albergue Casa Leiras in Dornelas.  Silleda is a city where I found a supermarket where I bought some bread, cheese and jamon for a nice bocadillo sandwich.   In exiting out this city and going back on the trail, I failed to notice the yellow arrow marker at the immediate right in one corner of the street.  Suffice it to say, I got lost a bit but backtracked my way just enough to get back on the trail.

Later on I noticed some mint growing by the trail so I plucked a cutting that I carried with me.  It was handy to smell the mint when the foul smell of livestock fill the air in some sections of the trail.  The sky was turning more grey and ominous looking clouds were forming.

Mint leaves for a refreshing smell.

A sketch of a stone house ruins while I was on a lunch break.

I was fortunate to reach a quiet roadway tunnel to shelter from the quick passing storm.  My friends Hannah & Brian, and Dave soon arrived at the tunnel and we all waited out the storm.  Good thing we all have booked reservations at the highly rated Casa Leiras so we just all walked together until we arrived at the destination at 5:20 pm.

This was a private albergue with limited number of beds.  I had a confirmed reservation two days before I got there.  Aside from the three friends I walked with, three other guests were checked in.  Rafaelle and Matilda (from Italy) and Stephen (from Germany).  We all shared the community dinner and had the most fun conversation over some delicious Italian pasta, salad, pizza and wine.  It was a great ending to another long day of walk.  I know the end of this Camino is fast approaching.

Wonderful dinner 

The few guests for the community dinner.

I created an entry in Casa Leiras' logbook that was filled with other notes and some drawings made by other guests who had also stayed at this albergue.  

Cristina and Stephen conversing while I discreetly sketched them.

 

 
   

Via de la Plata - My second Camino: Day 6

Although the title says Day 6, it was only the third day that I actually started walking the Camino.  It also happen to be the longest of the stages I needed to walk to get to the Albergue in A Laxe some 30 kms away from Oseira.  

It rained steadily overnight and the thought of walking in the rain the following morning crossed my mind.  Maybe one reason I didn't sleep well (again) in my bunk bed.  Plus the heat in the dormitory was turned up a bit high so the room felt pretty warm and it was uncomfortable in my sleeping bag.  Even the floor beneath my bed felt very warm!

At the vespers the night before, I captured Dave, Fran, & Bea in my sketch.  I met Hannah (a Filipina) & Brian, now from Savannah, GA but previously from Westchester, NY and their friend Dave from upstate NY.  Then the wonderful couple from Asturias, Spain named Fran and Bea.  We would later become more acquainted with each other as we walked toward Santiago. 

The albergue says you need to be out by 8:00am but I was already up since 5:00am that morning.  One and a half hour later, more peregrinos were already prepared to do the walk.  A young Danish lady, Astrid, an engineer who is on a transition period, was ready to set out and I asked if I can join her.  It was still dark when we went outside and about 45 minutes early before the sunrise.  I didn't have a head lamp so I just followed her on the trail with her small head lamp on.  Another hilly section and I was just taking it slow.  Astrid walked fast.  Tall with long legs and confident stride, she actually started the Via de la Plata route from Sevilla.  At the break of dawn, we descended to the small hamlet of Carballediña.  Eventualy, I lost sight of Astrid.  She was way far ahead of me.

There was a little coffee shop sign at the corner.  I decided to follow it for a cafe con leche.  I met the very friendly couple named Peli and Erica who owns the place.  I requested their stamp on my Camino passport and my sketchbook.  The view of the old house nearby their coffee place struck my interest so I sketched it.  This made our connection much easier.  I think we used the Google translate to communicate with each other but generally, in absence of words, we can understand each other.  He even showed me the beautiful views behind his house.  How lucky it is for them to live in such a beautiful setting!

Further down the valley, I walked toward a cow pasture.  Immediately, I sensed the joy of fulfilling one of my to do sketch on this trip which was to sketch some cows.  The weather was threatening but it didn't materialize to rain.  Got my cow sketch done and it was time to walk along the paved roads.

The views were amazing in Galicia but how to capture them in a sketch?   I tried from this one spot and just made color notes on what I saw.  All the beauty of nature that was refreshing and rejuvenating to the soul.

At the next town in Dozon, I stopped at the next bar for another cafe con leche.  Met some other pergrinos including Hannah, Brian and Dave, the couple Kitty & John, and other ones I met earlier in the day.  Then it was time to walk the road again.  Thankfully, the weather remained clear and bright and sunny until I got to the Albergue de Lalin A Laxe some ten hours later.  Not surprising, but there I saw Astrid (from Denmark), Catherine (from UK), Fran & Bea (from Asturias) in the albergue!  That evening, in the restaurant, I shared dinner at the table with Fran & Bea.  I'm grateful for meeting and sharing stories with them for they were the nicest people one could ever meet. 

Via de la Plata - My second Camino: Day 5

Didn't get enough sleep overnight.  It happens to me all the time.  The first night in any new place is always a problem.  Never the less, the day 2 planned walk was a short one - only 8 kms from Cea to the Monasterio de Oseira so it didn't matter that I was the last person to leave the albergue.   I had a cafe con leche at a restaurant located not far from the albergue.  Mary, the owner, told me her parents immigrated to Spain from Venezuela and settled here many years ago.  I made a sketch of her and the coffee machine in my sketch book.  I also drew one in her logbook containing notes of other peregrinos who have crossed paths with her at this restaurant.

The route to Monasteiro de Oseira parallel that of the paved secondary road.  I must have missed the yellow arrow Camino marker at a turn somewhere so that I ended up walking along the asphalt covered road.  The views were amazing though and not until the last 2 km did I saw the yellow arrow trail marker once again.  It took me down to the trail where some old stones bore indented markings of the carriage wheel perhaps dating as far back as the Roman times.

Then the majestic building of the monastery came into view and I was awe struck by its size.  It was still early to check in at the albergue so I waited it out.  The cloudy grey weather was turning and soon droplets of rain started coming.  I was sketching the front of the monastery but I had to move to one corner that was partly shielded from the coming rain.

Once I got checked in, I joined the short tour of the monastery.  I thought I'd have some time to sketch inside its walls and the different rooms but the guide was quick to shepherd us in and out of the featured sections of this magnificent structure.  I wish they would allow visitors to have a little bit more time to explore on their own.

A couple of hours later, I joined the group of visitors who were allowed to the vespers.  It was one of those experiences that I would never forget.  It was so moving!  I felt something of a connection.  I was moved to tears as I was sketching the scene. 

Via de la Plata - My second Camino: Day 4

I didn't sleep well the night before.  On top of the power outage issue and the power brick supply, my FB account access was shutdown and locked.  I dreaded the idea of it being hacked.  I decided not to bother unlocking it until I get back home.  

The actual Camino walk starts today.  For breakfast, I had a piece of banana from the Canarias, a small yogurt serving and one of the jamon con queso bocadillo sandwiches I prepared the night before.  A little after 8:00 am, I bid goodbye to the Airbnb rental place and I made my way toward the Ponte Romana bridge where the VDLP Camino starts from Ourense.  Today's hike was about 23.1 km to my first stop at Cea.

 

Leaving the Airbnb rental apartment.

At Ponte Romana Bridge.

I got my first cafe con leche at a gas station just before the steep uphill climb to get out of Ourense.  I saw a church that needed to be sketched so I made some time to do that.  I actually made the sketch from the back side of the little church.  Earlier, I saw a group of four ladies and a couple of peregrinos that I had already seen the day before at As Burgas in Ourense downtown.  Saw another couple of guys who walked quite fast even in the hilly section of this trail.  The trail was mostly deserted and I had hours of walking by myself.  It was concerning at first but I got used to it.

The Mirador Cudeiro with views of Ourense in the back.

The Igrexa de San Pedro de Cudeiro.

Once I reached this old Roman bridge at Ponte Sobreira,  I had to stop and make a sketch of it.

I walked mostly along the road side paths but there were sections that lead to old forested areas, fields, and ancient walk paths.  Some were nicely maintained but there were areas that needed a good trail maintenance.  I got very excited seeing a marker that says 2.0 km to Cea at around 5:00 PM. so I text msg it to the family at home.  I arrived at the Albergue de Peregrino de Cea while the hospitalero was still out so I made my way to the nearest one restaurant in town and got something to eat.  This medieval town is so lovely, I think I fell in love with all the stone houses!  Made a sketch of the Albergue and the town plaza tower.

Via de la Plata - My second Camino: Day 3

Monday, back to work for the Spanish nationals.  I started my day with a cafe con leche and by visiting the Catedral de Orense.  I wanted to sketch the icons inside this beautiful church and took some pictures of the rich and intricately gilded chapel in one corner of the cathedral.  

Sometime in the afternoon, I walked past a local market where I bought two empanaditas for lunch.  She sold out on the regular empanada.  Then I decided to get a cafe con leche at a neaby bar.  An overspill of patrons were seen drinking beer outside.  I walked to the counter and ordered a cafe con leche but the bar tender gestured to the machine and in fast Galician spanish he said something I couldn't understand.  It was dim inside the bar, no visible lights except for the natural light of the day and it was close to two o'clock in the afternoon.  I reasoned, everything in the city must be ready for the siesta downtime.  I would later learn about the power outage in Spain and in Portugal and some other European countries that day.  It took many hours before the power was restored through to the night.  It was a concern since my Via de la Plata Camino walk would start the following morning.

The As Burgas hot springs since the Roman times and the view from my Airbnb apartment room.

Via de la Plata - My second Camino: Day 2: Part II

In wandering around the city, I saw a Repsol gas station that was interesting to sketch from across the corner taxi stand.  Several motor bikers pull in to have a refill just outside this little shop. 

The tiny corner gas station. 

I did several sketches of the famous spots in the city including the town plaza, a chapel nearby the old Roman Bridge, a school with old tower gates and walls.  

The town plaza.

The small church near the Ponte Romana bridge.

The Ponte Romana Bridge.

A school in an old fortress like structure.

I posted myself in one corner of Plaza Mayor but little did I know that that also happened to be the trolley stop that runs on the weekends only so I sketched the trolley blocking my view on one page.  For about 0.85 cents fare, the trolley ride to the outskirts of the city where the hot springs are located.  I paid the same on the return trip to the city.

It was an exhausting day but sure glad to take time soaking up experiences in this city.