2015-10-23 and 24: In Santiago (maybe one or two km)

Slept long. Ate in the restaurant of the hostel. Cleand and did some more maintenance. Also fixed the check-in for my flight home and had the documents printed.
Now it was time for the pilgrims mass - finally.
On the way there I met a Swede from Gothenburg near my age. Had walked the Camino Frances. But he was in a company with his friends, so we did not have much time to talk.



At the Missa de Peregrinos (pilgrims mass), I got a place near the front, but had to stand. A good speech in Spanish by the bishop (?) of the required humanity in these difficult day with all refugees and other similar problems. Also greeting from other priests from different countries in different languages. The only thing missing was the swinging of the botafumeiro. Due to all pilgrims coming to Santiago they now have two mass per day one at 12 the other at 19:30. And today they were only swinging at 19:30. I'll go and see it tomorrow.

After the mass I went to a Movistar shop to fix my communication problem with the Tuenti account. It proved that the automatic refilling of the account was not there. I had to fill the account manually. So I did and the mobile worked again. What a disappointment. I have to investigate this further. Why do you have to do this manually in these days?
After eating some I walked around in the old city and found some old friend from the camino. This is really a gathering point! I also went and bought some books in Spanish. And now I'm writing this.



The mext morning I discovered the market and the market halls. You could buy a number of things but concentrated on flowers and food.



Outside the cathedral the was a demonstation by the communist party and some syndicalist flags. Together with the cathedral it made an interesting combination.




The final photo from Satliago is my hand on the pilgrim shell at the ground of Praza do Obradoiro in front of the cathedral.

... end of the Camino end of my long walk from Granada and Sevilla towards Santiago ...

2015-10-22: Caminando Muxía - Cabo Finisterre (Fisterra) (32/522 km)

I had never walked between Finisterre and Mixía and had wanted to do that. I failed two years ago due to very bad weather coming in. But now...
I was early at the bus station since I was a bit uncertain about the time. But the bus came and left with me in it at 8:50.
In Muxía I left the other pilgrims who first should go out and visit Virgen de la Barca, out at the point with all the special stones that are supposed to be the remainders of the stone boat that controlled by the Virgin brought Santiagos body to Spain.
I took a hamburger at a bar and started to walk. I knew the beginning since two years earlier. I passed two young men .One of them had the same backpack as I. He proved to be from Finland. Photos were taken. With good speed I passed the beach where I had been swimming at my previous visit. But not now.



Up in the hills. Up, up and up! The top was at some 370 m. On the way down after almost 7 km there was a good view towards the sea. New photos were taken.











Gradually I approached Lires where that was a much feared ford over a river. But --- not now they had built a stone bridge for the camino. The old fording stones could still be seen however. And yes - it was difficult. An then I was in Lires. My first plan had been to stay there and sleep. But the walk had gone fast and it was too early. So after something to drink I continued. Now the sea could be seen at may places and the coast is beautiful. Costa del Morte (The coast of Death). Today it was the coast of life. I met not a few pilgrims walking in the opposite direction.
After a number of kilometers I started to descend towards Finisterre. I marched through the small city that I love. But what changes there had been! New private albergues everywhere. Not the only one that it had been 8 years ago. And a lot of pilgrims walking around.
I decided that there was time to walk out to the Cabo. And in spite of stopping when a couple told me not to bring my backpack - there is no albergue out there - I continued with my backpack on. The road and especially the footpath goes along an often very steep slope with no safety rail. Thrilling indeed! I reached the end of the road when passed the lighthouse (Faro de Finisterre). And here it was - the end of the Camino. The place of my dreams, where some people burn their boots and with an absolutely fantastic view of the sea. Today the sea was calm and the sun was beginning to set.



But I was in a hurry to get back. So I started to return with very quick steps when a car with two girls stopped and offer this old man with a backpack a lift into town. I declared them the angels of the day. In town I had some difficulty in finding the main bus stop. But eventually I found it and recognized the site from 2007. And the bus should not leave until three quarter of an hour later. Time for "un refresco and una cerveza"!

The bus came. We wet on board and then I discovered that I had ended up at a round trip to all the small cities around this part of the coast. A fine good last view of Cabo de Finisterre. In Santiago just after ten. At the hostel a hungry me ate the two tuna cans that I had carried in my backpack for this part of the camino. What a day!

2015-10-21: Caminando Puente Ulla - Santiago de Compostela (24/490 km)

After having had breakfast and after having said hi to the three French ladies, the camino went upwards trough the hills. After some 4 or 5 km I discovered an albergue of the new municipal model. It would have been a very good alternative to the private at Puente Ulla. The camino was well marked and good as it went through forests and small villages. I met one of my Italian acquaintances and we both had to speak castillano (Spanish) since he could not speak English. It worked well.
Coming out of a forest on a hill I could actually see the towers of the cathedral in Santiago at a distance of more than 10 km. I had never thought that this was possible - but it was.

Gradually the was more and more villages and roads and Santiago was approaching. After a building site we crossed the railway. And - there was the site of the terrible accident some 4 years earlier when a train in too high speed ended up in the concrete wall killing several passengers.The the side safety net of the bridge was covered with candles, crosses and various things let by pilgrims and others. I had tried to find this site earlier after my Camino Primitivo but was then unsuccessful. But here it was.

Marching in through Santiago the road whent uphill trough old parts of the city passed a faculty of the university and all of a sudden I was standing at Praza do Obradoiro (Plaza de Obrador) in front of the cathedral. A magic moment as always. People everywhere hugging, resting on the ground with sticks and backpacks many probably tired but happy.Most of course having walked the Camino Frances, where more than 200.000 walk per year. I have have heard that 8.000 - 10.000 walk the Vía de la Plata and Camino Sanabrés per year. It is the longest with its 1.000 km but the third in number of people walking it.









I found my hostel at the side of the cathedral in a building that earlier contained Semiario Mayor (the major priest seminary of Santiago). I had ordered by mail, one of the spartan pilgrim rooms at the top floor. My reservation in advance proved to be necessary, since some others of my camino friends waked in and tried to get a room but everything was fully booked.


After having rested a little I was out with a friend from France that had walked the "new" Camino del Invierno. He had walked with some Americans from Burgos to Ponferrada. But the male partner (from Seattle) never showed up. I guess that he had miscalculated the time since the late bus from Finisterre gets in at ten o'clock not earlier. And the we had all gone to our respective hotels/hostels.

2015-10-20: Caminando Laxe - Puente Ulla (36/466 km)

A day tat not started well. I got lost for a while since I took the wrong turn in the dark. It was probably due to that I had mixed up the directions already yesterday when I went to have dinner. It seems that have you once navigated wrong that get suck in your memory. Hmmm....
Well I found my way and got right after some ten minutes. Had my breakfast at the same place as yesterday.
The day continued through a hilly landscape with a lot of small villages.I wonder what will happen with those in a few years time. The landscape in Galicia is here very green with a lot of forests. Not least with a lot of chestnuts trees. So there were often fallen chestnuts all over the road.





Met the Frenchman that had walked the Camino Invierno, a couple of times. The Camino de Invierno (Winter way) is much little walked. I was an alternative way starting in Puente Ferrada when O Cebreio at Camino Frances had snow. Then you walked south through the Galician hills and mountains until you met the Camino Sanabrés at Laxe. No albergues yet but well marked according to the Frenchman.
Finally down the hills in serpentines at Puente Ulla. All roads and railways have bridges here. There are only private albergues here no public. I found my and got a room at a reasonable price.

I had dinner downstairs with the Frenchman and three French ladies, also of a mature age. One spoke English. They had walked from Seville at the beginning of September. But I began to understand that he one that spoke English had difficulties when she for the third time asked me where I had started and didn't remember that she had asked me before. Life is sometimes not easy

2015-10-19: Caminando Oserira - Laxe (32/430 km)

A rather tough morning. Very stony and narrow track and upward 250 300 m. A very hilly and dangerous path in the rain that continued all day. Many small villages without anything.

At the end of the morning I reached Castro Dozón where I had coffee with the Belgian man.
I continued up and down but not so steep and narrow and reached Laxe in the middle of the afternoon all wet and chilly. A good and big albergue. But chilly indoors, so I wonder if anything that I washed will dry.

About 50 km left to Santiago. I expect to take those in two days.

2015-10-18: Caminando Ourense - Cea - Oserira (36/398 km)

Marched out alone over the old roman bridge and through streets in the dark. It was raining for the second day in row. Up, up and up...! Eventually I reached Cea. I had determined to stay in the monasterio de Oseira.

After a lot of lonely roads up in the mountains I reached it. A gigantic monastery. Started to be built in the 1100 sometime, but later expanded an rebuilt several times. Three monasteries in one. Today mostly a museum. I took a guided tour a bit later. A dying monument.






The albergue in one of the houses. Old, big chilly. Six pilgrims in total. The Belgian man , a German lady and three Spaniards and me.

We all went to the Vispera. It was held at the balcony of the cathedral like church. Eight monks - most of the old or very old - two visitors and us six pilgrims. The Vispera lasted almost one hour and was mostly sung to an electronic(!!) organ. I wonder what will happen with this monastery in some year. A museum only?? It is mostly museum today and had a small shop that also served as the reception for the albergue.


After the Vispera we three non Spanish pilgrims went to have dinner in the small bar. The food was quite OK. But the bar did not open for breakfast...

2015-10-17: Caminando Xunqueira de Ambía - Ourense (23/362 km)

I went up early and tried to navigate out from the albergue, but had some problem with the GPS that only locked occasionally. However we found a place to have breakfast.After the breakfast the GPS still didn't want to cooperate. So while walking through the village I took out the batteries. But the memory card disappeared at the same time. And I couldn't find it.
All of a sudden I had all friends searching and calling for the help of San Antonio (de Padua). He will help when you have lost something. And he did, so I found the very small and black memory card. Now my GPS worked well. So I could lead the company.

After a while we split inn smaller groups. Me and Marc went together. Thinking back it was an uneventful walk.We gradually approached Ourense that is a big city. We had morning coffee in the middle of an industrial area. And then criss-crossed small villages that eventually became a rather hilly city and city streets.




I tried to find the cathedral but failed and had to ask. Eventually we found it somewhat anonymous and the uphill also the albergue in the San Franciscan monasterio. We were the first come. Eventually more of the others showed up. An evening with tapas close to the cathedral.
Here my problems with the Tientu SIM card started. It could not be used for datacom. No credit(??) I could not use that phone any longer. And since it was late Saturday I could not fix it. It came at the worst time. I have to wait until Santiago and meanwhile use my expensive Swedish SIM.

2015-10-16: Caminando Laza - Xunqueira de Ambía (35/339 km, altitud 470 -> 970 -> 600 m)

Me and Mark from France left Laza after breakfast in the dark. Piet from Holland was sitting in the bar writing some messages. After a rather uneventful morning the track was rising steeply after the small village Tamicelas. After a while in the stony and partially difficult uphill Piet reached us. We fought our way up to the top where on the road our thee Italians just came. They had started three quarters before us but had followed the road. Together we entered the village Alberguería up on the mountain, with the interesting bar El Ricon.

I have never seen anything like it. There were shells - model Santiago - with names and dates everywhere ceiling, walls, pillars etc. Even we wrote our dates and names on shells that should be part of this fantastic collection later that day.






Down the mountain again to the village "Villar de Barrio". Marc continued while Piet and I shared a fantastic lunch at "Number 17" a restaurant without any sign, opposite to the albergue. But the old lady there knew what is required to make very good food. Recommended! Piet was staying there since he was also planning to eat with the old lady later.
I thanked Piet and continued through small villages and over a plain with large fields and cows. Then up and down through forests and more small villages. I passed the four guys from Barcelona and later the couple from Estonia until we reached the albergue in "Xunqueira de Ambía" also here close to a sporting ground and a bit outside the village. The thee Italians had arrived earlier but were out on the village.
After the rather heavy lunch I ate things left in my backpack and decided to stay in the albergue to write.
Tomorrow Ourense!

2015-10-15: Caminando A Gudiña - Laza (36/304 km, Altitud 1.150 -> 470 m)

Did wake early in a good room and after collecting my things went down to have breakfast with the others at the bar of the hotel. We - the Dutchman, the Frenchman and I - left when it was still dark and went up through the village and then hit the road.
There were a lot of lorries with cement and gravel and other machines to the building sites of the AVE from Castillia to Ourense. In fact the whole area is affected by this. The landscape is somewhat barren with heights that dominated the area. Threes are scarce at these high altitudes. Very beautiful. A fantastic embalse (dam) filled one valley with water. But you at many places saw building sites for the AVE scattered in this otherwise desolate landscape. And that looked a bit strange to say the least.
We passed several small villages with only a couple of buildings and really enjoyed the day walking up and down the ridges. One of the best day in the whole of Vía de la Plata, when it comes to the landscape.

After a steep and stony decent we tried to have lunch at Campobecerros. As usual we ordered bocadillos but the lady behind the bar said that we could not have those but did not really tell us what was the problem, so we took some caffee con leche and some pastry. When we left the deliveries came. Very late, but then we understood the problem.
The rest of the afternoon passed and we were descending in altitude towards the Laza village which is only at 470 m. We saw some slow trains at the old one track railway that is also going through these mountains. Would be good to take that sometime.
In Laza you have to go to the Protección Civil (Centro de Salud) to report, pay the fee for the albergue and get the keys. They informed us that we could go there but said that we should not go to sleep in the room before 10 o'clock since they that sprayed the room for bedbugs at 10 in the morning. We told them about our problems in "A Gudiña" the day before and they asked us if we had reported those. We said no. So they obviously did. It is important to stop this everywhere along the Vía de la Plata at the same time, otherwise you will never get an end to it.
It was a good albergue near the sports ground and we could take our showers an wash before going out to have a beer. In the albergue we met a couple from Estonia that came the way from Portugal. They are right now also spending their time outside the room.

2015-10-14: Caminando Lubián - A Gudiña (25/268 km, altitude 1.100 m)

Again a day with various mishaps. Lubián is situated between two mountain chains and I passed the first one yesterday. The second one waited today.
I spoke to the hospitalera and she said that it always had been a discussion if Lubián should belong to Castilla or to Galicia. So it is an interesting place in a land where everything happens right now. The building of the AVE high speed train line from Madrid to Ourense affects everything. Also the camino that I discovered this morning. The camino has been reroute and after first having ended up in a stream and later in a track crossing that led to nowhere I determined to take the safe roadside again. Maybe a not so wise decision since when getting to "A Gudiña" I found that two acquaintances that succeeded in following the Camino and told me about a very fine day. Hmmm... I wonder what I did wrong.

After the last mountain pass when I or rather we got into Galicia I spoke to three Italians that helped me take a photo (a bad on unfortunately) but then I lost them.

Well, I followed the Camino the lasts kilometers into town and rapidly found the albergue. The Dutchman and the Italian who had found the Camino were already there. I found a bed and took a shower. Meanwhile the three other Italians arrived. But they found something that the rest of us had not seen. Bedbugs!!
We quickly cleared the albergue and went to search for a hotel with available rooms. The first two were full. But we found a good one at the other side of town. That's where we stay now.

2015-10-13: Caminando Puebla de Sanabria - Lubián (31/243 km) Altitude 1.329 m

The day started in mist. After having had breakfast at the local bar I went across the river with the steep rock having the castle on top. A very beautiful morning.
I very soon discovered that neither the GPS tracks or the guide books worked. The Camino had been changed since. To avoid getting lost I navigated up to the main road an followed that through the morning mist. I saw the 2 Irishmen but they did not intend to walk as far as I so I left them.
In Requejo I had some lunch before some more peregrinos with known faces appeared.
The road got steeper but not much. This is certainly a land of building sites. Not only the road of very good standard but also the motorway and obviously they are also building a high speed AVE railway through the mountain to Galicia. We have nothing like this in Sweden.
When the mist had eased it became a very fine days. The ridges were full of power windmills. Hundreds of them I would guess.
After having tried both the Camino and the roadside everything got together at one place. Where the Camino went up over the motorway on the hillside. The motorway disappeared into two tunnels and the road continued up to the pass at 1.329 m. Almost that is.
It also went through a tunnel at the top. I did choose to walk that, a little more than 400 m long.
Then again after the tunnel and a small village the Camino went a new way and I followed the yellow arrows. Green an lush forest, crossing both roads and creeks that finally after a lot of ups and downs ended in the village of Lubián, the last village of Castilla.
Ran into the albergue directly and met a Dutch and a Frenchman. We went and had a beer together an will have dinner soon. It is a very special village built like a labyrinth, difficult to find your way through. Meanwhile the albergue had filled some more but still no hopitalero/a. She came eventually and the the three of us went out to have dinner.

2015-10-12 Caminando Mombuey - Puebla de Sanabria (30/212 km)

After having had a little to eat I stood discussing a little in castillano with one of the men from Barcelona. He was thinking of using the roadside but could not persuade the others, but he made me choose it.
It saved me an hour and a lot of mud in another rainy day. I walked the roadside alone in light traffic had a lunch in Asturianos. After an incident with the tea I had ordered - my fault - I continued and arrived in Puebla the Sanabria around 3 o'clock. That gave we time to take my shower and wash my dirty things and communicate with my job before writing the blog as I'm doing now.
Albergue Casa Luz is a good private albergue with most facilities. It is much better than the one In Mombuey the night before.
I have spoken to a couple of older Irishmen - maybe my age - that are starting their camino from here and also a German couple that had intended to walk along the Vía de la Plata /Camino Sanabres but due to joint problem for one of them, couldn't. So they are making short landings here and there. It seems that this is OK since this is a private albergue.
No photos today. You all know how straight roads in rain look.

2015-10-11: Caminando Santa Marta de Tera - Mombuey (40/182 km)

As I mentioned we were only 2 persons at Albergue Anita in Santa Marta. The other was a German lady. She disappeared a bit before me but I bypassed her in a crossing. Being a fast walker she soon caught me up. She was from the area of Köln. And we to and fro spoke German and English - sometimes mixed. Again the lesson - it is good to have several languages when you walk the Caminos. At least when you leave the Camino Frances and do some of the others.
It was a very cloudy day to start with. The Camino went close to the river in a very green surroundings. After some hours we passed a small village and tried to get a little morning coffee. But could not find a bar. Nevertheless we found a private house that had sort of self service bar so the owner left us with a kettle of warm water and some jugs and cookies. And - not to forget - the perrogrino (the dog pilgrim), but he was rather sleepy.

I still had problems with my stomach but the coffee was OK. Obviously as long as you did not feed the dog cookies. So we didn't. The day went on and we passed over a dam and then the along the reservoir. Good surroundings.
The German lady wanted to stop at "Rio Negro del Puente". Probably a wise decision in the afterthought. After having eaten a little I continued another 10 km to Mombuey. It was raining all the time. After a while I decide to put on my big German rain poncho. Had anyone been making U-Tube video, this exercise could have entertained you all for quarter of an hour or more. Eventually I got it on.
  I found the albergue, but it was extremely basic, the most basic albergue I have experienced. A stone hut with one part where to sleep and one toilet/shower, without the possibility of avoiding shower water flowing over the floor(!) No electric contacts except for the heater on the floor. It was sort of help-yourself and the fee was donativo. Besides me there were 5 catalan speaking guys from Barcelona. They went out to eat. I intended to follow them but my stomach told me that it only wanted me to provide it a little to drink. It got that and I went to bead early.

2015-10-10 Caminando Tábara - Santa Marta de Tera (23/142)

The night proved to be terrible. My stomach had got something in it that it didn't like. And told me so expressively and very clearly. Luckily I was alone in the room. Got some sleep towards the end of the night.
A very tired person met the morning. A breakfast with two toasts and a coffee con leche, That was it. I did not look forward to the day. But got on the road again. Met a bunch of Spaniards that I had seen the night before. We found a quicker way out of town than the original one. After having passed the building site of the new highway things got more quiet. But I felt that this needed to be a slow day for me a day with may resting stops. After a while I was overtaken by the German/Mexican couple that probably had walked the old route.
The landscape had become more varying. Parts of the meseta was mixed with hill with some forest. I had intended to stop for some lunch at a pueblo. So I asked an old man with a cane for the bar. And he promised to show me. In fact they had a bar with help-yourself-service for those living in the village. My man had a key and helped me to two Cokes for my stomach, and a beer for my thirst. I was very grateful for the help but I had to walk on without having eaten anything.
Up the hills again. I got tired. Then I saw a simple shelter and decided to take a res. The only place to lie down was the table with my backpack as a pillow. I almost got to sleep. Then the German-Mexican couple passed and said hello. But I rested a bit longer.
Towards the end of the trail I saw some interesting wine cellars (bodegas) that were dug into hills. But soon I got into Santa Marta de Tera. I sat down in a park to rest and the continued to the private albergue "Casa Anita"  next to the bridge across the river Tera. It is a good albergue and I have been well taken care of. We are only two guests. The other one is a woman who has been sleeping all the time and did not even come forward for dinner. So I was the only dinner guest. My stomach was still sensitive but I could eat fish and drink water. Not bad. I will need this for the long mach tomorrow.

2015-10-09 Caminando Montamarta - Tábara (29/119)

Left Montamarta together with one of the Basque men after  having had breakfast at the restaurant near the bridge. Just after the bridge his intention was to walk the camino to Astorga mine to take the the roadside of the highway to Tábara to solve my cash problems.


After a set of crossings I reached the highway and the bridge across the dam. Narrow highway shoulders narrow walking space across the bridge. It's an old bridge and I understood later that they most likely are building a new one to replace it. Just across the bridge there was a summer house area for those well to do, But I left all this and continued my way.

Had lunch at the village of Pozuelo de Tábara. A quick one and then more roadside until I reached Tàbara. Ahhh! A cachero at the road cross. My worries are over. Just to discover that it was out of order. Walked aimlessly into the small city. Saw a sign with lodging for pilgrims and was - as usual - hijacked by the owner. Got a room on my own.
Soon came another person. He proved to be a Norwegian psychiatrist with roots in Holland. So Swedish could be spoken. Another younger couple arrived. She a German with relatives in Sweden. He a Mexican that worked as a teacher in Germany (professor?) They had met on the Camino. I would have liked to know them better.
I walked around the city and met some more of the walking pilgrims that my new friends knew, a French couple.
Fairly late we had dinner at the restaurant connected to the hostel. A good night together but  I felt that my body told me about coming problems.

2015-10-08 Caminando Zamora - Montamarta (20/90 km)

Had breakfast at the albergue after a rather disturbed night. The man in the bed next to mine had - from what I later understood he been hit by diarrhea.  He was up every hour, switched on his head light and woke everybody including me. It is bad enough with diarrhea but why switch on a strong head light every time? A bad night.

A bit un-concentrated I walked through Zamora. I forgot to draw money from the "cajero automatico" (ATM) but made my way out from the city with the help of the GPS. It worked all right.

Soon I was out on the meseta, this time on my own. It's like navigating the open sea.

I needed to talk to SP in Borås so I ended up at the square of "Roales de Pan". Pero, no pan = no bread, there was no bar to be seen, so I had to sit on the main square and talk to Borås. It worked.

I passed my comrade from Vittoria on the way out but wanted to walk alone today. After an hour or two on the endless meseta I reached a site where new roads were built. I have a fairly new map in my GPS, but it didn't show the new motorway. It is like this all over Spain, new motorways everywhere.
I had to pass various building sites but did choose to follow the main - la carretera - until I reached Montamarta. I took a road in but was stopped by a man who pointed out the direction of the albergue, but I said that I first wanted to see the village. The village was a disappointment. Nothing! And we should not even mention a cajero automatico.

So I walked back and almost missed the albergue since the was no sign at the roadside, but a pilgrim like young man in the garden. I asked him and he said it was the albergue. So I went in, marked a bed and then went out to the bar nearby to have something to eat. They did not take credit cards!

I discussed with the lady behind the counter about returning by bus to Zamora and fix the money there. She said it was possible, but after a while asked me if I had considered walking the roadside to Tábara. They had a cajero automatico. The roadside was considerably shorter than the camino. I had not considered that possibility. And when I got back to the albergue I checked the map in my mobile phone. And yes, 28 km to Tabora instead of 48 km along the Camino. Quite acceptable (but boring). Thanks Pythagoras!

2015-10-07: Caminando Cubo de la Tierra del Vino – Zamora (33/70 km)

After breakfast walked out of the “Cubo de la Tierra del Vino”. Passed and was passed by several of the person from the albergue. But it was a quiet morning at the meseta. Decided to have a meal break with a bocadillo at a bar in “Villanueva de Campeán”. The guy from Bibao came in and after a while the owner took a photo of us. After the stop we continued together.

After the stop it was meseta, and more meseta, and even more meseta. For me a warm day in the sun of the plains. After an hour or so we caught up with the other Basque. 
It was the day of the hormigas, of the ants. They were everywhere swarming, flying, creeping, It filling the air and the ground. For km after km. All of the time.


Eventually the three of us and some ants reached Zamora, crossed the old stone bridge and found the albergue housed in an old renovated building. The albergue had hopitaleros/as from the Netherlands. So as a change I could speak English. The room filled quickly. All Spaniards except me and a guy from South Africa.

Now the blisters start coming. Hmmm!

2015-10-06: Caminando Salamanca – Cubo de la Tierra del Vino (37/37 km)

In spite of syncing my GPS the night before it refused to find the proper satellites among the city blocks in the morning. So I had to walk a bit using the guidebook through the streets of Salamanca. Eventually the GPS synced and I had navigated correctly.

Out through a number of suburban villages. In between you really realized that you were on the meseta plains. A slowly undulating landscape in autumn brown beige. A little rain and a fantastic rainbow. Hardly any forests and very few trees. At the end of the morning the GPS tracks and Guidebooks were too old and for a while I was almost lost. But I found the new camino track that was badly marked but you could guess the idea of a field way close to the motorway. Lunch at a bar in “Calzada de Valdunciel”. I had a number of work mails to reply. I left the village around twelve. On my way out I met a guy from Bilbao.
The next 16 km also followed mostly field ways close to the motor way. The meseta continued but here with a little more trees or almost forest. The only thing to see was the big prison (Cárcel de Topas). I had very little water left and no place to refill. A very "dry" part of the Vía de la Plata.

Eventually I reached the village “Cubo de la Tierra del Vino” after some 39 km (remember I was lost for a while). I found I private albergue almost directly. Some pilgrims. Most Spanish but a couple of German young ladies one of which seemed to have a connection to one young man from Spain. You never know what happens on the Camino. But the other pilgrims are males and some of them my age or not too far from.

And there I am now, waiting for the dinner at 8. I have been out at the village and bought a few things in the one-and-only small shop. Found a SMS from my daughter Anna. She was at Corse. Quite a surprise.

Spent the night with two Basque gentlemen having a good dinner at the albergue. Talking Spanish all the night. Slept well.

2015-10-04 and 05: Travel days Gothenburg – London – Madrid – Salamanca

The usual combination of train and bus took me to the airport and after an uneventful flight I landed at Stansted. Two remarks however; I happened to meet David K when disembarking at Stansted. Quite a surprise. He was in London to study law. I also had to pass the automatic customs. After having removed my glasses it worked eventually, but was not quick.

Stansted had changed a lot. Everything was refurbished and no particular place to spend the night. But you have to improvise. Since my flight was early I had to spend my night on some chairs. It was not good but OK.

Early morning flight. After security Stansted had now become a shopping center with uninteresting shops. Not good.

The flight to Madrid landed at Barajas, Terminal 1 – the old terminal. The had also automatic customs but that did not work for me so I had to use the old fashioned way. I went out to check where the Avanza bus was leaving and found it. Luckily I boarded the bus directly. The bus left 15 minutes early. It drove to Terminal 1 and from there it left the time indicated on my ticket. Hmmm…

Directly to Salamanca passing Avila. I met a Chinese guy on the bus. He spoke very bad English and Spanish. He was in Salamanca to study Spanish. Maybe a part of the Chinese strategy to compete in Latin America.

I went to the normal albergue close to the cathedral that I had visited in the spring. Closed for maintenance!!! I found a cheap hotel instead. Went to bed early after a meal close to Plaza Mayor. What a square!

2015-10-04 Dia de viaje Gotemburgo - Londres / Travel day between Gothenburg and London

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto.
Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados;
con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos,
playas y desiertos, montañas y llanos,
y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio.

Con estas palabras comienzo la secunda parte de la Vía de la Plata.  Es un sentido que es una mezcla ente alguna inquietud y expectación. Tengo una intención de escribir este blog en inglés y castellano, algunos días en ingles algunos días en castellano dependiente, tiempo, cansancio … 

With these words I start the second part of Vía de la Plata. It is a feeling that is a mix between some anxiety and expectation. I hae an intention to write this blog in English and Spanish, some days in English some days in Spanish dependent on time, fatigue ...

iVamos! Let's go!

2015-05-10: Travel day, Salamanca – Malaga and 2013-05-11: Travel day Malaga – Göteborg

Boarding the bus. No problem with the e-ticket. The bus was driving south through the night with shorter stops at a few of the larger cities that I had passed walking.
In the morning we arrived to “Seville” where a lot of people barded, next to be a Muslim man reading the Koran in his mobile phone.
By now the way to “Malaga” was well known to me. Arriving to “Malaga” we had to wait a while before continuing out to the airport.
I continued on foot to the Holiday Inn where I had stayed the fall before. Checked in and arrived to my pre-booked room. Was very tired and not so concentrated after 10 hours on the bus without too much sleep. Did the things needed, washed and re-packed my backpack. Phoned Birgitta and to congratulate her on her birthday. Together with Karin she was visiting Anna and Amelie. Hope to see my granddaughter soon. Had dinner at the hotel and went to bed at 9 o’clock.

***

Up at 4 am and finished my packing and walked to the airport. Long que at the check-in and the safety check but I still managed to buy some food and a book.
I’m writing this on the flight back. I read a little about Vía de la Plata in the Swedish guide book. It is a good complement. Soon home again.

2015-05-09: Walking day San Pedro de Rozado – Salamanca (25 / 537 km)

The last walking day for me started a bit bad. The bar had said that they should open at 7 for breakfast, but it didn’t. So the Italian and I left the village. The guy from Korea wanted to sleep a little longer.
When we reached the village “Marille” 4 kilometers away from San Pedro it was even worse. The bar didn’t open until 9 o’clock. I had to sit down at a bench and open a spare can of tuna and eat some old pieces of bread. That was OK, lacking an open bar.
The land around here is a high plain around 800 m above sea level. Slowly undulating hills and far away waits “Salamanca”.
I was rater tired before I got to the city. I almost stumbled wen stepping up at the roman bridge. I found the albergue after having met the Americans that had arrived ahead of me. Was allowed to park my backpack and was promised a shower in spite of the fact that I didn’t plan to stop at this albergue.
Left to see the city. A nice medieval center with a lot of fine institutions. This is the oldest and finest university city of Spain. I came to like it.
Had a little to eat. Then went to find the bus station and then back to the albergue. Everybody was there. They had even seen the biking girl from South Africa earlier that day.
Had dinner with John at the main street. Then went back to the albergue and borrowed a bed for a couple of hours’ rest. Said goodby to the gang and left for the bus station. Sat at the waiting hall and finished my e-book. Then I had to go to the bus area and wait until the bus arrived around 2:30 am (sic!).

2015-05-08: Walking day Fuenteroble de Salvatierra – San Pedro de Rozado (30 / 512 km)

It was dark when John and I left the albergue, but the daylight arrived gradually. A rather uneventful morning with only a small confusion at a road sign the road began to rise. It turned into a path.
After a while appeared windmills at the ridge we were heading towards. We had reached “Pico de la Dueña” at an altitude of about 1.200 m, the highest point of Vía de la Plata. What first looked like 7 or 8 windmills later proved to be a farm of some 40.
At the northern end of the ridge at the highest point and a short distance from the path there is a “Cruz de Santiago” a Santiago cross. The we found Margarete, an elderly – well, our age then – German lady that we had seen earlier. She is waking with a light pack and is staying at cheap hotels, hostals or corresponding. If you are using this philosophy, then you can walk with a very light pack. We asked her to take some photos of John and me at the cross. It looked like she did that but when I checked at the end of the day I saw nothing. Pity!
She joined us downhill. A fast walker.
I had to phone Germany at the road to clarify some matters. We passed a “screaming farm of pigs” and eventually we reached the last hill before “San Pedro de Rozado”. John wanted to continue and I wanted to stop, so we split.
I was looking around the village and found first an albergue that was a bit primitive. Had lunch and did then find one that was a lot better but unmanned.
It proved that you should go to a bar to check in and fetch the key. Got company of a guy from South Korea that I had met earlier together with the two Americans. After a while an Italian also arrived. We had dinner at a dining room at the same place as the bar. It proved that Margarete lived at the hotel that also was connected to the bar. She was joining us for dinner.
I’m writing these lines when waiting for the clock to strike 7 when the serving will start. It does so now so I stop writing here.

2015-05-07: Walking day Calzada de Béjar – Fuenteroble de Salvatierra (20 /482 km)

Breakfast at the albergue. On the road around seven thirty. Everything worked well.
Beautiful landscape where the road meandered between stone fences. A calf had got loose and was out running.
Confusion at a road cross. Why did the arrows point left when they ought to have pointed straight ahead? John and I continued straight ahead as we thought was right. After a while we discovered why you should not walk this way. The road turned into swimming pools at several places. It filled everything between the stone fences, so it was not possible to get around them. My boots could handle the water but John had to ford with his sandals and socks.
We had some coffee in “Valdecasa” and did then continue straight ahead to “Fuenteroble de Salvatierrra”. The big and rather special abergue complex was situated at the far end of the village. A number of buildings that the church owns (or holds). Among others a small Norwegian hut and furthermore a Norwegian St Olav road sign in stone outside the entrance of the albergue. I had seen a number of those crosses on an earlier walk to Trondheim/Nidaros in Norway). Several hospitaleros hospitaleras were volunteers.
Very bad 3G coverage so I couldn’t do the wok I needed to do. It had to wait until later.
Was out walking through the village. Found close to the church a center for “Vía de la Plata” with lectures, photo exhibitions and a lot more.
A common dinner with all in the big room of the albergue. Furthermore, we all contributed to the dinner one way or the other with food or work. A Spanish guy sang “Our Father” in a fantastic way. What a voice and what a melody. Unfort
 unately I have not been able to find that on the Internet.