The kindness of villagers

Vega del Valcarce
On October 08, 2019: I was very sick with a bronchial infection and stayed in this village for two days of rest. At a sidewalk table across from my lodging, I was having my morning cafe con leche and feeling extremely sorry for myself. Homesick. Sick. So far from home. All alone. Waaaaa.

Up walks this man who hands me a fig. I thank him, set it on the table. No! He says. And gestures vehemently that I am to eat it NOW! I did. And I snapped his photo. And his small act of kindness turned my day around. That was the end of my self pity. People are kind.

This year, I am staying an extra day here to find him (I’d learned his name is David -Da-veed). I brought a 5×7 copy of the photo from 2019. The pharmacist spoke English, so I showed her the photo and told her my story. She called Mrs. David, and I walked up the street to meet David and his wife. They gave me a tomato and a small jar of honey. David let me know he is 84.
Mrs David is now carrying the photo down the street and showing it to all her neighbors and business owners.
I am so happy this worked out. That I’m here precisely two years from the date of the fig gift is absolute serendipity.

Mrs and Mr Da-veed
David, October 08, 2019

Pilgrim Chris

Pilgrim Chris from the UK. I’ve enjoyed the company of this young man and his friends many times along my journey. He was also part of the group that gave me the impromptu birthday party in El Acebo. I learned yesterday that his day job is a circus performer. I invite you to watch this video all the way through- his performance gets increasingly difficult and impressive as time goes by in the video. What a graceful body and gracious spirit.

Chris and friends

Stage Thirty: Villafranca del Bierzo to Vega de Valcarce

A narrow path along the road the entire day. It really wasn’t too bad because we walked along the Rio Valcarce or by woodlands and meadows. A few cows and sheep here and there.

One is tempted to walk through the middle of these narrow village streets, but cars DO come puttering through rather quickly!
Thankfully, there was a concrete barrier between the path and the road most of the way.
No barrier between the path and road, but very few cars came along.
Lots of big pumpkins along the way.
A little church on the side of the road. Usually there is a village around a church. Maybe advancing civilization replaced that part of the village with the road.
Roncevalles is the first Spanish town on the Camino Frances. We start in France, cross the Pyrenees, and walk into Roncevalles.

Stage Twenty-nine: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo

Got some ups and downs today! Will be a long day for me – 14 miles. My max is probably 15 miles without getting too tired for the next day’s walk.

More road walking than I like today. There was an alternate route that would have been prettier, but it was longer, and with a 16 mile day, I was already pushing my daily limit (must remember I have another day to walk in the morning…and the next..and…)We walked through beautiful countryside this day.

Leaving Ponferrada: Mooned by a couple of wood statues. I did not walk around to the front!
Fall is in full swing

Follow the arrow
The camino path always passes the church

The castle across the street from my lodging. Castle-Palace of the Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo. Built ( reconstructed) in 1515. People live in the castle. https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo-Palacio_de_los_Marqueses_de_Villafranca

Status Report

September 5: Started walking.
October 17: Will arrive in Santiago
October 18: A rest day.
October 19: A four-day walk to Finisterre (at the Atlantic Ocean).
October 26: Arrive home

Finisterre: “In Roman times it was believed to be an end of the known world. The name Finisterre, like that of Finistère in France, derives from the Latin finis terrae, meaning “end of the earth”. It is sometimes said to be the westernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula.”

October 4 &. 5: Paths and Places

We are walking along the mountains and through the woodlands again.
Photo of me on the ancient Roman bridge into Molinaseca & a photo of the Templar castle in Ponferrada. And of course, paths and mooing wildlife.

Entering Molinaseca
Templar Castle in Ponferrada
Path up the mountain to Cruz de Ferro
Mountains!
They weren’t impressed by us.

October 4 & 5: Stages Twenty-seven & Twenty-eight: Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada

Going up the mountain on October 4 was a cold and rainy trek, but down below the next day was a perfect walking day. Temps were in the lower mid-50s, little wind, and no rain.

Cruz de Ferro – History – The highest altitude on the Camino (1,505 meters/4,938 feet). Stands on an ancient ritual site that dates back as far as 2,500 years. Considered the most ancient monument of the Camino. May have been a crossroads veneration site for Iron Age Celts and then the Romans, each leaving a rock on this high point for their own gods. Today, leaving a stone here is a significant rite of passage (Beebe)

The fellow in the colorful suit was there for our safety. I imagine falls down that pile of rocks aren’t unusual.

October 04: 74th Birthday Review

Today’s walk brought me up the mountain to the Cruz de Ferro, one of the most significant milestones on the Camino Frances. It was a cold, rainy walk, but we were protected from the wind most of the way.

An impromptu birthday party in El Acebo
Pilgrims from London, Sweden, and South America? Maybe Cuba?
More of the party group. Marco in the middle from Mexico City. They were exhausted after a 32 km walk in the cold and rain (and up/down a mountain)
Walked with Ken from Southern California out of Hospital del Orbigo
Met a new friend, Lena from Norway

October 4: Stage Twenty-seven: Rabinal to El Acebo

This is a short stage because I know how long it took me to go down that steep, rocky descent from Cruz de Ferro. It’s one of the more dangerous descents – very steep with rolling rocks and slate outcrops. I’ve managed several this trip without a mishap: down the mountain in the Pyrenees, the descent into Zuburi, and the descent from Alto de Perron, but I think I’ll skip this one this time. Just don’t have a good feeling about it. I’ll walk up the mountain to Cruz de Ferro – the highest point on the Camino – and taxi past the descent.

Stage Twenty-six: Astorga to Rabinal del Camino

Whew! What a windy day! I’m glad this was only a 20 km stage. Otherwise, it was a pretty good walk. Temps in the 50s, no rain, and we even had sunshine. I’ve been very lucky concerning rain. Often, it rained through the night, but had moved on by morning. I’m in touch with a friend who started 2-3 days ago, and she has walked in rain every day. And couldn’t walk over the mountain in the Pyrenees due to the weather.

Getting a little elevation gain
It was sad to see the Cowboy bar closed. Many businesses did not recover from Covid times.
Here it was in 2019
Several nice paths today
Grateful for my rock-defying boots
I tried talking to them, but they ignored me