A Day On A Path
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.
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.
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.
See that little peak at the beginning of the stage? It was a nice 5.5 mile walk up and over. On the other side, we started highway walking. It was road walking until the outer edges of Burgos. Then more sidewalk/road walking to the center of town. Ugly. I walked it all in 2019, but this year, I hopped a ten-minute bus ride through the industrial area into the center of town. There was an alternate route available earlier in the day, but it isn’t well marked & my apps only follow the main camino routes. Those who know me know I can’t find my way out of a paper bag, so I figured the odds for me getting lost were pretty high. Hence, didn’t try the prettier alternate route.
The 5.5 mile mountain walk was worth the day of ugly highway walking. However, nothing was open for coffee between me and the Camino when I left in the morning, so I had to walk over the mountain for my first cup. A great vegetable tortilla with the coffee for breakfast.
The mountain I was so worried about turned out to be pretty easy. I doubt there’ll be a more gradual ascent on the entire Camino. Still, it was right for me to stop for the night and walk the mountain in the morning. I doubt it would have been so enjoyable with afternoon fatigue.
Over the mountain: I most like the days when the path changes along the way. Grateful for my sturdy boots on all the rocky surfaces. And my poles!
Today was such a short stage I had to stop and look at my guidebook to verify I’d already arrived. That’s it? Already?
Today was 12 km / 8 miles. This village is at the base of a mountain. In 2019, this was only 1/2 of the stage for the day. I sat with my coke (three ice cubes and a slice of lemon) and contemplated the mountain. I ended up calling a taxi and skipping the mountain. So, this year, I rest at the base and walk the mountain in the morning.
This was a pretty easy, but monotonous walk. It’s like that sometimes. It is easy for me to find beauty in the lush greens, small creeks hidden among the shadows, the fruit-laden vineyards. I must pause longer and look at greater vistas to notice the many muted colors in the plowed fields and dirt roads. I try. But then soon stare at the horizon hoping to see the tip of the village cathedral.
Many of these small villages depend primarily on Camino pilgrim euros. The village of Cirueña, shown at the top of the hill on the elevation map, has no surviving business after the Covid lockdown. There were two albergues, a cafe/bar, and a market that I know of. They thoughtfully provided a sheltered place (like a large store room) with a picnic table and vending machines as you top the hill and another vending machine on the way out of town.
This day could have been brutal if it’d been hot. All day on open roads with few shade options or villages along the way.
Very few elevation changes today which made for an almost leisurely walk. Walked along with a couple of new friends and with some familiar faces. Gathering my Camino family.
Ups and downs. Highway walking. Flat, gravel paths. A snail’s pace on the ups n downs, and a shift into high gear on the flats.
