Puebla de Sanabria to Lubian (22.20 miles / 36 k)

Today was a hard day to get started because the hotel was one of the most comfortable I have stayed in since on the Plata. I stepped outside and it was cold and misting, and the thought of soaking in the hot tub another day was appealing.

Today’s stage had a long steep grade near the end and I decided to stay on the road. As I later learned, several others in this group did the same thing because the wet conditions and steep climb.

I got to the first dreaded traffic circle no more than a quarter of a mile from the hotel. There was a Camino marker with an arrow pointing towards the left, so that’s where I went. A half mile or so later the road narrowed so much I realized it was not the highway. So back to the traffic circle, and one and a half miles later, I turned on Google Maps and found the right way. I have to remind myself that I have the data for both the Goggle and Camino app now.

Most of the walk before the grade was very nice. The road has a wide shoulder and there was minimal traffic. The scenery was very different as the road and Camino start to climb into the mountains. There were small sections of forests with thick pine, ash, and bitch trees. There were actually a few streams too. It was very overcast and the clouds hung very low, and with the rain it reminded me a little of areas of Oregon.

The Camino ran right next to the road in many places and sit looks flooded and muddy. I was glade I made the decision to walk the road again.

I stopped at the little town of Terroso and had a coffee con leche’ and an apple pastry. I have mentioned that I have never been a coffee drinker but picked up the habit on the Camino Francis. The habit really didn’t follow me home, but here on a rainy cold day it sounded good. 

I walked into a small bar and there were three men standing at the bar already having beer and wine, and it was before noon. I always feel like one of those cowboys in the western movies that walks into the bar and everything goes silent because of the new stranger in town. I guess I feel that way because most of the time I drag the Wheelie in and it gets everyone to stop what they are doing to look at this stranger pulling this thing into the bar. I usually belly up to the bar and ask for an ice tea, or now a coffee con leche’. 

I really have to quit feeling that way because almost always the people in there are very friendly, especially in the small towns. When I started to leave today one of the men opened the door for me and a few said buen Camino.  

Terroso is a nice little town with the typical church and plaza but a much cleaner appearance. It very small yet it has two albergues and several hotels. I think it’s because it is the starting point of the steep grade and many pilgrims stop there so they can start the climb in the morning.

I made it a point to tell myself not to stop going up the grade. I find that once I stop it’s harder to get going, and that’s when I feel my knee and shin more. The grade is steep and is probably three to four, or more, miles. The clouds were so low that I couldn’t see back down into the valley but it must be beautiful on a clear day. 

I had been walking in just a shirt as the mist was light and I was warm and sweating from the climb, but more than half way up it started to rain hard and I had to put the rain parka on. 

Right before the top there is a long tunnel that has a wide sidewalk that allowed me to get off the road. There are signs all along that show an image of a person running(!) it both directions, with arrows and the distance in meters pointing to doors? What they are warning against I am not sure? I assume the doors mean the exits?

Once I got to the top the road was level for a distance and then started steeply downhill. 

As I entered Padornelo I heard a yell, and saw Mikio in the doorway of a bar. He surprised me again, but this time he was at least across the street. He was having lunch and saw me walk by and came out to yell hello. I went back and had another coffee con leche’ and silently looked him over to see where I might possibly place that cow bell.

I started back on the road while Mikio was still finishing his lunch, but he caught up to me and passed me. That distracted me, which was my fault, because I ended up following him to the merge back onto the Camino rather than staying on the road. Once I realized what I had gone, it was almost too far back uphill to get on the road again. I figured it was all downhill from here anyway and it wouldn’t be bad. Wrong! 

The scenery was beautiful but the grade was steep that I had to use both trekking poles to slow me down. The trail was very rocky and at times I was at a crawl. The path went down so steep that I knew what was coming, more uphill climbs. Even though the map shows it as mostly downhill there were many steep uphills. It was almost harder than the long uphill because it was so rocky. 

Before I knew it, I was in Lubian. It was strange because the Camino enters the small town in an area of very old abandon houses and buildings, and then suddenly the first house is an alberque in what seems the far edge of town rather that near the plaza or city center where you find most albergues.

I looked at the municipal alberque and then looked next door at the Casa Irene (casa rural or private house), and decided to stay at Casa Irene because it had a bath tub. It is a very nice place and gave a room by myself with two beds. Soaking in the hot bath tub again, like last night, was wonderful and made my knee and shin feel better then they have all week. 

I was able to go to the tiny super mercado and pick up some food for tomorrow. Because it is Sunday, it was only open between 6:00 and 7:00 PM. As I said, getting food is tough. Luckily breakfast is included in the 25€ for the room.

Michael, the Irishman, is stay here too, and he, Mikio, and another Italian, all went out to diner together. Unfortunately, there was nothing on the limited menu that I wanted to eat, so I came back and ate some of the food I bought for lunch.

It is raining fairly hard now, and it is suppose to rain tomorrow too. With my rain gear it hasn’t been a problem, yet I am surprised at what some of the veterans of Caminos have for their rain gear. Several have ponchos, which are nice for warmer weather as if allows for more air circulation and covers the backpack, but without waterproof pants, you get soaked in this heavy rain. It was windy at times today, and I saw those ponchos flapping in the wind. Also, without waterproof pants, your shoes get wet and that is asking for blisters. But everyone to his own.

Tomorrow is a short day at about 14 miles. I look forward to what the new day on the Camino will bring.

Best wishes,

Ted

Leaving at sunrise

Cathedral on hill overlooking Puebla de Sanabria 

Autum is coming to the Camino, look at the leaves

Almost ran over this little guy. Cool looking, but is he?

That’s the Camino trail right next to the road that looks like a creek 

The Camino on the road 

Pine forest

The long tunnel. Noted the images of the running people.

Cemetery and chaple in Terroso. Note the low clouds.

The start of a steep downhill. Picture doesn’t show it very well.

Steep but beautiful.

Camino looking enchanted 

Old buildings or houses just outside Lubian

Mire old houses outside Lubian 

Lubian church. Doors were wide open and beautiful music could be heard outside 

Casa Irene

The view from Casa Irene and my room

My room!

The bath tub sold the Casa Irene. Now I’ll want it for the rest of the Camino as it helps my knee and shin feel better. Good excuse.

Chart for today. Look at the grade. The minutes per mile is around 21, which surprises me because it includes the whole day such as stopping for coffee, snacks, resting, etc. But it doesn’t really matter because it is not a race and generally the minutes per mile are totally irrelevant!