CVdlP, Day 30, Tuesday, October 18, 2016

A Gudina to Laza (22.27 miles / 35.86 k)

Today started out nicely and was pleasant throughout most of the day. The end of the day was about a three mile steep downhill that was challenging for me as my knee was bothering me on the downhills.

I had washed my clothes room last night because the hotel had no laundry facilities. It has been cold at night and many of the hotels, and the last few places I have stayed, don’t turn on the heat. I had hung my clothes on hangers and any place I could find but everything was still wet this morning. I just put all the wet clothes in a bag in hopes of finding a place to dry them.

It was still dark when I left at eight and I used the Camino program Paul had installed for me and it worked very well. Instead of guessing at which narrow street or back alley to turn onto, I was able to find the right direction immediately. I still looked for the directional signs but they are nearly impossible to see in the dark.

The Camino heading out of town is on an asphalt road with not much of a shoulder and it had some traffic on it. It started to climb immediately and continued for about three miles and then level out.

I stayed on the Camino most of the day as there were no other alternate roads. The Camino moved onto various asphalt roads throughout the day, and only moving onto dirt roads a few times. Then on much of the last three to four miles it moved onto a wide gravel and dirt road.

The terrain was a nonstop of ups and downs most of the day and on the top of ridges with beautiful views in all directions. The Camino went through four little villages, Venda de Espino, Vende Teresa, Venda Capela, and Venda Bolano, which were nearly deserted. They were little boom towns in the early 1950s when the railroad was being built through here. The houses were originally built for the railroad workers and the towns continued to prosper after the tracks were laid, but the years later where abandoned. There are still a few people living here and it seems strange to see a nice house in the middle of all the dilapidated houses.

There were a few other villages where the Camino ran along the front doors of houses, and at times through what seemed like back yards. I always find it interesting how people came to these little places in the middle of nowhere.

At one of the abandon towns I saw a friendly lady sweeping the street in front of her house. Yet next door there were empty run down houses.

Once I got to Campobecerros the Camino started a short steep climb right out of town. After, the Camino continued to follow the ridges and went through some beautiful pine forest areas. Some of it looks planted and might be in a conservation area.
The weather had been perfect all day, cool and cloudy, and no rain.
I had a good rhythm most of the day and was hoping to make it to Laza before four. I ran into the Italians, Bruno and Maria and ended up walking with them most of the day, until the end. Once I started downhill on the steep gravel road I could feel my knee. I had to walk fairly slow and that’s when Bruno and Maria went ahead of me.

The Camino moved back onto an asphalt road and I found it more difficult because the Wheelie rolls faster and the asphalt surface is much harder on the feet and legs.

Once I got down to the bottom and crossed the bridge leading into Laza I was pretty happy. Overall it had actually been a good day, it was just the downhill that made it more challenging.

I had made reservations at Pension Blanco Conde and I was glade I did. I have a private room with three beds and a bath. Bruno, Maria, Mikio, and Michael, were also staying there. There is a municipal alberque here and we talked to a bicyclist that said he was the only one at the alberque.

The five of us went to diner together and had a nice meal. The owner was especially nice and that’s what you seem to find in these small towns.

Tomorrow is a short day of less than twelve miles but it is a very steep uphill, and then a steep downhill. The next town would be another ten miles. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

Best wishes,

Ted
Please excuse the typos, spelling, etc.

Leaving at sunrise with the moon still out