Camino de Madrid/Camino Francis, Day 23, Saturday, June 2, 2018

Villa de Cacabelos to Las Herrerias (18 Miles/28.98 kms)

Today started with a clear sky and warm weather. It stayed that way all day and continued to get hotter later in the day. It’s been the first time in days that I saw pilgrims looking for shade and getting out of the sun because it got into the high seventies to low eighties. It was also the first day that I didn’t have my rain gear on in the morning.

I started my day with a nice buffet breakfast that got me going with fuel for the morning. I was on the Camino a little after eight and had not made it out of town when one of the plastic rings that hold the Wheelie to the waist strap broke. This is the fourth time this has happened and fortunately I had a spare. It is definitely a weak spot and it is the only thing I have every had break on the Wheelie other than losing a blot.

As usual, coming out of Villa de Cacabelos the Camino started uphill. It ran on the shoulder of the road for much of the way into Villafranca del Bierzo. A few miles outside Villafranca it moved off onto a wide dirt road but I stayed on the road as I remembered last time that it went up and down many short steep inclines. Sometimes it’s frustrating when you are on the Camino going up and down the rolling hills when the road running directly next to the Camino is level and flat.

Villafranca del Bierzo is a beautiful old town that is on conversion of the Rio Burbia and Rio Vallecarce. One of the main attractions is also the beautiful old castle in the middle of town. Last time I was here I made the mistake of following the Camino pedestrian path rather than that for the bicycles and ended up having to go down steeps to follow the Camino. The bicycle path connects with the Camino before it crosses the river in the middle of town.

Once out of Villafranca the Camino is on a narrow road that follows the Rio Valcarce. It is a beautiful short sections along the river, but there is not much, if any, of a shoulder.

After about a mile the road intersects with the old highway that has been replaced by the newer freeway. The Camino moves onto the shoulder of the old highway and is separated by K-rails for several miles. The old highway follows the river and does not have much traffic because of the freeway. Interestingly, the new freeway runs next to and above the old highway and Camino with bridges and ramps sometimes hundreds of feet in the air.

The stretch of the Camino is nice because it is next to the river and you can see and hear it most of the time.

Interesting that the Camino crosses the highway three or so times and takes a short half mile or so detour to three little villages of probably less than a hundred people. They don’t appear to be historical and look rather run down, but I think the detours are done for financial reasons for the little stores and bars in these villages.

A few miles before Las Herrerias the Camino moves off the highway and onto a narrow road that continues to follow the river, but at this point the river is much smaller. For the next few miles the Camino goes through several small villages, and surprisingly since I was here two years ago, there are many more alberques, hostals, and other lodging places. Camino obviously helps the economy in these areas.

Las Herrerias is a little village of probably a few hundred people and there is nothing here other than places to stay and the bars at those places. It is the last place to stay before starting the five mile steep uphill climb to O Cebreiro. The Camino going up is very steep, rocky and rutted, so I will probably take the one car asphalt road up instead.

My hostal, Casa Polin, is one of the last places to stay before the ascent up. It is a nice little place and my room overlooks the creek to the rear. I have my window open, and will sleep with it open, so I can hear the smoothing sound of the water.

Tomorrow I plan an early day so I can climb the mountain while I have the energy, and hopefully the cool of the morning. The last time I was here it was foggy and raining. Tomorrow’s forecast is for rain, and I would prefer that to the heat. Either way it will be a good day, because every day on the Camino is a good day.

Best wishes,

Ted

As always, please excuse the typos, grammar, and spelling, etc., because I am writing this on my phone and don’t always review my blog. And, even if I don’t review it, it’s s good a good excuse for my mistakes!