Good morning! I aimed to leave at 6 o’clock, but it’s 6.30 before I begin walking. The town is quiet, but eventually new hikers appear and silently exit the town, each in their own thoughts.
I’m starting to enjoy these early mornings and being able to see the sun rise. The air is fresh, and it feels incredible for a die-hard night owl like me to be part of the awakening of a new day.
The first leg down to the large town of Ponferrada is very steep, and as my poor knees and feet haven’t quite recovered from yesterday, I stop at the very first café that is open at the outskirts of the town to have a little rest and my morning coffee. I haven’t very high expectations of this modern metropolis with a population of 69 000, but it surprises me in a good way.
The route I follow takes me though the medieval part and some of the main historic sites such as the XIIthC Templar Castle, Castillo de los Templarios. Ponferrada came under the protection of the templar Order by decree of King Fernando II in 1178. I cross the bridge Pons Ferrada and follow a path beside the río Sil through a large park, Parque de la Concordia, enjoying the sound of the rushing river, the cool shade from the trees, and the birdsong.
Listen to the birdsong from the Parque de la Concordia and the river Sil
The heat comes early and as the day progresses walking without any shade from trees, I feel it. Today is a totally different experience from yesterday’s nature scenery and beautiful vistas, as this is an area where people live, work, and go about their daily lives. I see people leave their kids at the kindergarten, people popping into their regular bars to take a quick cup of coffee standing by the bar, people busy driving off to work in their cars, looking into their purses to see if everything is there.
I’m starting to flag but haven’t seen anywhere to stop and eat. Finally, I cross a busy main road and come into the suburb of Columbrianos, stop at the first café I pass, and wolf down a plate of bacon and eggs, no frills or bells, and then I continue.
The Camino is very much about mindset. I remember this now from the last time. I could have an absolutely magical day and then the next day was really rough. It is full of ups and downs, just like life itself, but in a compressed form. Today is not one of my prime days, and then just like that I get overtaken by an angel in the form of the delightful Teresa, a wonderful woman from the US. She’s walking the long stretch from St. Jean Pied de Port in France, like many others I have already met on the way, and we team up for a while. We find an instant rapport and our conversation flows easily. This is all it takes to feel good again.
When we reach the town of Camponaraya we part ways and she continues at her usual walking speed, the fifth gear possessed by those who have found their walking legs. The traffic is heavy on the main road that the trail is now a part of. My feet are burning, and the heat is seriously affecting me. So, for the second day I cut my losses when I pass a parked taxi, and I call a number I spot on a board over the busy road. It turns out to be the owner of the parked taxi and it’s his home I’m standing opposite. I’m probably disturbing him from his siesta, because, yes, it’s that time of the day again.
He swiftly takes me to the outskirts of Villafranca del Bierzo and once again I’m extremely grateful. This is not a day to push for 30,6 km after all.
Thinking back again to my ‘John the Scot’ from 2012, as we sat on the top of O Cebreiro. On the day we met he describes how one does the Camino. The way it was done was to leave at the crack of dawn at 5.30. Why? I remember asking incredulously, as I was just as exhausted and overworked even before starting the Camino, as I am now. Because it will get too hot to walk, and you need to get to your next place of stay before that, he explains. But it’s not going to get hot, I see this on my app (or whatever I had in my mobile at the time), I countered. I was actually right in a way, because that year the weather conditions were unusually perfect for hiking in July, at least until the very last day into Santiago. Well, I take my hat off to you now John, because you were absolutely right. +32 degrees Celsius in blazing sunshine is not good hiking weather.
Villafranca del Bierzo is a lovely little town with pretty town square with many restaurants around it, and it’s here I’m staying. There is an evening mass in the church that’s good, I’m told, and then I’m pointed in the direction of one of the locals’ favourite restaurants, tips that I immediately take up on. Both recommendations turn out to be excellent. I first attend the 7.30 mass in the church. I’m not religious, but I find the spiritual aspect of the Camino intertwined with the whole experience.
So off to the church I trot after a nap, a wash of clothes and a bit of personal freshening up. It fills up, mostly by locals as I can see, but I spot a couple people who must be pilgrims. Thinking smugly that I blend in with my dark hair, I find a place to sit with the locals. Of course, I don’t understand a word the priest is saying, but it’s the feeling of being a part of the community I like. Until the old lady I’m sitting next to nudges me and says in Spanish, “Aren’t you going to stand up?” When I look uncomprehending back she continues, “Well, aren’t you a Peregrina? You have to get up now.” Apparently, this is the part when pilgrims get a blessing, so I stand up. Obviously, not so inconspicuous as I thought…
Even at night it’s hot. This is a thermometer at 8 o’clock in the evening! After a hearty meal in the restaurant with splendid local cuisine I head back to get an early night. Can I possibly live up to the Camino best practice and leave at 5.30 am tomorrow? Let’s see…
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All photos copyright Anita Martinez Beijer © All rights reserved
The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage rooted in medieval origins. It leads to the tomb believed to be that of the Apostle Saint James the Greater, in the crypt of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. The Camino was, and still is, Europe’s oldest, busiest, and most well-known route.
Bohemialife 