El Camino (Levante) Ourense day off and then Soutelo Verde to Vilar de Barrio (approx 12km) and taking me a bit further than the planned Laza to Boquieros as I had headed on a bit from Laza...  Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th April, 2018

Ourense Cathedral is 5 Euros to enter so we will do this on my official arrival into Ourense on the last day and in order to get my credential stamped.  Ourense is lovely and a fairly small and easy to navigate city.  We found a lovely square in which to have a breakfast of coffee and tostadas on our day off.

Our breakfast cafe

We hoped to visit the museum but after walking all around the outside and finding a man who said he would take us there (he took us to a gallery instead but must have thought that is what we meant... because the museum is closed)... we eventually found a small sign that said it was closed and some reviews on Google which explained that this had been the case for some time!  Such a shame as the windows to it looked promising - but the dead leaves gathering there should have given us the hint!    

Love these plazas mayor

For those wanting to learn a bit more about he fascination of walking the camino and also maybe why it is now as popular, if not more so, than in the Middle Ages (prior to the Black Death that is!)... check out this nice blog...

https://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/bestofspain/18481/who-was-santiago.aspx

Love the old streets in Spain and
architecture

We started the day in a nice little bar with a barman who charged "quadre euros" (small differences in words being in Galicia where they speak Galega)... for a cafe con leche and tostada.  We had some good wanderings, looking at the architecture and finally found Decathlon to purchase some more hiking and fitsteps tops.  It wasn't the largest or best Decathlon but they had some great things - including some perfect winter walking, windproof long sleeved tops - not only great for Autumn/Winter Camino walking but also for dog walking and the horsemanship clinics.  The back part is longer and covers the tail bone!

We had a fabulous and relaxing time at the thermal pools - well worth the visit!  Gosh, they ARE hot and certainly a tad sulphurous ;-).  There are places where people could picnic along the river and where there are free public pools that can be enjoyed.  The sun was glorious and lots of families were picnicking there with the children.  There are great views of some fine houses on the opposite side of the river - they offer great views of the river (very fast flowing after all the meltwater flowing down from the mountains) and hot pools.

Plaza Mayor - they all have one.  This was particularly lovely
with a slope on it where mums took their children to play on
their scooters... they entertained us for ages

It's definitely worth going private - we paid only 5 Euros to enter the Zen one and 3 Euros to rent flip flops and a towel.  You have to fill out a health questionnaire to make sure you take responsibility for keeling over in the heat along with emergency phone numbers.  The place is very clean and well kept and it's 100% worth it for the 1.5 hours you can spend in there.

The idea is to have 15 mins of hot and 1 min of cool, but it's hard to do it!  Mostly we stayed in the warm ones and many people propped themselves on rocks to chat.  It's easy to see how it would have been sociable in Roman times to go to hot springs/public baths and chat and catch up with events.  The Spanish seemed to have the catlike lounging off to a fine art, but I just fell off - rather like our cat Ril when she would slip off the back of the sofa once she fell asleep!

View along the river through Ourense

Of the 1.5 hours you have 15 mins either side to get changed, enter, exit and so on and there is a nice cafe to chill in or have a cold beer afterwards.  When we finished we headed back to the hotel for a snooze and later to the Pulperia - our favourite restaurant that we already want to go back to on our next trip.  It has THE most fantastic octopus and langoustines, bread -  garlic and buttery perfectly complimenting the salty and sweet meat - de-lic-i-ous!!!

Whale sculpture in the river

We also had the "chiperones" - fried squid and M had scallops, we had to keep a shell of course!  Small and cute.  Sadly his foot was really bad and very painful.  It appears it might be Gout from some medication he has been taking, such a shame as it means he can't do any walking to meet up with me and I can't believe how amazing he has been keeping driving!

The bridge which will be my starting point for the final leg
of my personal Camino next time.

The delicious mini scallops!

Outside our favourite pulperia

Early morning start - along the valley
before the "BIG" climb

Heading out for the walk, considered the steepest climb over the shortest distance on this Camino - 800m in only 3km.  It was slow going but I'm glad I started early as it was tough going and the first part was completed in the cooler part of the day.  As it got hotter it slowed me further.

It took 20 mins just to get to the start point, which of course lost me a bit of "cool" time.  The guidebook, ever optimistic and perhaps basing the timing on those Pilgrims who seem to use the Camino as a route march - suggests it will take an hour.  I however, took 1 and 3/4 hours.  I do like to stop, photograph things and admire the view, but nevertheless I didn't rush and was never going to do it in less than that.  I had estimated 3 hours so I guess I did well - although arriving at the top I was concerned that Michael had missed me or we had miscommunicated my stopping point.  As it turned out, he had been on a long trip sorting out his foot, getting injections and medications.  The Spanish health centres in the local towns and villages are amazing, fast and don't mess about.  They are so helpful and the care was fabulous.  Thank goodness for the EHIC card... heaven help us after Brexit with all that it threatens.  Bloody ridiculous.  Britain could learn a thing or two from Spain - and the NHS could certainly take some tips from the Spanish system.

Spectacular views back towards the valley where I started in the morning.  The heat was just starting to make itself felt

The elevation of the walk
today

Pine cone arrow!

The scary thing as I climbed up through the pine forests was the number of processionary caterpillars "processing"!  I had never seen them like this.  Millions of them, long lines making their way from one tree to another like some weird alien invasion.  I had a quick rest in the shade at one point, a drink to keep hydrated and a quick wee - but in the middle of a bend in the main path.  I was rather nervous about this as I hoped no one was coming (!!) but I had no intention of sitting on caterpillars!  As they release their hairs under stress, I thought that being "wee'd" on might constitute stress for a caterpillar!  I also felt pretty nervous walking beneath so many nests and the long lines of the creatures making their way up or down a tree.  Falling hairs can cause irritation and respiratory problems.

The birds were amazing and in particular the resonance of the hammering woodpecker and the haunting call of the cuckoo.  Alongside these I caught what seemed to be the occasional chatter of voices, but when I listened they disappeared.  I wondered if I may have imagined them as no one appeared and on and upwards I continued.  Just as I reached the top, finally coming out onto level ground and the roadway where I was due to meet Michael, 2 nice German peregrinos appeared.  I must have caught their floating voices as I climbed - amazing how they can carry!

The amazing bar, great coffee and where many pilgrims
stop for a break... here you can take scallop shell and write
your name/purpose/where you are from and hang it
on the wall.  It is stunning with thousands of shells creating
a kind of grotto - truly beautiful.  

As on previous occasions there had been wonderful arrows marking the way - although usually these appear when the route is somewhat ambiguous.  On this occasion the arrows were made of pine cones and were in the middle of obvious tracks, just for the sake of making them.  Thank you as always to those who have the energy and enthusiasm to make these markers.  They are truly lovely and inspiring.  Maybe this is the reason some peregrinos stop to build them - to encourage others who might be finding the route a little challenging.  I wondered if those who created the pine cone arrows were the same as those who had made the smiley man/stick figure I had seen in the mountains earlier on my route.

I sat by the road at the allotted meeting point - although as mentioned previously, it took some time for M to arrive and I did begin to wonder if (a) he was OK or (b) we had miscommunicated out rendezvous point!  I sat and enjoyed the sunshine and my "muy crujiente" salt and honey nuts while awaiting his arrival.  Several more peregrinos passed me as I sat waiting and we passed a pleasant word or two as they regained their breath at the top before heading on towards the route "down" and to the plains.

My scallop shell - with tribute to the Robertson Mala - also
pictured

Once M arrived I took the car 2 minutes along the busy main road to the start of the marked camino path heading downhill and arranged our next meeting point.  At this next point there was an astonishing bar bedecked with scallop shells from pilgrims from all over the world.

It was vibrant with peregrinos who had stopped for a cold beer, cafe con leche or other cold beverage.  The coffee, which was wonderful and HUGE, was only 1.50 Euro!!  When I wrote out my shell I also made a "donativo" (donation) for a pin and wrote in the victors book about the mala, the mala prayers and about bringing it from South Africa.

The wooden cross with the kind German
gentleman just heading around the back past the sign

As I headed on along a beautiful path the temperature crept up to 30C and by the time I arrived in Vilar de Barrio, the bar was heaving with many escaping the heat and eating hungrily after the long walk.  I was mostly just very thirsty and happy to cool off but still enjoyed a pasta/pork dish with a drink - it was huge and for two of us the total came to 10 Euros!

I had met another lone German on the route who had kindly offered to take my photo with the large wooden cross which is a land mark on this part of the route.  I said that it was OK and I didn't need him to take it - because I didn't want to put him to any trouble - but I should have really, he seemed very nice and I wasn't sure that he understood I didn't mean offence.  I saw him later heading out after lunch and another lone Germany lady who had been chatting to the two other Germans.  She had swapped to hiking sandals and was obviously struggling a little with one foot.  I hope she managed to ease into it especially as she looked to be heading to the next village right in the middle of the heat of the day!  I was glad to be finishing and was definitely ready to take a break and rest of the day.

The pretty route into Vilar de Barrio

The route in had been stunning - an enormous granite bench, various scallop markers and arrows, fun pilgrims' boots "planted" with things and with scallop shells to decorate.  There was also a lovely old village wash area which was still in use - I saw the soap suds still floating but Michael had seen the lady using it and then pegging her washing on the wire fence to dry.

There follows a number of pictures taken of this lovely route into the town and some information containing details of accommodation that isn't mentioned in the guide book, hopefully helpful to other pilgrims.  It was a pretty end to an amazing day.

More of the route into Vilar de Barrio

Accomodation ahead

Just loved the pretty scenery on the way into the town.  The enormous granite bench and seats had to be included for my friend Jayne who loves to find seats and benches along all our hiking routes in England.

To Santiago I go... and indeed I do!

More accommodation....