El Camino (Levante) beyond Dornellas (at A Estrada approximately) to Albergue Reina Lupa at Boqueixón (approx 10km) - Saturday 5th October, 2019.  

Well, the steep decent into Ponte Ulla would be a challenge for my ankle to see how it would hold out and of course, if one goes down into a valley, one is going to have to climb back out of it and by the angle of the decent, the ascent was going to be one hell of a challenge!  Plus - it was going to be hot.

Church left perched on a small hilltop surrounded by
access roads and the railway work cuttings

I started off in the dark with a strange light in the sky as the day broke through mist.  The ankle was coping and I didn't plan on going too fast.  I had a much shorter day than I had originally planned, so hopefully I could just make it through if I kept steady.  The decent into Ponte Ulla was spectacularly steep!  I wouldn't want to live on the valley sides during ice and snow - and they do get that in Galicia.

The ponte Ulla (puente)

The view from the bridge - with the old railway bridge
behind

I could also look right across the valley - to where a lonely church perched on a bit of hill, not blasted away for the railway - and the lights for the work going on and the scarred hillside showed us we were right about the reasons for the diversion.  The route of the camino has been completely destroyed - that is by which I was to have entered Ponte Ulla.  On my way down I met a lady walking her dog who chatted about me doing it "sola" and said there would be desayunos in Ponte Ulla.  Her little dog was a bit worried and barked but got used to me walking with them after a short way.  At least she ws out walking it even though just up and down the road.  The lady was right - as I entered the town, the first bar, just over the bridge was just opening and M met me on the bridge and went in to secure bocodillos queso y tomate para me y tortilla para el.

The old railway bridge at Ponte Ulla
rising out of the mist and to my
right as I made my decent into the town.
It clearly shows how steep the sides
of the valley are

My route - black arrows - the yellow original camino
route... I turned right where the arrows stop and picked
up the old camino - zig zagging down the steep valley
sides.  

The town seemed to be fairly alive with pilgrims, not hundreds but enough, setting off for their day of walking.  Some were going to make it into Santiago today - astonishing as it was so steep and tiring, and I was glad to stop at Reina Lupa.  They were not carrying anything though and the ladies I talked to at one point said that their husbands took the luggage and met them with food - they were not into walking to Santiago and they nodded meaningfully when I explained my husband also did this - because apparently husbands are not ones for walking the Camino and it is "always us women" who do this.  Funny.  They do it many times they said - often walking from home to Santiago.

Scallop topped bells in Ponte Ulla!

The way out of Ponte
Ulla

The church sported some scallop shaped hanging devices for the bells - fabulous!  The road heads out by way of another medieval road and there is a wayside cross at the beginning of it.  A Spanish family were arranging themselves around it for a photo opportunity and I offered to take their photo so they could all be in it.  One of the husbands I mentioned above was taking the photo and it was only when I met the ladies later I understood why she had declined my offer - the husbands weren't going to be in the picture because they go by car!

Only 20km to Santiago!  

Underpass to the steep forest
tracks

The ladies chatted for some time when we were up in the woodland above Ponte Ulla - where had I started from?  That is a long way - how do I walk it?.... ah poco a poco.  Initially the way is on the main road, fast and dangerous and it is best to cross over at various points in order to be seen by the fast moving traffic.  Once out off the main road and into the forest, the tracks are beautiful and were welcomely cool as the day heated up.  I was going to get through a lot of water today.  The way out was up, up and more up - of course, the steep valley side going down to the river needed to be climbed on the other side in order to exit on the Santiago side.  I took many breaks and it was tough on knee and legs as I tried not to over bend my ankle on the breaker point - which was at constant bend anyway with going uphill.

Chapel of Santiago

As the steep track turned into gentle undulations, Michael appeared, passing the Spanish ladies now way ahead of me.  It was pleasant to walk together to the church were there was a great feeling of St James and a lovely fountain for drinking and a pleasant cool place to eat and rest a little.  A few pilgrims passed, also taking the chance to cool off or refill water bottles.  One passed us who we were sure had a prosthetic leg - wow, and I thought I was having a tough walk!  He was bowling along and it yet again filled me with admiration for the many who make this walk to Santiago.   We enjoyed our bocodillos and cafe con leche (liete in Galician), took photos, sorted out next meeting point and then headed on again.

Really fabulous rest stop at the chapel of St James (there is a picnic area behind) and only a few metres from
the albergue of O Oteiro (where the Pilgrim with the long staff and loud phone voice had been heading for two days ago!)

The pretty albergue at O Oteiro

Only a short distance on from this rest stop is the new and stunning albergue of O Oteiro.  I hadn't booked this as it didn't sound like it was actually on the route in my guidebook and yet I could have broken my walk into more stops and also walked to each and every location, without the need for the back and forth support vehicle.  This one is literally right on the Camino and once I went back to the guidebook (which can sometimes be misleading due to the "lost in translation" side of it) it says "at Capella de Santiago... the church!  This is what it meant - that the albergue is right here, only a few metres distant.

Passing the albergue, the sacred mountain - Pico Sacro can be seen, with the hermitage to San Sebastian at the top and the steps leading up to it.  It dominates the views from all directions.  

Taken from http://blog.turismo.gal/experiences-en/legends-and-stories-of-the-pico-sacro/ -

Legends and stories of the Pico Sacro - 11 December, 2017  Turismo de Galicia

“A colossal pyramid on the horizon of a valley, a giant obelisk that goes against the landscapes of the fertile valley, a conical mountain, crowned, like the mythology of Cybele, with fantastic battlements of quartz […] It’s the symbol of mystery and solitude […] it’s the messenger of a resigned melancholy […] is the father who safeguards the region “. In his poetic way, in the mid-nineteenth century, Antonio Neira de Mosquera referred to the Pico Sacro (Sacred Peak), in Boqueixón. The mountain, about 600 meters tall, is easily recognizable from virtually anywhere in the Ulla region, south of Santiago de Compostela, and has served as a guide to orient travellers since the beginning of time. Its characteristic silhouette has guaranteed it a central place in the imagination of those who have lived in these lands and is, consequently, the location of numerous legends and myths.

In fact, the Pico Sacro is probably the most fabled mountain in Galicia. The most repeated story is the one that gives it a leading role in the traslatio or arrival of the remains of the Apostle Santiago to Compostela. The lower Ulla region was then ruled by Queen Lupa, a mythical character that appears in several popular Galician stories. According to legend, Atanasio and Teodoro, the two disciples of Santiago who were carrying his body to Galicia from Palestine, went to see her to ask for a cart to help in this endeavour. Lupa, astute, sent them to get it at the Pico Sacro, where a dragon lived, hoping that it would devour them and free her from the competition that the Apostle would signify to her power. But the two disciples climbed the mountain and, when the dragon attacked them, they defeated it simply by making the sign of the cross. They then  took two wild oxen that, tamed by the power of the Apostle, ended up driving the cart to Compostela.

There are many variants of this legend. Another well known legend tells of the existence of a huge snake that lives in the heart of the peak. You can even visit the entrance to its dwelling: near the top, on the north side of the mountain, a huge tunnel pierces the stone. It is possible to walk in the first few meters, but then the stones rise and block the light, making it impenetrable, which is fortunate for the most fearful ones.

The hole probably has a natural origin, but the imagination of the people has aggrandized its legend exponentially. Another popular story states that, following it to the end, you would reach the very banks of the Ulla River in San Xoán da Cova, several kilometres downhill, and that this was the path used to water the horses by the original inhabitants of the peak, the “mouros” (moors). These are recurring characters in traditional Galician fables and, if encountered, it is convenient to treat them well: it is dependant on their capricious nature whether one would end up taking home a treasure or a terrible curse.

On the way to the hole, the so called “Rúa da Raíña Lupa” (Queen Lupa’s street) is a curious gap in the rock that can be crossed on foot. One legend states that it is the entrance hall to the palace of the witch queen; another that a giant opened it with the hack of an ax.

"Not" the campo de fútbol

The Sacred Peak dominates a view of at least thirty kilometres around, from the imposing summit of Mount Xesteiras, in the Cuntis area, to Santiago itself. Because of this, its peak has probably always been a defensive watchtower and, at the same time, a centre of religious pilgrimage. There is a hermitage near the top dedicated to San Sebastian that was originally built in the tenth century and, next to the geodesic vertice that crowns it, there are still remains of a fifteenth century fortress. They are not abundant or easy to see, although you can spot recesses in the stone for setting wooden structures or steps carved into the granite and quartz mass.

I headed on from the albergue into the heat and suddenly there were pilgrims coming past in a steady stream.  Not busy but regular passers by.  All marching at quite a pace of course!  I must be the slowest pilgrim ever I think - not that it matters, I still get there and I get to see and enjoy so much along the way.  Our next meeting point was also a little "out".  Not sure why but the guidebook suggested the route would go past the campo de fútbol and it didn't.  M couldn't pick it up from the other side, so waited at the wayside cross where I took a quick break and rested my now very sore ankle.  I was now hobbling from one stop to another with rests as much as possible between.

From here it was a relatively short hobble (although it seemed a long way) to reach the outskirts of Boqueixón where there was another small diversion.  M had found that we could ignore it and still get access and I was so glad of my "scout" as any extra distance on my ankle would be challenging.  It appears that there is a road being made but the long diversion around the small hamlet could be made into a much smaller one by going through a wide previously gated wall across the corner of a field and stepping over the marker tape back onto the road again - a distance of maybe 15m.



Here we found a wonderful cool spot to rest, another cross and some giant tie rings... hmmm - enormous horses or maybe elephants?  I'm sure Hannibal didn't come this way!

Over the  bench at the lovely little rest spot before Boqueixón

From the rest stop, it is mostly downhill to the albergue of Reina Lupa in Boqueixón.  The last little bit up to the road (another diversion so it seems) where again the arrows take me on a slightly different route from the guidebook...  Reina Lupa was not due to be "on" the Camino, and yet it is.  This was great for us because we didn't have to move the car about but could leave it there on our walk into Santiago.

The vines hanging over the whole
road on the wa to Reina Lupa

Amazing - these hang over the whole street, shading
it and the cars - strung between the houses on both
sides of the street

The mountain actually looks down on Reina Lupa - the albergue where we had booked to stay and the name of which comes from the legend outlined here.  This albergue has only been open one year and had 480 pilgrims visit in 2018, and so far in 2019 690.  It is modern, spotless and beautifully designed and run by the fabulous Carmiña and her family.  It is part of their business and the bar serves delicious food and is welcoming with great tapas and good for a cold beer!  I thoroughly recommend it and she stays in touch via FB and makes friends with all those who pass through.  I just hope they survive OK in the current economic crisis of the pandemic.

With Carmiña and her husband Bruno outside
the bar at Reina Lupa Albergue

Location of Reina Lupa

On arrival at Reina Lupa we had the warmest of welcomes.  Carmiña gives us little "hand" shells to wear around our necks on our last day walking into Santiago and bings us our cañon along with feds and chicken broth - a delicious home made tapa.  We had dinner with her too - delicious cena with another place of home grown tomatoes.  The huge luxury shower was most welcome and we spent the evening chatting and we received kisses all around also being introduced to her husband.  The family have been here running a business for 50 years.  She said when I booked she thought I was Korean from my name (I wasn't sure I understood so she demonstrated with her eyes!)... apparently they have a lot of Korean peregrinos through here!

She took photos of us too to share on her FB page and is still in touch.  Do take the opportunity to support them.  They respond well to WhatsApp messages and reply quickly to email.

The lovely albergue - Reina Lupa

http://alberguereinalupa.com

Dirección
Lugar de Deseiro-Sergude, Concello de Boqueixón 15881 Boqueixón La Coruña

Contacto
Hora de apertura:  De 12:00h a 21:00h

981 511 803 / 679 842 829

The view of Pico Sacro from Reina Lupa

info@alberguereinalupa.com

You can't miss the albergue as there are signs as you reach the road that takes you left and along the road to where you pick up the arrows - on your right  to head on uphill toward Santiago.  

Our "double" room - there are two
available and there are fabulous
communal areas, kitchen, washer and
drier and dorms

Our gift from Carmiña... we will wear them with pride

Our enormous luxury
shower

We also bought some other little souvenirs in the bar - some shell and arrow fridge magnets which I love and similar to the blue tile with scallop shell I wanted to try and find in Santiago to include on my mosaic behind our AGA.  I also got a pin which I wore on my rucksack and one for Uzzy too.  She has it on her bag.   

Bar - near the cross at the "not" campo
de fútbol - loved it because the posts
that hold it up are pilgrim staves with
gourds atop

We did a quick shop in town to get some breakfast snacks for the walk into Santiago.  I wanted to leave very early in the chance of getting to the pilgrim mass on time that day and to get my compostela.  Little did I know how busy it would get and that this would not be possible on arrival - thank goodness I had allowed for an extra day and a bit in Santiago in order to enjoy the city, relax and explore and thank goodness I had planned to arrive early, well before 12.00 which would allow us an extra half a day in Santiago and all the time we needed in order to queue for the Compostela without panic!

My foot had coped but was mighty sore.  I rested it, coated it in ibuprofen gel again, too more anti inflammatories and had it elevated and still through the night.  We were due to leave very early, packing everything into the car which Camiña said we could leave in the car park as M and I wanted to walk the last day into Santiago together.  We would taxi back later to collect it and Camiña wanted us to phone her to say goodbye in person if she was not around when we returned.  Being a Sunday the bar was going to be closed as they use it for their private family meal and so she said call her when we got back and she would come out to see us.