El Camino (Levante) Just beyond Venda do Capela (16.2km) to Portocamba Sunday 15th April, 2018

Despite the original plan to do 16.2km this ended up around 14km as I again did extra the previous day.  I still need in Porta Camba as originally planned.  Although not pouring with rain, this was possibly the wettest day since Font de la Figuera back on the first part of the Camino Levante as I headed NW from Canals.  As usual with all the correct gear on I wasn't cold and felt warm and dry within my jacket and waterproof trousers.  I felt quite exhilarated to be on my way.

Misty, cold and wet start to the day - but it was GREAT!

Soon from out of the mist rose a Casa Rural which caters for pilgrims and which had a lovely little seating area with a water fountain and scallop shell on it.  I was amazed that anyone would know about it in order to stay here - I wish more of these were advertised in the guide books or on the websites.  This was a great place and if there had been a number or contact information outside I would have photographed it to put here.

One of the very few times I have ever
used my backpack cover on the Camino

Despite the mist and therefore the lack of views, it was still an amazing day.  There have been very few occasions when I have never heard a single man made sound.  In fact, this might be the only day!  It was truly only filled with the sound of nature, a few birds, one of which was the cuckoo resonating out of the mist and the drip and tap of the raindrops.  Every now and again I would stop to listen - not even a plane cut through the earth's natural rhythms to spoil this moment.  I truly understood the phrase that the silence was deafening - in fact it felt thick and heavy, not oppressive but more like a blanket of quiet... then, from out of the mist this time, a skylark, somehow finding its way, rising and soaring invisibly above me with its climbing song and one of my favourite summer sounds.

The smiling face in the track!  Thank you to the peregrino
who made it

The route seemed long today and I was grateful for a coffee break and the chance to much on some tangerine and "muy crujente" sweet and salty nuts and corn kernels.  Yum I love those things!  Mercadona will be getting another visit next time and if they are still made, I will be bringing a suitcase load back with me!  They are also the perfect thing to sustain the hiker!

One of the usual helpful arrows
that pilgrims construct when there
may be an ambiguity in the direction
to take

There was a lot of up today, quite hard going as the roads were gravelly and uneven.  The climb seemed to go on forever and it was hot wearing all the waterproofs.  As I plodded, head down and focused, below me there seemed to appear a face... surely not... was it???  Yes, indeed it was! Some wonderful and humorous pilgrim had decided to build a smiley face on the track to uplift others - and perfect because in the weather and with the climb I had had my head down.   As I stepped back I realised that the face was actually a head on a long "stick figure" body made out of the shale.  It cheered me up no end and I was very grateful to whoever had had the time and inclination to make it.  It worked!  Uplifted, I headed onward and literally upwards with renewed vigour.

Direction marker and in the background the scallop shell
with the "yes!" written on it

The route twisted and turned and I was for a while disoriented and expected to turn back toward the reservoir, but in fact it curved around us and although I felt like I was walking straight on, as I nearest he the top (another Alto) I saw the next high speed train construction site stretching below me and realised that the reservoir was curled around us - but out of sight due to the cloud.

I love this - I like to romantically think someone accepted
a proposal or came to decision about one at this point on their
camino and posted a photo back to their loved one

As we had driven to the starting point we had passed a couple of peregrinos leaving A Gudiña and joked that they would have to go some to catch me up as I was starting quite a bit ahead of them.  However, as I started my decent to Campo Berceros, they came steaming past me, practically scree running down the slippery and loose shared slope!  A quick "buenos dias and burn camino" and they were gone!  One came past before the other, but I later saw them hiking together companionably after a drink and collection of a sello in a bar in the town.

I also collected my sello from the lady there but got the third degree as to where I had started and why was it 4 years since my last time!  Not such a friendly or pleasant experience but it was a good cafe con leche - coffee and caña 1.20 Euro.  I couldn't find Michael and thought he would be in this bar as he had mentioned one that was open.  I didn't expect to see another but as I left, there he was and at another open bar with a friendlier lady who also promised a sello.  Sadly I had missed her and although I waited to accept a drink because I felt sorry he had promised her we would visit, she never reappeared so I headed on my way again.

The railway construction that follows the pilgrim all the
way and often interrupts or interferes with the route
or possibly in this case, the accommodation!

The steep scree decent - this does give quite a
good impression of the gradient!  

At this point it should be noted that there IS and albergue here!  Not mentioned in the guide book or any of the places I looked but of course it may have been set up since the guide's publication.  There aren't any newer editions as this point (writing this in July 2018) as I checked.

When I looked for it specially I found the info (below) but also a pilgrim who said that the locals told him it was closed for peregrinos because the AVE (high speed rail team) had hired it exclusively.  He was not happy because he said it was then 36km to Laza, and I agree, it's a hike too far and through hilly terrain.

The info on the Camino sites say it is open all year 11.00 to 22.00 and exclusively for pilgrims at 8.00 Euros per night.  There seems to be another hostel in town too - Casa Nuñez at 30.00 Euros per night and with 4 rooms (https://www.gronze.com/galicia/orense/campobecerros/casa-nunez).  It is not far from the albergue and there is a map on this link.

Teléfono:
+34 988 077 624
+34 608 887 835

For the Albergue...
Albergue Rosario - C. Cardenal Quiroga, 9
Localidad: Campobecerros

Teléfono:
+34 650 53 05 47
+34 988 30 89 43
E-mail: alberguedarosario18@gmail.com
32626 Campobecerros, Province of Ourense, Spain

The following includes a review from November 2017, so it was still open then for pilgrims.  The reviews are good and suggest good food.
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/albergue-da-rosario

Cairn on the way down into
Campobecerros

The other thing to be pleased about in Campbecerros, considering it seems like it may lack life, is that there are bars open and food available on a "Sunday" not always the case in Spain as we have found out a number of times in the past!  It is well worth stopping here before heading to Laza and I would suggest staying in Laza also before the big climb out of Soutelo Verde!

Opposite the cairn on entering
Campobecerros

The decent on the loose shale into Campobecerros is hard work, especially with tired and very sore legs from the steep uphill sections.  My heels were so painful and each step was agony.  By the time I got to the bottom my legs were shaking with the effort, but as always it is so satisfying and that tiredness later when showered and in bed is wonderful - the sleep it brings is like no other!  There were sad looking mastins everywhere.  Many looked pregnant and miserable and I felt terrible at the bar as a sad dog desperately begging for food came close and as I removed my backpack the walking pole hit his head.  He cried out and gave me the most injured of looks.  I am sure he is often chased off and beaten, but I felt terrible and apologised but had nothing to give him.

The stream beds and drainage ditches
were overflowing with the melt
waters and recent rains

The gourd and shell markers indicating the way to go
through Campobecerros

On leaving the town there was a moped all decked out with flowers and a lady calling to a gazillion cats!  They seemed to come running from everywhere - it was actually rather unnerving and I assume there is no plague of rats in this town!  I called to her that she had many gatos and she laughed and waved cat food at me.

The many cats and the lady with the that brought out the
cat food!

The flower laden moped

Oh joy - on leaving Campbecerros there was another hugely steep hill to climb.  I was determined to get to Porto Camba today and go a bit beyond in order to shorten the next day's walk.  I was still quite early and really wanted to make it to the next point.

Portocamba itself is yet another ghost town, but with some amazing old houses and again some falling down yet with a pristine renovation between!  I would worry that they would bring down the renovation and we were warned about this sort of thing (although a rarity) in the UK when we looked at a house in similar condition but semi-detached.  No such worries here in Spain though.

As in Venda da Capela (I keep meaning to mention the weird way that both the Spanish and Portuguese languages seem to have combined to form Galician...) there were young people who have taken over some of these houses and made them very smart and they look very well off.  Maybe more affordable, maybe a family home... I don't know, but it is certainly quite a commute from here and in winter I would think well night impossible even with chains!  There are many "Venda" villages here - from "vents" or inn which suggests that many people used to pass this way in times gone by - sad then that now there are very few inns or rest stops and that the villages are almost completely deserted.

By the seat on the way out of Portocamba

Mentioning Venda do Capela reminds me of the "gags for the day" from yesterday... passing "A Capela" Michael's wit decided this was a village of people singing without musical instruments (actually quite clever... and our GPS lady as we go through Seixelbo call is "Sex Elbow"... this conjures up quite a bit of amusement as you can imagine and some mental acrobatics!  We swear she can hear us though - as on the way home, she decides to pronounce it correctly!  In fact, by the end of the holiday I think she gave up completely on the Sex Elbow!

One of the many abandoned
homes in Portocamba

One of the old door latches

Leaving the village was again all uphill!  I was really tired by now and very glad to see a fountain with cold and refreshing water.  I stopped to splash some over myself and rinse my hands.  It wasn't far now but it was taking every ounce of energy that I had.  I stopped to take many photos of the old route out of the village and included some of the old door latches, the now disused gas lamps, ancient steps and old doors.  I was very, very glad to see the tall cross marking the end of my day's route and which is mentioned in the guide book.  This is the cross that the friars of the monastery of Los Milagros gave in memory of deceased pilgrims and which is now surrounded by all sorts of stones and mementos left by pilgrims.

The refreshing fountain at the exit from Portocamba when
heading towards Laza

Old lamps no longer in use

There are some hand written directional signs which inform the pilgrim which way to go.  There is no bar in Eiras which is just under half way between the cross and Laza but there is the cutest little balconied building where there is an honesty box with a flask of hot water and tea/coffee etc for pilgrims to help themselves and take a small break.

The base of the cross

From the cross and down into Laza the way is all downhill and it leaves the legs shaking again.  It is also a route of pines and at this time of year it is important to beware of the processionary pine caterpillars which for the first time ever I witnessed processing in long and scary lines across the roads and down the trees!  I was VERY glad not to have the dogs with me on this occasion - they would have picked hairs up on their paws and this can spell disaster for dogs.

As we drove back down the hill and toward Laza and the hotel for the night we stopped to overlook the amazing rail works - it looks like there will be a huge viaduct across the valley above Laza and to an extent the scene is somewhat scarred at the moment.  It is impressive engineering and possibly won't effect the pilgrim route.  The infrastructure needed to service the works is amazing - drainage and access roads all have to be built in addition to the railway itself!  The markers we passed were all concrete - not temporary things - so this is a huge amount of work alone.  There are terraces hundreds of feet high and they must have had a plethora of theodolites... for some reason tis created hysterical laughter which I guess goes to show how tired I was!  Writing this it doesn't seem nearly as funny!

For those who wish to make a note of up coming accommodation - the following looks like a good deal at Xunqueira de Ambia - Casa Tomas.