Camino Primitivo

 Baleira to Lugo

September 13 2023

Today was suppose to be an easy day as this was the first day out of the mountains.  However it was far from easy..  It was still 35.9 kms and 648 meters of climb.  In the one scene it was easier in that there were no terribly steep climbs up loose rocks or desentes down slippery wet rocks. It was hard in that it was hot and there was very few stops and very little in the way of   services along the trail.  

We were were on the road just after 8:00 am this morning into a coolish fog which seems to be the way the weather works here.  The morning started with the typical  climb through along a nicely wooded trail.  It wasn't as steep or as long but there were no fabulous valley views either.  

After a few kilometers we came to a very nice church in a tiny village.  Surprisingly it was open and we got to peak in side and get our Pilgrim Passports stamped.  There was quite a bit of information posted on how historic this church was but it was all in Spanish and I didn't get it.

The high light of the day was at the Pilgrim Oasis which was at the 24 kms mark.  In a field a fellow had set up some tents and was handing out free watermelon and other melon slices to pilgrims.  He had a few tables made from wooden pallets under the umbrellas. There were several very large wooden stumps which had been carved into tables and benches as well.  The temperature was by now around 30 C so the cold watermelon was a slice of heaven. 

When we got to the hotel in Lugo the check in procedure was the most complicated procedure I have ever been through. It must have taken 40 minutes to get the three rooms handed out.  Scanning and re-scanning of passports, signing of forms, instructions on how to sign into the wifi etc.  In fairness it is a very nice modern hotel right in downtown Lugo.

Bob and I packed our laundry up and headed off to get that chore done.  Tomorrow is a rest day in a very historic town, but more of that tomoorow.

Terry 

Camino Primitivo

A. Forsangrada to Baleira

September 12 2023

We were on the road at 8:00 am sharp this morning.  It was still just slightly dark but then it was very foggy. In fact the fog was so dense that visibility was probably less than 75 feet.  The fog has been burning off by about 10:00 am but this morning it hung around until closer to noon.  

As we proceeded along a tree lined trail we could see where all of the spiders had been busy spinning their webs as the heavy dew from the fog had coated the webs. The larger webs shone brightly in the sun which was coming through over top of the fog.  

The day's hike had two really large hills each being around 400 meters.  The hike up the first hill took us close to three hours as it was so steep.  The climb down was slippery from the rain and dew in the air.  We landed at a coffee shop at noon so we had our lunch before tackling the second hill.  It wasn't quite as tall but it was just as steep.  By the time we got to the top of the second hill I was close to out of water.  I was sure glad to find a second stop with about 7 kms to go.  I purchased a big 1.5 liter bottle of cold water and drank half of it down right away.  

The last 7 kms seemed to take forever to cover even though it was mostly down hill.  Bob's Camino book lists this day as one of the hardest of the route and I believe it.  My Garmin watch gave it 27.52 kms and 800 meters climb.   Glad to be in by 3:30 pm.

Terry 

 

  

 

Camino Primitivo

Grandas de Salime to Fonsagrada 

September 11 2023

This morning our cab was right on time and it drove us the 6 kms into town.  We had walked this before our rest day so as to reduce todays distance.  Even with the 6 kms into town we still had a 26 kms day with over 800 meters of climb.  It was a fast ride with the taxi leaning hard into all of the really tight corners on the twisting road up to town.  

As we started out it was up a really steep hill, although starting out up hill has become standard operating procedure.  Last night it had rained quite hard for at least a couple of hours so the trail was wet and muddy.  In addition the high humidity had turned to a dense fog.  As we walked along the trail the trees were dripping on us giving it a unreal atmosphere.   The higher we climbed the bluer the sky above us got and we could see that the valley was filled with fog.  

As we passed into the province of Galicia the Camino markers changed from the little white markers with scallop shell to large granite markers with the shell marker, a milage count down plaque and an arrow.  The direction of the scallop shell also changed.  In Asturias you went to the base of the shell but in Galicia the base of the shell is where you are and you head to the rim of the shell.  The quality of the trail also improved by an order of magnitude.

Just as we turned a corner and started up a hill a cloud burst hit us.  There was a mad scramble to pull on rain gear.  Fortunately the down pour only lasted about 10 minutes and we were pulling the rain gear pretty quickly.

We stopped for lunch at a cafe at about the 19 kms markwhere Bob and I shared a lunch of toasted French bread with ham and melted Camembert cheese.  It really hit the spot. 

A few more hills, and a few more down hills and we were on the out skirts of town. Unfortunately the last 1.8 kms was a really really steep up hill grind.  Bob's Camino book had warned us but not  prepared us.  We were all huffing and puffing as we pulled into to.  

We are in a really nice pension tonight and I know I am going to sleep well.

Terry 

Camino Primitivo

Rest Day Grandas de Salime

September 10, 2023

 Our rest day is in a hotel which is 5 kms out of the town of Grandas de Salime.  It is a very small village and being a Sunday there is nothing open.  Never the less Maureen and Bob took a taxi into town with the  intent of walking back.  Probably a good choice as it is all up hill to Grandas de Salime.  I elected to hang around the hotel.  Not that there was anything to do here. Have a good nap was number one on my to do list.  

I did however walk down to the Grandas de Salime dam. It was a very nice day with not a breath of a breeze and sitting on the dam to have a snack of cookies and an apple was very pleasant.  

The dam itself was constructed in 1954 and completed in 1958.  At the time it was the second highest dam in Europe.  There was a great deal of difficulty in building the dam due to the remoteness and due to economic sanctions against the Franco government. It appeared that there were not going to be any turbines for the completion of the hydro station but the UK government secretly supplied the necessary equipment to complete the dam.  It is rated at 350 mega watts, however it does not appear to be operating as there is no water coming out of the power house.  

On the one side of the river are a lot of complicated and abandon concrete structures.  At first I thought they were of some sort of industrial operation which had been abandon.  However upon reading the history of the dam it would appear that they are the remainders of the complex cable car system which was used to transport the concrete to the dam.

As I was walking around I noticed that here were a lot of really large snails.  This example was probably close to 3 inches and his shell was 1.5 in diameter.  

An afternoon nap topped off the day. 

Tonight I am looking forward to the evening meal here in the hotel. Last nights meal was excellent.

Terry 

 

  

Camino Primitivo

 Berducedo to Grandas de Salime

September 9 2023

This morning we got back into our taxi and drove to where we left off in Berducedo.  This was occasioned by the fact that there was no available accommodation in Berducedo.  When we got out of the taxi there was a light drizzle coming down.  Everyone pulled on their rain coats and put the covers on their back packs.  However the rain quickly abated and the sun came out.  

It was a short hick out of the little village and before we knew it we were on the Camino trail.  It was seasy to tell as it was very rocky and steep.  When we started out we could see a bunch of wind turbines across the ridge what seemed like miles above us.  There were several comments made that we can't be headed up there but sure enough we were.  The views were just amazing. There were pockets of puffy white clouds hanging in all of the little valleys which were spread before us.  

Once over the ridge we could see the big lake behind the Grandas de Salime dam.  Fromm the top of the ridge we could see the village of Grandas de Salime and it looked very close but it was still 15 kms away.  There were a lot of very steep switch backs to get down to the dam.  

We crossed the dam and started up the other side of the lake to this hotel which over looks the lake.  We pulled in for lunch.  My Garmin said that we were at the hotel.  When I said I thought this was the place I was told I was wrong as we were still 6.6 kms out of town.  Looking at the reservations we were at the right place. Being we are 6.6 kms out of town meant that Monday (Sunday being a rest day) would be a 30 kms day rather than the 23.4 kms day as advertised.  So we decided to walk into town this afternoon and take a taxi back to the hotel and avoid an extra day on Monday.   

Once in town pretty much everything was closed as this is a festival weekend.  So being in town would not be any really advantage.  Looks like a nice place to totally chill for a rest day.

This turned out to be one of the most scenic days so far.  Plus only a few minutes rain and none of the forecast thunder showers.  

Terry 

Camino Primitivo

Pola de Allande to Berducedo

September 9 2023

Last nights festival in the center of town started with a huge fire works display at 10:00 PM just as we were finishing dinner.  There were two huge sound stages set up in the town square right across from our hotel and it promised to be loud.  And it was really loud until about 5:00 am this morning.  I didn't get much sleep.  My guess is about 3-4 hours.   Tonight is promised to be a repeat of last night so I went a bought a sandwich for my supper and am hoping  with to get a few hours sleep before the music starts.  

To days walk started at just after 8:00 am and started off with a 700 meter climb. It was really steep and rocky .  In a way it reminded me of the Oak Creek canyon ride north of Sedona.  The first half followed a creek and then the second half once you got above the tree line was just steep, rocky and unforgiving in the bright sun.  It was a very tough grind to the top.

At the top it was a wind swept summit with a couple of stone markers.  The climb down the other side was extremely steep and very treacherous with all the loose  rocks.   I felt like I was sliding more than walking. Never the less it was much easier going down than up.   

There were no services on the entire day's walk so we ate a few little snacks that each person had put in their packs.  

The heather along the road is in full bloom and is so pretty, my photo doesn't come  close to it.

Once in Berducedo we had to take a taxi back to Pola de Allandde for a second night as there was not hotel in Berducedo and then tomorrow another taxi back again.  The Taxi ride only took a few minutes but was pretty scary on the tight  twisting mountain roads.

A good day and once again we missed the rain which just started as we stepped out of the taxi.

Terry