Molinaseca & Ponferrada

Everyone was a bit pooped today from the long, hot, rocky trail from Rabanal. The 7 of us who walked all the way decided to walk the last 5km, from Riego de Ambros, on the road as we were weary of rocks and shale. It was hot but it was a relief to walk on a smooth surface and we think it was a little shorter than the trail.

Zuretha, Theresa and Janette - Rabanal

Bell and Jill

On the way to to the Cruz de Ferro

Bell, Janette, Theresa, Zuretha, Syl and Jill and the Cruz de Ferro

Rocky path to el Acebo

Ponferrada in the far distance

Memorial to a fallen peregrina outside el Acebo

We walked on the road for the last ± 5km to Molinaseca

Slate rooftops of Molinaseca

Peregrinos bridge into the little village

Site of the most important gold mining in the Roman Empire.  22km from Ponferrada

This morning our taxis collected 7 of us from Molinaseca and took us to Las Medulas - a spectacular landscape created during the most important gold mining era in the Roman Empire (2000 years ago) and now a World Heritage Site about 22km from Ponferrada. Two of our group decided to walk to Ponferrada instead.

We had a wonderful stay in an old palace - La Casa del Reloj - in Molinaseca last night.Before we left Molinaseca this morning Bell and I were lucky to be given a guided tour of the private part of the 'Palace' by our host. It was very grand. Tons of antiques, art works, statues, carpets, a private chapel - with her grandfather's embroidered vestments hanging in a cupboard - and a fabulous refectory which she called her Bodegas. She also owns the park across the road. Very special place to stay.

 We are now in Ponferrada (Pons Ferrata or Iron bridge) a town with a masssive fortified Templar castle .
We were dropped off at the Hotel Temple, a very smart, 4-star hotel about 10 minutes from the Templar Castle.
Ponferrada once boasted at least 10 pilgrim shelters. Now there is only one, the Albergue San Nicolas de Flue that sleeps 200 people.
Tomorrow we walk ± 22km - depending on which guide book you believe! - to Villafranca del Bierzo. We are all tanned and looking fit!

Photos from St Jean to Pamplona and Sept. 5th - Zubiri to Pamplona

The Virgin de Biakorri (1095m)

An equestrian pilgrim leading her horse

Spanish and Basque names on the signs

Judith in the mist:  The Col Lepoeder is 1430m

 Tricia and Alan

Bell and Hemingway!

Brian and Syl

I walked most of the way with Bell and Alan. We seem to have the same pace. Tricia likes to spend as much time as possible on the trail so she is a bit slower, by choice. Brian marches ahead. We had breakfast before we left so didn't go into Larrasoana, the first village after Zubiri. Its also one of the few villages you don't walk through on the Camino. The path up from the picnic site before Trinidad de Arre was very dry and stoney. I had to get to Pamplona before the banks closed at 2pm so after having a lunch in Trinidad de Arre, Bell and Alan walked on and I got a bus the remaining 4.5km into Pamplona. I was able to do the banking and then arrived at Pension Sarasate - almost home from home now! After checking in we had dinner at Bar Dom Luis. Good day today.



Viva España !!

I checked the long range weather forecast today for Pamplona, St Jean Pied de Port and Zubiri.  It looks as though we will have perfect weather for a walk in (up?) the mountain!  Pilgrims often report on high winds, lashing rain or thick mist with no views when they walk from St Jean to Roncesvalles. 
We start walking on Friday 2nd September and it looks like it will be a beautiful day!

31 August:  Pamplona - 16/24°C Rain and possible thunder during the day. Partly cloudy skies during the night. 

1st September:  We travel to St Jean Pied de Port - 13/22°C - Few morning clouds, light rain with clear spells during the day. Few clouds during the night.

2nd September: We walk from St Jean to Orisson - 18/26°C - Sunny! 

3rd September:  Orisson to Burguete - 13/24°C - Sunny with some clouds.

4th September:  Zubiri - 17/31°C - Sunny with some clouds.  (Wow - 31°C???  Perhaps it is an error?)

5th September:  Pamplona - 16/22°C - Cloudy.

6th September:  Puente la Reina - 14/25°C - sunny with some clouds.

amaWalkers September Camino

This will be the second amaWalkers Camino trek this year.  The first amaWalkers Camino walk was in June when I lead 13 people on three sections of the Camino Frances.  It was a wonderful walk, with wonderful people and I am looking forward to leading this next group from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago.
Just eleven more sleeps and we will be in Pamplona.  There I will meet up with Judith (Canada), Bell (Johannesburg), Alan (US) and Tricia (South Africa).  The next day (1st September) we will travel to St Jean Pied de Port.  Brian (flying in from the UK) and Christine (from Sweden) will meet us there.  I've booked a table at a typical Basque restaurant on Thursday night and we hope to be joined by Tim Proctor who has a B&B in St Jean. 

On the 2nd September we will start our walk.  Depending on the weather we will either walk the Route Napoleon to Orisson or the Cross.  The Auberge Orisson was full and Jean-Claude offered us tents behind the cabin.  Having walked in torrential rain in September 2007 I decided against it and booked us into a Gite in St Jean for two nights instead.  If the weather is bad we will walk on the road route to Val Carlos.  Caroline will collect us at 3pm to take us back to our Gite in St Jean.  This means that we don't have to carry our backpacks and we don't have to sleep in tents.  The following day, Caroline will take us back to where we left off the day before and we will continue walking to Roncesvalles and on to Burguete.