Day 31 - Rabanel del Camino to Acebo

Day 31 – May 3 Rabanal (Km 238) to Acebo (Km 220) = 18 km – Cumulative – 524 km

“We are now into the Cantabrian Cordillera, a range of low mountains that curves around from the north and south towards Portugal. They are in our way and they are not likely to move out of the way for us so we have to cross them. There are 2 major ascents and several minor ones. Today Jean and Sue took a taxi to Acebo and Dick and I did one of the major climbs into the Cantabrian Cordillera, a range of low mountains or high hills, take your pick; it was relatively gradual so was not too difficult. We stayed in a Casa Rural, a Spanish bed and breakfast.”

Dad”

(There is some question as to whether this town is called Acebo or El Acebo - on mapquest El Acebo only comes up as a town over 100 km away, where as Acebo is in the right place so I have called it Acebo. Sue (and Dad in his original messages) refer to it as El Acebo)

From Sue Schubert

"Jean and I took a taxi to El Acebo while the guys headed out on the Camino. Our taxi driver filled us in on global warming and how it is affecting Spain. The Spanish are as concerned as the rest of us. Yesterday while in Rabanal, Len and I figured out how to use the pay phone well enough to make reservations at a wonderful hostal, La Rosa del Agua, en el Acebo. It is run by Cintia (Cynthia), originally from Madrid, and her husband, Manolo, from el Acebo, who love living in these mountains. We crossed the highest point of the Camino today, 5,400 feet and are now in the Cordillera Cantábrica, one of Spain´s many mountain ranges. Evidently Spain is the second most mountainous country in the world!

El Acebo turns out to be a favorite stop. Not unlike Rabanal, it is tiny, medieval and full of houses in and out of repair. But they love pilgrims. We heard and saw goats (with bells around their necks) being herded up the middle of the only street to pasture; a very welcoming tienda (tiny store) where we could get a glass of the local vino tinto (Bierzo) from a huge container, over which the owner put a tapa of sliced bread and jamón ibérico (their local ham). Later in the evening that same herd of goats returned to town and were put back into the barn, right in the middle of all of the houses!

Routine is beginning to set in: walk (or taxi if you are sick); settle on a place to stay according to how far you want to get for the day or how you are feeling; find a suitable place (or reserve ahead); get acquainted with the village; and most important, have your Pilgrim credential stamped. The stamps represent proof that one has traveled from village to village and each stamp is beautiful and distinctive with an identifying name and symbol.

Some observations about travelling on the Camino in Spain:

-You are rarely alone, although sometimes you would like to be.

-The Spaniards are friendly and welcoming--Buen Camino means "Have a good hike!" We all say it to each other.

-Spaniards love to sing their native songs. Someone is singing right now, in fact, entertaining pilgrims in this albergue.

-And the majority of Spaniards love to smoke and can do amazing things while holding a cigarette in one hand!

-There are people hiking the trail from all over the world (even the Spanish) for all sorts of reasons. We have met Australians, Canadians, German and French and a few other Americans.

-Where you stay is dependant on the hour you arrive and what is still free. An albergue is like a hostal (bunk beds and communal bathrooms, etc. for 5-7 euros), with or without restaurant, etc. Hostales are like 2 star hotels when privacy is longed for (40 euros)!

-Breakfast is usually wonderful coffee, with or without milk and a roll or pastry of some kind. The big meal of the day could be eaten midday, or in the evening. The pilgrim´s menu has a first and second course, drink and dessert. The first course could be a huge plate of string beans cooked with ham; the second some type of meat or fish, usually friend, all for around 8-10 euros.

-People here work hard to serve the tourists from early morning to late at night.

-The villages are magical--stone upon stone laid to form walls without mortar and enclosures for gardens or domestic animals (although the only and few dogs we see are running around loose).

-The homes are also of stone with mortar. Or of what seems like adobe with straw. Often there is a huge door (much like a garage door but very beautiful, painted) which opens up into a patio, surrounded by the home or hostal."