Day 34 – Villafranca del Bierzo to Vega de Valcarce

Day 34 – May 6 – Villafranca del Bierzo (Km 182) to Vega de Valcarce (Km 166) = 16 km – Cumulative 578 km

"Vega de Valcarce, Province of Leon, Leon y Castilla 08 05 06 17:07

Today we are all at Valcarce preparing to tackle O Cebriero tomorrow. O Cebriero is not the highest point on the Camino. We passed that point a few days ago at 1517 metres. However it will be the steepest climb and is a 600 meter ascent.

Also tomorrow we pass out of Castilla y Leon and into Galicia. We are now 166 km from Santiago.

Len"

"I am sitting in an Alburgue having had a taxi to Villa del Valcarce while the other 3 are hiking. I shared the taxi with a couple from Paris. They are organized slightly differently than we are. Their travel agent specializes in the Camino and has planned their trip according to certain conditions.: 1) the maximum hike is 16 km per day; 2) their bags are sent ahead so they carry only day packs, 3) they either hike first thing in the morning and then the taxi takes them to their accommodation or they get driven to the starting point for the day and they hike to their accommodations, 4). there is a rest day every week, 5) all accommodations and meals are planned in advance. Our way of operating is that Dad plans out where the next stop will be and then he and Sue consult the guide books and choose a place to stay. Then they call ahead the day before to make the reservations. This works well because then I have a destination for a taxi or a bus. Now I’m at the Alburgue run by Brazilians. We will be in bunk beds in a room about 40 people.. We had an elegant dinner I had salad and then veal. We are now in Galacia which is supposed to be very rainy all throughout the year but it is a beautiful sunny day. Tomorrow they will hike to O Cebriero which is a mystical mountain. It is a very steep climb. I am undecided whether to hike or not. Dad is considering sending the packs ahead and just hiking with a day pack so perhaps I will or I will go with the bags!

I don´t think that Dad has mentioned the stamps that we collect. Along the Camino each place has a stamp that is distinctive for their establishment and we get our passport stamped. It may be that it is a restaurant or museum or hostel. They are quite colourful and a lightweight souvenir. I´ve not been buying anything as the thought of more weight is very discouraging!

Already I recognize people on the trail. There are 3 women from Victoria BC who have described themselves as ¨the princesses¨ however, they are good hikers. Last night they stayed in a Parador which is the elite hotel class of Spain. They overheard us talking about Steven Harper one night at dinner (in Rabanel) and came to inquire if we were Canadians. They seem to be on a similar timetable to us. Another lady Gillian from Australia has crossed paths with Dad a number of times and we have seen her at several stops. Yesterday on the bus there were several pilgrims ...one lady from Germany has a very bad foot so she was riding. Another woman is an American, currently doing her PhD in the Philosophy of Language in Belgium. She is not teaching this semester so has chosen to do the Camino. She was on the bus because she has a sore knee from the trail and a bad blister on her small toe which means she can’t wear her boots. She was wearing a knee support and said she is the 4th owner of the support and she will pass it on before she finishes.

At this computer, you put 1 Euro in a glass jar and have access for half to one hour and as I am the only one here, I can carry on. At internet cafes, when the time runs out, it just kicks off and if you were in the middle of something, it is lost!

Well perhaps this is enough for now.

Love Mom"

From Sue Schubert

"Villafranca del Bierzo, 70 dgs (21.1 C).

Amigos y familia,

In Villafranca we have a bunch of time to explore the little village. The guys got a bit lost on the way so didn´t arrive until a bit later than anticipated. That was okay, as I had a bunch to explore and Jean relaxed in her room. We have discovered a few things:

-There are a lot of old Spaniards and canes sell well!
-They do a lot of sitting and looking.
-I think that Spaniards smoke because they are bored.
-We see few babies.
-There are a lot of community gardens.
-Dick and Len saw a wild pig on their Camino the other day.

Today was a fabulous day! Why? Because I got back on the trail with the guys. It felt sooooo good. And the weather is absolutely unbelievable, cool in the morning and warm by afternoon. Yesterday Len and I made a couple of phone calls and reserved beds for tonight and tomorrow.
Today we walked through countryside, mountains and a stream running all along the trail from Villafranca to our destination, Vega de Valcarce. We see wildflowers, hear crickets and walk just 15 kms. to our destination. I walk quickly (although Len and Dick don´t set a fast pace, honestly) except when my camera can´t be controlled
--photos mainly of old buildings, old people, dogs, flowers, important sights, us.

Today we have arrived at a Brasilian albergue, run by, yes, Brazilians! They are a great couple who run a tight ship. So we are back to bunk beds, maybe 100 people in a large room; communal everything; dinner and breakfast included and nice bar (bonus). The host and hostess are wonderful and offer anything we want, including washing machine and internet. Speaking of that, others want its use, so I am off to relax and not worry about a diary."