I've been blogging our virtual camino less the past week or so. Truth is, we have been busy reconnecting with a bit of our immediate family as Stage 2 is rolled out. A nice relaxing of some of the more direct limitations we have all being living with. While we aren't yet quite ready to go out to the local restaurants we have begun to get our own groceries again and have ventured out to a few 'new' places to walk and bike ride mid-week. Gardening has also kept me really busy. A definite improvement to our quality of life!
Recently we had the opportunity to walk "the Lakes" and here are a few photos from that wander. We've walked the 10 kms around the lakes many, many times, but in May we are usually off walking and travelling in some other part of the world. This made the route look fresher, yet familiar.
The police and conservation officers complete with rifles were out in force as a mother black bear with a cub were spotted on the trail. After a brief chat we were permitted to continue along.
The lilies were out with amazing colour. I don't think I've seen this before along here.
The shoreline reeds even looked more interesting.
Of course we are seeing Canada Geese with their new families almost everywhere we walk these days. Still nice to see. These particular goslings are getting very big!
We came upon a very dynamic group of yellow Irises, some right in the water. Stunning colour!
Meanwhile out on the Camino we continued along at a fairly good clip on the downward leg to Ponferrada, a really under rated city. Not too far down the road we arrive at Riego de Ambós, a pretty little stone village.
A nice little community church with a simple, clean look inside.
Annemarie in sandals,
and still smiling!
Ken with his ever present camera hanging around his neck. It was a very good camera too. Four knees, three knee braces!
We again caught up with this fellow, from Switzerland(?) who we understood was tragically walking for the memory of the young daughter he'd lost. Those are her toys attached to the back of his pack.
It really is a good decent into Molinaseca and a bit scrabbly in parts over the shale. Quite wet and slippery in 2018.
I have photos of Molinaseca from this same spot on all three caminos. No surprise I guess.
In 2013 I left Ken and Annemarie to descend at their own pace along here and basically ran down the hill, meeting a young Italian woman near the bottom. She indicated that she was from Rome and attending nursing school in London. Spying two big fig trees full of ripe fruit (to the left of the house), we stopped and knocked.
This generous woman opened the window next to the door and kindly told us to help ourselves. I've always thought that this simple experience reflects some of the warmth and connection that I've often experienced while on camino.
I meant to take a copy of this photo to give her in 2018, but with all the planning for our Alzheimer's Camino that year, I sadly forgot to do so. I have this photo hanging on my wall as a reminder, and I've taken a photo of this window each time I've passed by her house.
Molinaseca is a bit of a strange place, with one very long primary street that continues through town and well beyond. You enter town by crossing this beautiful bridge and go straight onwards.
Rob in 2016.
The main street was empty of pilgrims and locals as I passed through in 2018. Such a ghost town compared to the other two time I passed through (we stayed here in 2013 with Ken). Of course it was also raining, and who wants to be out in the rain!?
Ken's 2013 journal reflections;
Molinaseca:
Nice private albergue, a real bed, not a litera. Meeting Geoff and Annemarie for a beer in 30 minutes. Lots to think about. Grateful for the fog that shrouded the mountain top this morning: it gave the cross a strange atmosphere, it was a good substitute for the rain that would’ve fallen had that cloud bank been a little higher.
I have vivid memories of sharing some very big mugs of beer with Ken and Annemarie while sitting on that long street! We had dinner that evening together in some 'upstairs place' that I don't remember, but Annemarie does. She remembers most of the meals!
The 8 km stretch onwards to Ponferrada is quite forgettable, at least for me. A dreary long sidewalk march followed by some less than memorable road walking. In three crossings I have just 5 photos of this section. The sunrise glimpse in 2013;
In 2018 I caught up with my Japanese friend as he struck a fighting pose. I quite enjoyed his company. He had Spanish phrases written on his fan! If I ever get back to Japan to walk, I'll have to connect again for sure. I have his card in my walking files.
Approaching Ponferrada in 2018.
Just as you reach town you pass a marker for the Camino de Invierno, but the way it's positioned 99% of the passing peregrinos on the Frances would never see it. I was aware that it was there in 2016 because this was where Rob and I would turn off after first spending the night in town.
Then it's over the beautiful Roman bridge...
...and into...
Ken's thoughts from Ponferrada written moments before we walked in the door of the same cafe for our own break:
Morning coffee--8 km in 90 minutes, which is pretty good. Walked in the dark with a Spanish guy whose light’s batteries had failed. Hoping to find a farmacía or pilgrim crap store to get more foot grease so no hurry to finish this coffee--and need the servicios, too. Three English ladies looking for tea like at home (with cold milk) and toast and bacon. I’m starting to get used to toast and jam for breakfast (I ran out of cheese yesterday). So warm this morning, warm and humid. My left knee was quite sore this morning. I’ll need a rest day in Santiago before attempting Finisterre--if not before.
We were pleased to see Ken as this was becoming something of a daily ritual where we would meet sometime each morning along the way (unplanned) and then walk on together. We did walk through town, stopped at a pharmacia for Ken then kept on going. However, that's for tomorrow.
As mentioned, Rob and I stopped here for the night before heading off along the Rio Sil on a very different and longer route to Santiago. We found the city really quite interesting with loads of history on the only warm sunny day I've experienced here. We also managed to visit the Templar fortress.
Ha! I take that back, because as the photos show it did rain briefly. A driving late afternoon summer storm while we were visiting the fortress. Scratch Ponferrada off my list of preferred places to live!!
And then it was quickly gone.
This city would be a good place to take a day off. As Ken said above, he was hurting, and the body does wear on these long walks. Injuries are always a possibility as I've learned first hand over the years. Fortunately I've had very few, but they can stop one dead in their tracks.
I think we'll move on to Villafranca de Bierzo tomorrow. I've never stayed there, but it really is the one place that comes to mind when I think of places that I wished I'd stopped at. The beauty of a virtual camino!
Buen Camino!
No comments:
Post a Comment