Chasing Windmills into Galacia : Grandas de Salmine to Fonsagrada

Despite the heat each afternoon, we decided to stay for breakfast at our hotel, which was served at 7:30 am.  We enjoyed our meal of toastada, yogurt, fruit, mini muffins, and café con leche with Linten and a young lady we haven't seen before today.  It was a nice way to begin the day, even if it made for a later start.  We followed the markers through town, passing the church, which had five small cats perched on its low sills of it portico while others chased each other around in the courtyard.  On the edge of town the path took us by the tiny stone Capilla del Carmen, the first of many chapels we saw today. 

 

 

Just uphill from the small stone building was a metal statue of a pilgrim, created from used farming machinery.  It was creative and artistic, but it also gave us the feeling that we are now approaching the end, when symbols of pilgrimage begin to dominate the Camino to an extent that can make it feel a bit like a theme park.  We are not there yet, but we are only 1.5 days away from the 100 km marker on this Camino, which is the minimum distance pilgrims must walk in order to receive a Compostella. On the Caminos we've walked in past, especially the Camino Frances, this point has marked a change in the nature and culture of the trail.  This typically involves a vast increase in the number of pilgrims, as well as a corresponding amount of infrastructure to cater to our needs, including more albergues, bars, taxis, luggage transport services, and organized tour groups.

 

 

Wondering what the coming days will hold on this Camino, we struck out into the countryside on a dirt track bordered by grassy fields filled with pink clover, yellow dandelions, and other colourful wildflowers.  The morning sky was streaked with fluffy white clouds, and in the distance the hills and mountains disappeared into the distance in a soft haze.  A short stretch of walking through tall pines gave us a welcome change of scenery, and a little bit of shade. 

 

 

About three kilometers into the day we were walking a short distance along the edge of a paved highway through Cereijeira.  The tiny community was little more than a few homes, a tienda, and a bar, which had a chalkboard sign outside indicating they offered the last stamp for our credentials in Asturias.  We made a quick stop to buy a couple apples, and get our final stamp before heading into Galicia. I'm not sure this actually was the last stamp in Asturias for us, but the marketing strategy worked.

 

 

As we left the road and picked up another grassy track leading between two cow pastures we heard the unmistakable calling of frogs in a tiny pond.  We stopped for a moment to listen, before continuing across the fields and into another stand of lush, green forest, where a little while later we passed the tiny stone Capilla de la Esperanza de Malneira.  Inside a few simple wooden benches were lined up in front of an alter with fresh flowers and lit candles, even though the doors were locked. 

 

 

Shortly after 9:00 am we arrived in Castro, which was a tiny group of homes up on a hillside with a beautiful view over the valley.  There was a lovely looking albergue up there in an old stone building with a slate roof, and wooden door-frames and window sills.  It had a lovely patio and it's own bar and food truck, and it looked like a very peaceful spot to stop. Perhaps if we ever walk this way again we will make it one of our stops.

 

 

We passed our third small stone chapel of the day, and after pausing for a few moments, we followed the narrow paved road past a few homes and onto a forested track.  Two small and very wet dogs followed us to edge of town, enthusiastically sharing as much of their wetness as possible. Thankfully they turned back at the edge of their field, declining to follow us into the cool, quiet of the trees beyond town.

 

After Castro we had a pretty long and at times steep climb, but the going wasn't too difficult.  We followed shaded pathways bordered by moss covered stone walls, beyond which we had panoramic views out over the surrounding mountains and hills.  Yet another small, white chapel was tucked into the trees in this section.  It felt very peaceful, like a place of solitude and sanctuary. Apparently the Ermita de San Lazaro is the only remaining building at the site of a former leper colony, where the afflicted came for treatment and care.  The Ermita was re-built in 1689, but the colony began in 1581.

 

 

As we gently climbed past fields with cows we noticed their warm breath steaming in the cool morning air.  In a forested section a little farther along we came across a tiny yellow Wood Frog making huge leaps and bounds through the deep, soft, leaf litter.  The views out over the mountains seemed to get better and better, and we felt as though we were surrounded by nature, the sounds of cow bells, birds, and our own footsteps on the trail the only sounds in the still morning air.

 

 

After a few kilometers of pleasant walking down tracks and then along the edge of the highway we reached the small community of Penafonte.  The morning sun had really begun to heat up, and we were delighted to find a large fountain with icy cold potable water.  Several other pilgrims that we recognized were already huddled around the fountain in the shade, tucked under the roof above the water source.   Others were sitting in the shade of the porch outside the stone Iglesia de Santa Maria de Magdalena de Penafonte, which was built in 1605.

 

 

After Penafonte we really began to climb.  As we got higher up we found ourselves walking towards a line of wind turbines at the top of a ridge.  We followed the hill along an exposed track in the hot sun and then climbed even higher, finding a second row of wind turbines.  Although it didn't seem like there was any more hill ahead, we still weren't done with the climbing!  Around us in the warm sunny morning we could hear the rhythmic humming and whooshing of the turbines above our heads, and it felt like we were suspended high in the sky. Down below us the forested green valleys spread out like a wrinkled blanket under the blue sky.

 

 

Finally we crested the hill and began the descent, down a forested slope.  As panoramic views opened up in front of us, we were delighted to feel a slight, cool breeze blowing in from the north.  It was such sweet relief under the hot sun!  Seeing a small stone pedestal at the side of the grassy trail we sat on it to take a break and eat the mini muffin we had brought with us from breakfast.  Only afterwards did we realize that this unadorned stone marker was located at the border between Asturias and Galicia!

 

 

When we reached the bottom of the slope we passed the first stone cairn marker, which in true Galician fashion provided the distance left to Santiago, apparently accurate to three decimal places: 166.098 km. A few hundred meters later, on the far side of a busy paved highway, we spotted a crowd of Camino friends sitting outside the Bar Casa O Acebo.

 

 

After the long climb it didn't take much to convince us to stop for a cafe con leche and a slice of Santiago cake.  When we stepped into the bar, we found an unexpected sight.  The small space was covered in collectibles, memorabilia, and nostalgia, including groups of beer steins, wrist watches, and postcards which were nailed to and hung from every available surface.  On one wooden post we spotted different currencies pinned up, and decided to offer the owner, who looked exhausted and rather glum, a Canadian $5 bill for his collection.  His face lit up in a huge smile when he understood the gesture, and he asked us to write our names on the bill.  Since Canadian money is made mostly from plastic this was rather difficult to do, which was just as well, since I'm fairly certain it is a crime to deface our currency.  He also seemed very proud when I pointed to a Compostela that was hanging from the wall, almost hidden by all the other objects, and asked if it was his.  I didn't exactly understand his answer, but for a few moments he seemed very happy that someone had seen him.  It made us wonder what it is like for the owners of albergues and bars who once were pilgrims themselves, to serve other pilgrims day in and day out, who are completely focused on their own journeys.  While remaining a living part of the Caminos must be wonderful, it must also be difficult sometimes to do so while staying stationary, working endless hours, and never being part of the groups you watch passing through day after day.

 

 

We spent about half an hour hanging out with Roni, Ben, and a few others who showed up while we were sitting there, and then we decided to press on, hoping to finish today's hike before the worst heat of the afternoon set in.  The next stretch of walking passed in a bit of a blur.  We mostly followed a dirt track that followed along beside a paved highway.  The highlight was passing through Fonfria, a small hamlet that clearly signaled our transition into Galicia, with its rounded field-stone buildings constructed completely without mortar. Although we were tempted, we didn't stop in the small village, instead pressing on to get the remaining 5 or 6 km done before it got even hotter.

 

 

We continued along the track, constantly climbing and descending through rolling countryside.  A lot of logging had been done in the area recently, which not only looked rather brutal, but also robbed us of any shade that might once have been available.  At one point we crested a small rise and saw A Fonsagrada ahead of us, perched atop a hill.  It looked deceptively close, but we still had quite a bit of climbing to do on the exposed track.  

 

As we approached the town we realized the Camino Primitivo had taken on a slightly different feel.  The pathway was smooth and covered in crushed stone dust, and in places it was bordered by brand new looking wooden hand rails.  It suddenly felt like the trail had been upgraded - like we had entered a province with more money and influence, or like we were approaching Santiago.  Perhaps both those things were true.

 

 

The final climb into A Fonsagrada was unexpectedly brutal. The last several kilometers were up a very steep hill, and they seemed to just keep going and going.  Luckily the track took us through a lush green forest of eucalyptus and other deciduous trees which provided some shade as we huffed and puffed our way up and up and up, joined by a trickle of other struggling pilgrims.  Perhaps the hill wasn't as bad as I remember it, but in the hot afternoon sun, after a day of considerable climbing, it felt like the last straw.

 

 

When we finally reached the top of the hill we found ourselves following a side walk down a busy, modern street. A Fonsegrada is a long, narrow, town that is stretched out along two main streets that have a collection of shops on the ground floor, and apartments above.  Our albergue was about halfway down the main street, and to our relief it turned out to be quite lovely.  We took our showers, did our laundry, and hung our clothes up in the courtyard to dry in the hot afternoon sunshine, before heading out in search of some lunch.

 

 

Unfortunately we had arrived quite late, and when we headed back out, many places were already closed for afternoon Siesta.  We found a bar that was open and sat out on the sidewalk under an awning with a cold drink and a boccadillo con queso.  We were soon joined by Ben and Rory, am Irish pilgrim who was just beginning his Camino in A Fonsegrada.  Although it was good company, we had a few errands to run, and after a bit we headed off in search of a grocery store.

 

 

We walked the length of town, but many of the bakeries and grocery stores were still closed.  During our travels we ran into Roni, who was also looking for supplies to make a vegan dinner with, and eventually we found an open supermarket.  Since the options for dinner seemed to center around pulpo, the regional delicacy, we decided to buy some bread, cheese, tomatoes, and avocados for dinner, in case there was no alternative.  As it turned out, this was a good decision, as we ended up making ourselves an impromptu vegetarian feast at the albergue - one we were becoming all too familiar and little bored with by this time.

 

Today was good, but as with many days that end in larger towns, it left us feeling a little lost at the end. Several of our fellow pilgrims are staying in the same albergue as us, but it feels like everyone has scattered to wind, fending for themselves and blending in with the crowds.  We also spotted quite a few 'new' pilgrims walking around the town, so this is clearly a popular starting point on the Camino Primitivo.  Perhaps it is just exhaustion at the end of a long day, but it feels like change is in the air, and while this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is always a little sad when Camino families begin to drift apart and change.  Maybe things will look better in the morning - we will just have to see what tomorrow brings.

 

Distance: 25.7 km

Accommodations: Albergue Casa Cuartel