Getting close...and tired...
We left Astorga two days ago, or is it three. We rode from Astorga to Ponferrada, then to O Cebreiro, and today into Sarria. Sarria's significant because it's one of the significant starting points for pilgrims on the Camino. The Cathedral in Santiago has decided that to qualify for the certificate of completion a pilgrim must travel at least 100 kilometers. Sarria, about 140 kilometers from Santiago, is the most convenient starting point for those wanting a certificate of completion without a longer commitment. There are as many reasons for doing to pilgrimage as there are pilgrims. Sandy and I talked about some of the people we've encountered, or haven't encountered, along the way at lunch today.
Our experience of the Camino has been somewhat unique - although in saying that, I realize it's probably true of every single person who follows the trail. Because we are cycling we are travelling more quickly than most. We spoke a dinner last night with a man from Bilboa, Spain. He's walking and through the challenges of different language it wasn't clear that either he or we understood the conversation fully. He had a large scab on his knee, and blister on the back of his heal. I guessed that he must have been in some pain from both. Yet, this morning we'd cycled about 7 kilometers downhill before we passed him along the road. He must have rose a couple of hours earlier than we did to achieve what he'd completed before we passed.
In Sahagun we talked to Wendy and Doug over breakfast. Wendy is 76, Doug is 80. They'd begun their Camino around the 20th of May and didn't expect to complete it until the 6th of June. Comparatively, we started on the 7th of June and will complete our ride on the 23rd. We left Doug and Wendy behind as we headed out from Sahagun to Leon. They didn't expect to reach Leon until the day after we'd spent two days there.
In Astorga we encountered a group of men from South America (Brazil, mostly) riding on a tour from Burgos to Santiago. They'd caught up to us there, and left us behind when we stopped at Ponferrada. They are now that much closer to Santiago than we are. We did consider the option of mugging one of them for their kit - the cycling shirts they wore will be lovely reminders of their journey along the road, and we were a little envious of the personalized attention they were receiving.
I suppose economics is another factor in the journeys that everyone takes. We're living a priviledged life in hotels and with our luggage moved along the way. I am really in awe of, and impressed by, those who walk the Camino from one end to another. On the train from Paris were a man and his son from Kingston, Ontario. They were prepared to leave the same morning that we did from St. Jean Pied de Port. Their plan was to walk for forty five days. We were committed to sixteen. It's a huge undertaking to carry your belongs on your back. To get up and walk 20-25-30 kilometers each day for roughly 800 kilometers over mountain passes, through plains without certainty (as many do) as to where you will find a bed each night.
For most of our journey we've crossed paths almost daily with another couple who are cycling the Camino. They stand out on their Bike Fridays (a folding bicycle with smaller wheels). We've seen them in passing and finally a couple of days ago our paths crossed at the same time. They are from Oregon, which is nice as we share a somewhat common language. Yesterday, about an hour after we'd completed our days ride they arrived at the hotel where we were staying. It was full, and a few minutes later they came to tell us that they'd need to continue to the next town down the road - there was no room in the inn; all the albergues and hotels in O Cebriero were full for the night.
The riding has been a real mixed bag the last couple of days. From Astorga to Ponferrada, and Ponferrada to O Cebreiro, there were significant mountain climbs. While Astorga to Ponferrada seemed managable, the climb was still big. 15 kilometers from about 850 Meters to 1504 Meters. It is the highest point on the Camino. We were prepared for the climb and it actually went relatively smoothly. It was good to get to the top, and better to ride the descent down to Ponferrada. We were left with time to explore the Templar Castle and Basilica there.
It was the next day that proved to be the most difficult. Ponferrada sits at about 450 meters above sea level. We knew that the ride included a climb from there to O Cebreiro about 55 kilometers away. The hotel clerk offered us some advice for the journey - to take the alternative route because the climb along the Camino, at the end of the day, involved slopes of up to 16 percent. The alternative route would be less demanding - perhaps 8 or 9 percent climb.
We rode quite quickly for the first two and a half hours of the trip. It was relatively flat and a little rolling. It was beautiful as we followed a river valley into the hills. The narrow gorge offered beautiful groves dotted with ancient villages. We stopped for coffee, and began to climb. For 15 kilometers, from 580 Meters to 1300 Meters, up mountainside slopes at, as the clerk of the hotel told us, 8-9-10 percent. Thank God we didn't hit 16. We reached the crossroad at the top of the pass and turned towards O Cebriero. We knew we were high in the mountains, and the Freeway we'd been following turned downwards at the crossroad. We hoped that the worst of the climb was done. It turned out not to be the case. The next 5 kilometers took another hour to ride as we climbed to the peak at 1300 Meters.
It is a beautiful small town, O Cabriero. It is a town of milk herders who for generations lived and farmed in that spot. Today it is a stop on the Camino. All the buildings in town, stone structures some of which have stood for hundreds of years, serve the 300,000 people (more or less) who pass through on their Camino journey each year. There are bars and restaurants, hotels and auberges, and a beautiful small church with a shelf covered with copies of the bible in different languages for the pilgrims to us. We stopped for the night and encountered our companions from Oregon who couldn't stop - they had to move on to find their bed for the night.
We arose this morning in the fog - thick, thick cloud surrounding the top of the mountain. We set off a little apprehensive of the traffic that would have little warning of our presence on the road with them when we met. It was a little more climbing, up and down along the top of the mountain, until the road began to descend. We coasted - 30, 40, 50 kilometers and hour down the hill. At about 1000 meters the clouds thinned, and then were above us. It was cool, 7 or 8 degrees. After an hour of riding, about 25 kilometers, we stopped for coffee and breakfast. The sun began to appear. The ride over the pass complete. The next 20 kilometers to Sarria were a mix of swearing at sore legs when climbing hills, and joyful exuberance as we flew further down the mountain. We arrived at the hotel at noon, and have treated the afternoon as a "rest day" hoping our legs will be ready for tomorrow's adventures.
The city square and Templar Castle at Ponferrada
Our experience of the Camino has been somewhat unique - although in saying that, I realize it's probably true of every single person who follows the trail. Because we are cycling we are travelling more quickly than most. We spoke a dinner last night with a man from Bilboa, Spain. He's walking and through the challenges of different language it wasn't clear that either he or we understood the conversation fully. He had a large scab on his knee, and blister on the back of his heal. I guessed that he must have been in some pain from both. Yet, this morning we'd cycled about 7 kilometers downhill before we passed him along the road. He must have rose a couple of hours earlier than we did to achieve what he'd completed before we passed.
In Sahagun we talked to Wendy and Doug over breakfast. Wendy is 76, Doug is 80. They'd begun their Camino around the 20th of May and didn't expect to complete it until the 6th of June. Comparatively, we started on the 7th of June and will complete our ride on the 23rd. We left Doug and Wendy behind as we headed out from Sahagun to Leon. They didn't expect to reach Leon until the day after we'd spent two days there.
In Astorga we encountered a group of men from South America (Brazil, mostly) riding on a tour from Burgos to Santiago. They'd caught up to us there, and left us behind when we stopped at Ponferrada. They are now that much closer to Santiago than we are. We did consider the option of mugging one of them for their kit - the cycling shirts they wore will be lovely reminders of their journey along the road, and we were a little envious of the personalized attention they were receiving.
the top...
and bottom of the climb between Astorga and Ponferrada
I suppose economics is another factor in the journeys that everyone takes. We're living a priviledged life in hotels and with our luggage moved along the way. I am really in awe of, and impressed by, those who walk the Camino from one end to another. On the train from Paris were a man and his son from Kingston, Ontario. They were prepared to leave the same morning that we did from St. Jean Pied de Port. Their plan was to walk for forty five days. We were committed to sixteen. It's a huge undertaking to carry your belongs on your back. To get up and walk 20-25-30 kilometers each day for roughly 800 kilometers over mountain passes, through plains without certainty (as many do) as to where you will find a bed each night.
For most of our journey we've crossed paths almost daily with another couple who are cycling the Camino. They stand out on their Bike Fridays (a folding bicycle with smaller wheels). We've seen them in passing and finally a couple of days ago our paths crossed at the same time. They are from Oregon, which is nice as we share a somewhat common language. Yesterday, about an hour after we'd completed our days ride they arrived at the hotel where we were staying. It was full, and a few minutes later they came to tell us that they'd need to continue to the next town down the road - there was no room in the inn; all the albergues and hotels in O Cebriero were full for the night.
The view at O Cabreiro
The riding has been a real mixed bag the last couple of days. From Astorga to Ponferrada, and Ponferrada to O Cebreiro, there were significant mountain climbs. While Astorga to Ponferrada seemed managable, the climb was still big. 15 kilometers from about 850 Meters to 1504 Meters. It is the highest point on the Camino. We were prepared for the climb and it actually went relatively smoothly. It was good to get to the top, and better to ride the descent down to Ponferrada. We were left with time to explore the Templar Castle and Basilica there.
It was the next day that proved to be the most difficult. Ponferrada sits at about 450 meters above sea level. We knew that the ride included a climb from there to O Cebreiro about 55 kilometers away. The hotel clerk offered us some advice for the journey - to take the alternative route because the climb along the Camino, at the end of the day, involved slopes of up to 16 percent. The alternative route would be less demanding - perhaps 8 or 9 percent climb.
We rode quite quickly for the first two and a half hours of the trip. It was relatively flat and a little rolling. It was beautiful as we followed a river valley into the hills. The narrow gorge offered beautiful groves dotted with ancient villages. We stopped for coffee, and began to climb. For 15 kilometers, from 580 Meters to 1300 Meters, up mountainside slopes at, as the clerk of the hotel told us, 8-9-10 percent. Thank God we didn't hit 16. We reached the crossroad at the top of the pass and turned towards O Cebriero. We knew we were high in the mountains, and the Freeway we'd been following turned downwards at the crossroad. We hoped that the worst of the climb was done. It turned out not to be the case. The next 5 kilometers took another hour to ride as we climbed to the peak at 1300 Meters.
It is a beautiful small town, O Cabriero. It is a town of milk herders who for generations lived and farmed in that spot. Today it is a stop on the Camino. All the buildings in town, stone structures some of which have stood for hundreds of years, serve the 300,000 people (more or less) who pass through on their Camino journey each year. There are bars and restaurants, hotels and auberges, and a beautiful small church with a shelf covered with copies of the bible in different languages for the pilgrims to us. We stopped for the night and encountered our companions from Oregon who couldn't stop - they had to move on to find their bed for the night.
starting out this morning
our coffee stop
We arose this morning in the fog - thick, thick cloud surrounding the top of the mountain. We set off a little apprehensive of the traffic that would have little warning of our presence on the road with them when we met. It was a little more climbing, up and down along the top of the mountain, until the road began to descend. We coasted - 30, 40, 50 kilometers and hour down the hill. At about 1000 meters the clouds thinned, and then were above us. It was cool, 7 or 8 degrees. After an hour of riding, about 25 kilometers, we stopped for coffee and breakfast. The sun began to appear. The ride over the pass complete. The next 20 kilometers to Sarria were a mix of swearing at sore legs when climbing hills, and joyful exuberance as we flew further down the mountain. We arrived at the hotel at noon, and have treated the afternoon as a "rest day" hoping our legs will be ready for tomorrow's adventures.
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