We ate breakfast (included) at Hostal Burbia: coffee/hot chocolate; 2 orange juice; tostadas with sliced tomatoes and oil. We took small pastries to eat later.
We departed at 9:30. Although we had seen paved walking paths down below our room on both sides of the Río Burbia, we had seen that those would pass under the other bridge (Puente río Burbia) where the Camino route crossed the river. So we walked on higher streets, to the right (south) from Hostal Burbia on Calle Fuente Cubero until it merged into Calle Viaducto, from which we turned right to follow the Camino route over the river on the way out of town.
9:26 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo: Hostal Burbia - view of Río Burbia with riverside paved walking paths on both sides and bridge where we had re-crossed the river to find the hostal (and part of Plaza de la Xirula, where we had witnessed the giant paella the night before, at right) from our room.
9:26 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo: Hostal Burbia – view of Río Burbia, with riverside paved walking path, in other direction (toward the bridge where the Camino crossed), from our room.
MT 9:32 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo – the higher street we took toward the Puente río Burbia bridge; riverside paved walking path below; near end of bridge at far left and far end behind speed limit sign (tan building with balconies on far side of river is Bar Burbia).
MT 9:33 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo – approaching old bridge (Puente río Burbia) over Río Burbia.
9:33 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo – MT, by conch shell on railing, taking photo of old bridge.
9:33 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo – closer view of old bridge where Camino would cross on way out of town; MT by railing with conch shell motif (telephoto, 46 mm).
MT 9:35 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo – MT with pilgrim statue at near end of bridge.
9:35 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo – pilgrim statue on near end of old bridge for Camino (Castillo Palacio de los Templarios in background).
9:36 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo – view of Río Burbia from pilgrim bridge, back toward Hostal Burbia (out of sight around river bend, on right side of river); building at far left has signs on 2nd balcony identifying it as Bar Burbia.
MT 9:40 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo – yellow arrow on metal plate in sidewalk.
MT 9:41 AM – Villafranca del Bierzo – pilgrim plaque and yellow arrow on house.
After Villafranca del Bierzo, there are 3 possible routes. The route we chose was the shortest, following the valley of Río Valcarce, mostly along the N-VI highway but passing through several villages along the way. As we left town, at first we followed a minor highway that led to the national highway N-VI.
The valley is steep sided (Valcarce is from Latin: Vallis Carceras = narrow valley) and heavily wooded. This valley mirrors the struggle between the cultures of the lowlands and the highlands and between León and Galicia. Although the Camino does not officially enter Galicia until just before O’Cebreiro, the atmosphere, topography, and weather all seem to change in this valley. Once past Villafranca del Bierzo, the village architecture and culture are Galician.
MT 9:48 AM – After Villafranca del Bierzo – pilgrims on narrow shoulder of highway (not yet N-VI here).
9:50 AM – After Villafranca del Bierzo – view down valley back into city, from minor highway to W.
9:50 AM – After Villafranca del Bierzo – back side of Castillo Palacio de los Marqueses from minor highway W of city (telephoto, 360 mm).
9:53 AM – After Villafranca del Bierzo –gardens between highway and Río Valcarce.
9:53 AM – After Villafranca del Bierzo – more gardens between highway and Río Valcarce – one with red peppers.
Once we reached the N-VI highway, there were concrete barriers separating the paved pedestrian walkway from the traffic. Since the completion of the A-6 autopista (4-lane motorway), there is less traffic on the N-VI, but it is still a noisy thoroughfare.
10:01 AM – After Villafranca del Bierzo – MT and other pilgrims on paved path across barrier from N-VI highway.
10:09 AM – After Villafranca del Bierzo – MT and other pilgrims on paved path across barrier from N-VI highway.
We followed the N-VI highway, even past Pereje (Perexe) (pop 59), missing most of that village since we had not wanted to cross over the busy highway.
10:41 AM – Pereje: old building with long wooden balcony on far end of town, at point where the alternate route through town rejoined N-VI.
The village of Pereje is still in the comarca of El Bierzo in the Province of León. It is a traditional stop on the Camino de Santiago. In its day it had a pilgrim hospital, and the Iglesia de Santa María Magdalena is also of pilgrim influence. The original main street of Pereje is called Camino Santiago, witnessing to its pilgrim focus in earlier times.
The administration of Pereje was the cause of a long dispute between the establishments of Villafranca and O’Cebreiro, taking both the monarchy and the papacy to resolve. In 1118, Doña Urraca donated the pilgrim hospital of Pereje to the monastery of O’Cebreiro. (She charged it with helping pilgrims, which it did until Mendrizábal’s desamortización [confiscation] of monastic properties in 1835.) This hospital was very beneficial for pilgrims who could not climb to O'Cebreiro in times of snow.
Later there was a lengthy lawsuit between O’Cebreiro, which owned the hospital, and the Cluniac monks of Villafranca, who owned the town. Because King Alfonso IX of León did not have full jurisdiction over a matter of ecclesiastical property, the bishops of Astorga, Compostela, and Lugo handled the case. Their decision was appealed to the abbot of Samos. When he threw up his hands, the case went to Pope Urban II, who settled in favor of O’Cebreiro.
That dispute was part of the centuries-old struggle between León and Galicia for influence in this area. Today, the ongoing struggle of the cultures of León and Galicia is reflected in the fact that the locals have hand-painted city limit signs to change the spelling of the town’s name from the Leonese version Pereje to the Galician spelling Perexe.
10:46 AM – Pereje: end of city limit sign, with local correction to “Perexe.”
11:14 AM – Pereje: MT on paved path across barrier from N-VI highway at one of the many points where it crossed under the A-6 autopista (4-lane highway); MT has left her walking poles behind in order to take a photo of the pilgrim crossing sign on other side of road.
11:14 AM – Pereje: pilgrim crossing sign under A-6 overpass on N-VI.
11:14 AM – Pereje: close-up of pilgrim crossing sign (cropped).
So we took the off-highway option to Trabadelo (pop 633) for a bar and baño break 11:35-12:00.
MT 11:18 AM – Trabadelo: Don with Camino sign for entering Trabadelo.
Trabadelo is a village and municipality in the comarca (region) of El Bierzo in the Province of León. However, it is one of the Galician-speaking municipalities of Castilla y León.
Its origins date back to Roman times and the gold mines in the area. Once known as Travadelo, it was under the jurisdiction of the Castillo de Sarracín. In 895, King Alfonso III gave this town to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and it was repopulated by the Archbishop of Santiago and King Alfonso II of León. The king later donated the town to the Archdiocese of Compostela, to which it belonged until the mid-19th century. So, an uneasy peace existed here with other centers of administration. After Alfonso VI, King of León (ruled 1065-1109) and Castilla (ruled 1072-1109), abolished the tolls previously collected by local nobles, the hills above Trabadelo were a base for outlaws to exact their own “tolls” on innocent pilgrims. In the 16th century, there was a chapel dedicated to San Lazaro [Lazarus] and next to it, in all probability, a pilgrim hospital. There is little left of the town except a few stone houses, some ancient hórreos (corncribs), and the Iglesia de San Nicolás.
11:30 AM – Entering Trabadelo: stacked lumber near sawmill on narrow road; men were loading lumber on truck.
11:56 AM - Trabadelo: MT on narrow street.
As we were about to leave the town, Don turned back up a narrow street to see the old church, Iglesia de San Nicolás.
From as early as the 9th century, the Iglesia Parroquial de San Nicolás in Trabadelo was under the protection of the cathedral in Santiago. The church belfry dates from the 17th century, as does the Baroque altarpiece. The church houses a small image of the Virgin and Child from the 13th or 14th century.
11:59 AM – Trabadelo: Iglesia de San Nicolás at end of narrow Calle de la Iglesia.
11:59 AM – Trabadelo: Iglesia de San Nicolás – façade and belfry.
11:57 AM – Trabadelo: Iglesia de San Nicolás – back of belfry with “porch” with another bell on side (from Camino route).
12:42 PM – After Trabadelo: sheep and goats.
We arrived at La Portela de Valcarce (pop 47) around 2:49.
The small village of La Portela de Valcarce (A Portela de Valcarce in Galician) also reflects the shift toward Galician culture. During the feudal period, the nobles demanded a toll payment (a tax for passing through) to all travelers wishing to enter Galicia (including pilgrims). It is believed that the name of the village derives from this toll, abolished in the early 12th century by Alfonso VI, King of León (ruled 1065-1109) and Castilla (ruled 1072-1109).* However, the feudal lords continued collecting it until more than a century later. Portela means “gap” in Spanish and “passage” in Galician.
*Other sources say it was abolished by Alfonso VI in 1702, but did not disappear until years later.
12:49 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: approaching Hotel Valcarce.
On the near edge of town, we came to the 3-star Hotel Valcarce (where we stayed last year). This hotel and restaurant is primarily a truck stop before braving the mountain pass (Puerto de Piedrafita), doorway into Galicia. As we entered the parking lot for the hotel, a sign said cherries for sale, which we didn’t believe, since they were out of season. There was still a fruit stand in a tent in front of the hotel, but he only had other fruits.
12:51 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: sign “Se venden cerezas” [Cherries for sale] as we entered the hotel parking lot.
12:52 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: MT crossing the hotel parking lot to check out the “Cooperativa Valle del Valcarce” fruit stand.
MT 1:03 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: MT with “La Portela” city limit sign, stone Camino marker (shell symbol at top and painted yellow arrow at bottom), and arrow-shaped Camino sign (with shell).
1:05 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: Santiago Apóstol pilgrim statue, near hotel; MT’s walking poles.
1:05 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: Santiago Apóstol pilgrim statue – plaque reads: “Junta Vecinal de La Portela - Apóstol Santiago - Camino de Santiago - Día 10-5-2003.”
MT 1:06 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: MT with Santiago Apóstol pilgrim statue – base of statue says “La Portela.”
MT 1:05 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: Santiago Apóstol pilgrim statue – left end of plaque below statue: 190 km to Santiago, with beginning of “Buen Camino, Peregrino.”
MT 1:05 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: Santiago Apóstol pilgrim statue – right end of plaque below statue: 559 km to Roncesvalles, with end of “Buen Camino, Peregrino” and date 10-5-2003.
1:08 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: MT with “mom and pop” statues we had seen and would see in many places – plaque below the man is for “Parque Publico de La Portela.”
We stopped at Iglesia de San Juan Bautista.
1:11 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: Iglesia de San Juan Bautista - apse and back of belfry.
The Baroque Iglesia de San Juan Bautista [Church of St. John the Baptist] was built in the 17th-18th centuries and remodeled on its front with a espadaña (bell gable) with three bells. Highlights of the interior are the altarpiece, with the central figure of San Juan Bautista, and the baptismal font.
1:11 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: Iglesia de San Juan Bautista – façade, entrance and belfry.
1:14 PM – La Portela de Valcarce: Iglesia de San Juan Bautista – view from rear to main altar (John the Baptist in center, pieta on left).
The 17th-century altarpiece is presided over by the figure of San Juan Bautista in the center. It also has figures of Santa Bárbara, Virgen del Rosario and (top right) San Francisco.
After La Portela de Valcarce, we finally left the N-VI. (We now had 4 days of walking before we rejoined the national highway network at Palas de Rei with N-547.)
Next, we came to Ambasmestas (pop 82) around 1:30.
The ríos Balboa and Valcarce join here to give the village its name aguas mestas (mixed waters), which evolved into Ambasmestas.
1:30 PM – Ambasmestas: A-6 flyover (overpass).
1:31 PM – Ambasmestas: Iglesia de San Pedro – entrance with porch and belfry; sign on post: Ambasmestas – se sellan credenciales” [credentials are stamped].
The Romanesque Iglesia de San Pedro has a belfry on the apse, with two semicircular recesses for bells. In the interior of the apse is an altarpiece of popular Baroque style.
At 1:38, we reached Vega de Valcarce (pop 805).
1:38 PM – Vega de Valcarce: MT entering town; on right is city limit sign; on left is sign “Horses to Cebreiro 5 km.”
The town of Vega de Valcarce was founded in the 9th century by Count Sarracino from Astorga (not a Saracen). It is the main entrance to Galicia from Castilla y León. Already from the time of the Romans, the area was seized by criminals and bandits in order to rob travelers passing through (mostly pilgrims and merchants).
In this small village, we found a Santander Bank ATM and got needed cash. (Brierley said this was the last ATM before Triacastela, but the machine was removed 2 years ago—thankfully, it was back in operation.)
1:40 PM – Vega de Valcarce: MT on road into town; A-6 overpass.
Shortly after leaving Vega de Valcarce, we saw the Castillo de Sarracín.
2:04 PM – After Vega de Valcarce: Castillo de Sarracín on hill.
The Castillo de Sarracín may have been built on an Iron Age settlement. The first castle located here was destroyed by the Muslim invaders in 714. Its reconstruction would start in the 9th century, after the Reconquista.
The Muslim invasion had plunged El Bierzo into a serious demographic and economic crisis, until around 850, when King Ordoño I of Asturias (ca. 821-866, ruled 850-866) commissioned his brother* Count Gatón (836-866) with the reconquest and repopulation of the region. Starting from the northwest of El Bierzo, Count Gatón launched several military expeditions in order to regain control of El Bierzo as well as most of León and Zamora. Then he was responsible for the repopulation of these regions, as well as of Astorga in 854.
*There is no solid evidence that King Ramiro I had children other than Ordoño. However, Ramiro also may have been the father of Gatón, Count of Astorga and El Bierzo, since a 14th-century chronicle states that Gatón was the “hermano” [brother] of Ordoño I de Asturias. Some genealogical sources say Count Gatón was Ordoño’s brother-in-law, the brother of Ordoño’s wife, Doña Munia Domna.
There are several theories about this reconstruction of this castle: It was probably built around 850, during the reign of King Ordoño I, by his brother Count Gatón del Bierzo y Astorga, who named it after his eldest son Sarracino Gatónez (853-878), Lord of Sarracín, who succeeded his father as Count of El Bierzo and Astorga. (So the name has nothing to do with a Saracen.) If it was built by Sarracino himself, that would put its construction between 852 and 885 [?]. Count Sarracino also founded the town of Vega de Valcarce.
The castle was built to guard the route through the valley and to control the bandit problem that existed here in medieval times. It was later occupied by the Knights Templar. With the dissolution of the Templar order (1312), it was given to the families of Valcarce and Osorio, who resisted the attacks of a popular rebellion of the Irmandiños that occurred in Galicia. In the 14th century, it belonged to the Marqueses de Villafranca, who rebuilt it. In 1486, the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella stayed overnight in this castle, which then belonged to Doña Juana Osorio, Countess of Villafranca. In 1519, Carlos I spent a night there on his way to Germany to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor (as Carlos or Charles V). It is now a ruin dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.
2:24 PM – Near Ruitelán: double overpass of A-6 on 2 levels; Ruitelán is just around the corner.
Around 2:25, we reached Ruitelán (pop 31).
The small hamlet of Ruitelán is located near the ancient Roman town of Autharis or Uttaris, in the Sierra de Ancares mountains. On the outskirts of the village is the famous shrine of San Froilán (833-905), next to a small cave to which the saint (Bishop of León and later patron of Lugo) withdrew when he came from his native Lugo in the 9th century,
2:27 PM – Ruitelán: MT entering town; city limit sign on right; double overpass of A-6 ahead.
After Ruitelán, we crossed the Puente Romano Las Herrerías over the río Valcarce on the way into Las Herrerías.
Las Herrerías: Roman Bridge and Rio Valcarce (www.wikiloc.com at http://s1.wklcdn.com/image_44/1348723/13114882/8085499.jpg).
Puente
Romano Las Herrerías
[Roman Bridge Las Herrerías] is a small bridge with a single span, located on
the river Valcarce entering the town of Las Herrerías. Although of Roman
tradition, it was built in the 15th century. It is made of roughly carved slate
masonry and is constituted of one very open and slightly pointed vault
approximately 9.5 m long and 4 m wide. It has no parapet {stone
railing},
with the vault being tangent to the ground behind it, and its surface has been
asphalted. It is used as a passageway on the local walking path on the
Valcarce.
At 2:45, we arrived in the outskirts of Las Herrerías (pop 94).
MT 2:45 PM – Las Herrerías: Don at “Las Herrerías” city limit sign (although it was several minutes before we actually entered town).
The village of Las Herrerías (aka Las Herrerías del Valcarce, aka Las Ferrerías) gets its name (alternate spelling Ferrerías; ferrería = ironworks, foundry) from the iron foundry that was formerly there. (Other sources say the name comes from four herrerías [forges, blacksmith shops] located there that worked the iron and other metals from nearby mines.) The village meanders along the river. The fountain by the river was known as Fuente de Quinoñes, linking it with the chivalrous knight who defended the Puente de Orbigo. The last houses at the far (west) edge of town were called Hospital Inglés in line with a Papal Bull of 1178 that mentioned a “hospital of the English.” At that location were also a chapel and cemetery where pilgrims who had died were buried (the buildings are no longer discernable).
In the 11th and 12th centuries, pilgrimages brought a flood of people from all over Europe. In 1122, the first Holy Year was established. Historical records only say that this hospital was founded “when the pilgrimages began” and that its founder was French. The oldest church of this population center has documentary evidence in the Papal Bull of Alexander III in 1178, which confirms properties belonging to the church of Santiago, among which are “In Valle Carceris hospitale quod dicitur Anglorum cum ecclesia sua et aliam ecclesiam que ipsi ex eadem parte superiacet et villas de Tabladello et de Parata” [In Valle Carceris {Valcarce} is a hospital that is called ‘of the English’ with its church …]. The Capilla de Santiago de Hospital Inglés [Chapel of Santiago of the English Hospital] was built around the middle of the 12th century. However, the hospital declined with the decline of pilgrimages from England in the 14th century, and by the 15th century the chapel also declined. During the 18th century, the chapel was used as a place of confinement for persons to be executed, and troops who spent the night there left the chapel filled with filth. At that time, the hospital was used as a warehouse and as a place to collect cattle of the villagers and also that of travelers. In 1809, French troops set fire to the chapel, leaving it useless, and by 1845 only the ruins of the hospital remained.
2:50 PM – Las Herrerías: MT on road into town; Camino marker with conch shell and yellow arrow directed us to turn down left off main road (another yellow arrow on utility pole at far left); next sign pointed toward “La Faba” (3 km past Las Herrerías); blue sign with “i” for information and conch shell; white arrow points into “As Ferrerias” (the L of “Las” is painted over to agree with local (Galician) dialect; next building on right was El Capricho de Josana.
We passed Centro de Turismo Rural (CTR) Paraiso del Bierzo [double room would have been 58€ including breakfast] and went 0.2 km farther to CTR El Capricho de Josana, which was “complete” (full) [double room would have been 51€ or 65€ with breakfast], but the lady said to try another place farther into town. (The British Eddie Murphy, whom we met near Atapuerca, had recommended both places, one for eating and one for sleeping.)
Then, around 3 pm, on the far end of Las Herrerías, we saw a place with a simple sign for “Caballos” [horses], which was what we had seen advertised twice as having “Horses to Cebreiro 5 km.” The owner was in the process of putting his horses away; a sign on the wall indicated the normal departure times were 9:30 and 1:30. Two Spanish-speaking ladies from Colombia we had met before (one, Gloria, now lived in Cincinnati, formerly in Overland Park, KS) were trying to arrange another trip. It was getting late, and the weather looked threatening. The owner, Victor, finally said he could only take us to La Laguna de Castilla, 2 km short of O’Cebreiro (where the 2 ladies had reservations at Casa Corolo). However, he charged his normal rate of 30€ each. It took half an hour (after that) to get the horses ready, and we departed around 4 pm. We rode for 2 hours, partly in the rain (it normally took 2 hours all the way to O’Cebreiro). Victor had to keep twisting the tail of MT’s horse (named Paulita) to keep it going in the right direction, or going at all. Don’s horse was called Morita (a kind of berry). We started our steep ascent through woodland, mostly castaños (chestnut trees), on a rocky path (slippery when wet). The climb from Las Herrerías to La Laguna (and on to O’Cebreiro) is one of the steepest on the whole Camino.
3:03 PM – Las Herrerías: MT and Colombian ladies (Gloria visible) at horse rental place; Victor preparing white horse for one Colombian lady; Gloria’s grey horse in background.
3:19 PM – Las Herrerías: white horse for one Colombian lady; Gloria’s grey horse in background.
MT 3:10 PM – Las Herrerías: Victor with white and grey horses for Colombian ladies.
MT 3:45 PM – Las Herrerías: Victor gave everyone an equestrian helmet to wear; Don’s initially sat too high (this photo) until Victor adjusted the headband inside; Don had shortened his walking poles for the ride and stowed camera under front of rain jacket (Gloria’s friend on white horse in background); the sign in background is for “Calera” [lime kiln], the ruins of which may be behind the sign.
MT 3:46 PM – Las Herrerías: MT with her helmet; the piece of wood by walking poles was what Victor used when tightening the cinch of the saddle.
MT 3:48 PM – Las Herrerías: Victor with white horse (Paulita) for MT, black horse (Morita) for Don.
4:00 PM – Las Herrerías: MT mounted on her horse.
At La Faba (pop 50), Victor had us stop under some trees to get (horses) out of the rain. At this point, Don was able to get his camera out and take his first photos. Then MT’s horse decided to wander off and Victor had to coerce it back to the group.
The name La Faba evolved from the Andalusian (Moorish) al fawara, meaning abundant spring and replaced the local term Villaux after about 3 centuries of coexistence of both names. By 1252 official documents used La Faba. Under the current cemetery, there may have been the remains of a Mozarabic first church dedicated to St. Andrew. The first mentions of it date back to 1178. The current church was built in the 17th century because the previous one was in such poor condition. The small Iglesia de San Andrés [Church of St. Andrew] is the last parish in the Diocese of Astorga.
4:45 PM – La Faba: MT on horse under trees.
4:45 PM – La Faba: MT’s horse decided to wander off.
4:47 PM – La Faba: Victor bringing MT’s horse back to group.
4:48 PM – La Faba: MT on her settled-down horse.
After La Faba, we continued upward on a path lined with chestnut trees, with splendid views back over the Valcarce valley.
Once back on the trail, Don’s photos were unfortunately always from the rear of the group, and from the back of a moving horse. Victor often had to twist MT’s horse’s tail to keep Paulita going.
5:01 PM – After La Faba: MT and Victor between 2 Colombian ladies.
5:01 PM – After La Faba: MT and Victor between 2 Colombian ladies.
5:01 PM – After La Faba: MT and 2 Colombian ladies with Victor.
5:02 PM – After La Faba: MT and Victor (twisting tail of MT’s horse) between 2 Colombian ladies.
At one point, we passed another pilgrim, Gabor Bauer from Hungary, walking on the path, and he took photos of us. It turned out that he was also staying at La Laguna, and we were able to exchange email addresses so he could send us his photos (which we forwarded to Gloria).
5:03 PM – After La Faba: Gloria, followed by MT with Victor, other Colombian lady; Don barely visible in rear (gabor bauer).
5:03 PM – After La Faba: MT, Victor, and 2nd Colombian lady; Don in rear (gabor bauer).
5:03 PM – After La Faba: Don bringing up the rear (gabor bauer).
5:12 PM – After La Faba: MT with Victor (twisting horse’s tail) and 2nd Colombian lady.
5:13 PM – After La Faba: MT and 2nd Colombian lady; although Don has caught up, we seem to be lagging behind Gloria (La Laguna in distance).
5:14 PM – After La Faba: cows grazing on mountainside along path.
5:19 PM – After La Faba: small purple flowers along path.
We arrived at La Laguna de Castilla (pop 28) around 5:30.
5:26 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: MT and 2nd Colombian lady on horses, approaching La Laguna (Gloria and pilgrims on foot ahead, yellow arrow on pole at right).
La Laguna de Castilla is the last town in Castilla [y León] before entering Galicia; the border is marked by an inscribed concrete post a few hundred meters to the west. However, this village is Galician to its core. Although we were still—barely—in Castilla y León, a farmyard in the town has a functional Galician palloza, built in the round with a straw roof. Here, one can also see three 19th-century hórreos (corncribs). An enormous hórreo is of a style peculiar to these mountains: large and square, resting on crisscrossed wooden beams, and with a thatched roof similar to the Celtic-style houses. (See Appendix B of this blog for more on hórreos.)
La Laguna de Castilla is known as the “town of two lies,” since it has no lagoon and is not at all like the Castilian landscape. The name actually originated from the Celtic word Aghun/aghuna, meaning you do not already have it clear. The same Mozarabic settlers who imposed the name Al-farawa (La Faba) on Villaux also added to this word the Andalusian article al to make al-aghuna, which over time was transformed into “La Laguna.” The “Castilla” part of the name is just a way of differentiating this town from Laguna de Tablas, which is on the other side of O’Cebreiro.
Victor had called ahead to Albergue “A Escuela” [The School], which he recommended, and told them we needed a double room con baño (the other 2 ladies were walking on to O’Cebreiro). When we arrived, the owner showed us a room with 5 beds (2 bunk beds and one single) and gave us the key to the bathroom next door (for our use only). We got sellos there: “Bar-Albergue Escuela” with picture of round palloza.
5:26 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: 2nd Colombian lady and MT approaching Bar Albergue “A Escuela” (on right); Gloria already at stopping point across from albergue; pilgrims on foot in between; yellow arrow at end of stone wall at lower right.
5:26 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: 2nd Colombian lady and MT approaching Bar Albergue “A Escuela” (on right); Gloria and Victor already at stopping point across from albergue; pilgrim(s) on foot in between; another yellow arrow at end of short stone wall in front of albergue.
5:31 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: MT still on horse at stopping point.
5:31 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: MT starting to dismount with Victor’s help.
5:31 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: MT almost dismounted.
5:33 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: Don’s horse after Don dismounted.
5:58 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: Don’s and MT’s horses tethered with others across from albergue (taken from albergue window).
Wednesday, September 17, 2014, 8:23 AM – La Laguna de Castilla: Bar-Albergue A Escuela exterior.
We ate the 10€ menu in the A Escuela restaurant (Victor said people came from all around to eat there, and we thought it was really good): 1st course: MT lentejas [lentil soup (with other vegetables, too)]/Don espaguetis [spaghetti]; 2nd course: both had ternera guisada [veal stew] with salad (vice fries); dessert: MT local cow cheese with marmalade/Don tarta de Santiago; bottle of Bierzo wine; bread; agua del grifo [tap water]. In the dining room, we met 4 Irish ladies, one man from Scotland, and a couple from Finland (not the same ones we had seen earlier). We paid cash for the room (35€) and dinner (2 x 10€), for total of 55€. The price of our “double room” was probably the same as the albergue price (7€ per bed) for all 5 beds.
6:10 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: Bar-Albergue A Escuela – Bierzo wine, MT’s lentil soup, and Don’s spaghetti.
7:42 PM – La Laguna de Castilla: Bar-Albergue A Escuela - 10€ menú del día.
This night, we were in the mountains with sheep, and it was rainy and cold.
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