Made it to Leon yesterday - we left ourselves a short 19kms to get here but it seemed to take forever ! Particularly hot walking conditions of 35 degrees and we had a long morning tea stop chatting to an American from Texas who has a vitamin/healthfood company. Kathleen got paranoid as she thought he might want to introduce us to some sort of Amway scheme ! Anyway we followed him to a pensione in town but after a sleep he told us he was leaving because he had been bitten by bedbugs ! Bedbugs top Amway in Kathleen´s list of paranoias so we were out of there pronto ! Even got our money back ! So we set off to the local convent hostal for the night. It was nice but we earnt our indulgences ! Attended vespers with the nuns, went to Mass - which ended up not being a Mass - even tho a priest was in attendance - more a paraliturgy, then went to Compline and a pilgrim´s blessing ! Today we went off to the Tourist office and they suggested a couple of pensiones and cheap hotels. So we have found a nice one and Kathleen is just this moment exorcising the bedbug demons by washing all of our remaining clothes !
Visited Leon cathedral (attended 9am mass) and San Isodora Church this morning. Gabe and Mads found a Burger King but it didn´t open til this afternoon ! Will sit down now and plan out the rest of the itinerary - only 12-14 days to go !
PS : re-encountered Rick Steve (or his doppleganger) today and he chatted away happily to us- so there was obviously no permanent damage - unless it was amnesia ......
300km and you will be in Santiago! Great stuff guys! 35 degrees is a bit hard to imagine from here. Bit cloudy and drizzly this evening and temperature is comparatively warm at 3 degrees!!! You certainly have been having it warmer than I got it. I loved the big books in San Isadora that the monks sang the Gregorian Chant from. Looking forward to following your last fortnight walking. Hope those bedbugs don't bite!
ReplyDeleteI´d rather be in this heat than 3 degrees! We´ve been incorporating your albergue suggestions into our planned schedule for the next stretch, so if you have any other favourites between Leon and Santiago, let us know!
ReplyDeleteThis one might be too late, but if you get as far as San Martin del Camino in that heat tomorrow, go to the private Ana albergue (not the first one you get to on the edge of town.) My friends stayed there and loved it.
ReplyDeleteA place I absolutely loved- I would even ring ahead and book when you get closer, is "Don Alvaro" in Sarria. Keep climbing when you reach the hill..... it is quite high up... It had a lovely garden, sundeck chairs on a terrace!!! Free internet. Wonderful shower rooms. I could have stayed there relaxing for days in other circumstances.
O'Cebreiro- I had gorgeous weather- and one of my favourite memories was spending the long afternoon enjoying the views. Only cheap option I think is the Xunta albergue where I stayed.
After Sarria the albergues filled up more so we stayed in some smaller places off the main 'end points'. Lestedo we enjoyed some good company in a small albergue behind the cafe A Calzada. Brea we stayed in a pension- not the cheapest place but did a good meal, and we would have had a long walk if we hadn't stopped there as we heard next day that many albergues around Santa Irene were full early on.
Love to all, Margaret
Oops sorry one I forgot. Depending on where you end up staying beforehand, Trabedelo might be worth considering. (It was too hot and I couldn't face 7 more kms to Vega de Valcarce.) It was a municipal village albergue, with smaller rooms, and was kept absolutely immaculate by the local woman in charge of it. Lovely showers, great laundry facilities, and the night I was there, hardly anyone else stayed there and I had an 8 bed room to myself!!! Good restaurants for the truckies nearby.
ReplyDeletePortomarin.... there are a couple of private albergues straight ahead when you climb up the stairs. Municipal albergue was roundly denounced by all as being a crowded furnace, so look for a private option!
ReplyDeleteyes ..go private albergue in Portomarin, the Municipal one is horrid!! new building, but when it is full, they put the extra people in the old dirty filthy building..im sure bed bugs would be there by now!!!..
ReplyDeleteAmway talk and bedbugs..keeping us laughing!!! AHH!! Burger King!! I do remember getting a meal deal in Burgos!
enjoy your last few weeks, hope your 2 children are enjoying the Camino.
Cheers
hey kathleen
ReplyDeleteit is good to hear you are enjoying yourself. we just had MMM tonight it was great especially spending the whole weekend up the mountian where the temp got no warmer than about 1 degrees. the time has gone by so quickly u will be back soon.
god bless