Klusters Turn

In keeping with tradition, somewhere along the path to Triacastela, Kluster left us to go play with his model aircraft. We assumed that he was going to walk back to the air-field posted in the blog earlier.
As we said goodbye to Kluster, the clouds came over, the skies darkened and it started to lightly rain.
There was a pronounced silence as we completed the walk to Triacastela, not just trying to keep the cow-pat smell from our lungs....(TL).

Buen viajes Kluster :-(

O Cebreio To Triacastela

Launching out of the blocks at 07:30 for a walk down the hill, we were continually disappointed with up, down, more up, more up and down. We thought O Cebreiro was as up was we were going to be, but as it turns out, we had to climb some 100m further, but wait, not once but twice.
As we came out if the clouds, the sweet smell of cow-pats became stronger, eventually coming face to face with some of the genesis of such smells.
After the Captain started sniffing flowers in earnest, trying to dilute the cow-pat smell, but failed dismally. The yellow flowers are an anaesthetic and soon the Cap. was more dozy than usual...(TL)

Some of the locals

Funny! I can still smell cow-pats, but feeling drowzzzzzzeeeeee.....

O Cebreiro Dinner

We decided to look around for an alternative venue for dinner. As you can imagine, with only 6 or 7 buildings in town, choices were limited. After a visit to the local church to get our passports stamped and a happy-snap of the Four Amigos on the other side of town, we ended-up in a place run by an Italian couple. Pasta, chicken and mixed grill filled our stomaches...not forgetting the chips, with vino de casa taking-up the gaps between and off to the hotel for an early start to Triacastela (Three Castles)....(TL).

O Cebreiro Arrival

Arriving in O Cebreiro, we checked into our rooms and went to the restaurant, to replenish the lost fluid and calories. Seriously, it is amazing how dehydrated you can get walking in the cold with a poncho on, sweating. It is hard to determine if you are getting wet from the mist/rain or from perspiration. We all went through our water rations and more.
The hotel reception was a little cold, perhaps indicative of the freezing weather up here. Lunch was very mediocre and the highlight of the meal was the beer and the wine.
One thing about the vino de casa, is that it has always been very palatable and a great compliment to the food. Here is a happy-snap of the hotel and a view across the valley when the clouds fell low-enough to expose the mountain tops.....(TL).

The hotel on the right and shop on the left

O Cebreiro Continued....

Our climb continued into the clouds, with the scenery disappearing from view frequently, but not really relevant, whilst we had to keep a good eye on where we were putting our feet....(TL).

The View would be nice, but was often obscured by clouds

Ambasmestas To O Cebreiro

The walk to O Cebreiro was very scenic and very tough. Once we started the climb, the air was noticeably thinner and the smell of cow-pats stronger. One thing we have noticed is the more West we go, the stronger the smell of cow-manure. We were about three quarters the way up to O Cebreiro, sore legs, poncho on, poncho off, beanie on, beanie off, trying to get cool, but not wet in the clouds/mist...a very difficult task, when I heard some children ahead....unusual I thought! I assumed then that we were closer O Cebreiro than I had calculated. Instead, we came across a German family walking the Camino.....talk about stamina.
They started on March 11th from Germany and expect to finish in July and the longest day was 25km.

Three kids - a baby in the back-pack, a little girl and the oldest a boy, playing the harmonica and the father towing a trolley. Instantly our whinging ceased and we were gob-smacked by the scene ahead.....(TL humbled).

A German Family Holiday

Spanish Foibles

In my Camino PowerPoint presentation that I presented to St. Basils in October 2012 and it St. Nicholas earlier this month, I noted some Spanish quirkiness.
In particular:
...That the air-vents in Spanish taxis don't seem to work (or there is some reluctance by the driver to breathe)
...That Spanish bathrooms don't have air-vents or exhaust fans.

Well, the three taxi rides that we have had - two in Madrid and one in Astorga have rung consistently true, with me gasping for air after a few hundred metres and needing to wind the window down...my wife says I am like a dog with open windows in a car ;-)
As for the lack of ventilation in bathrooms, I was proved wrong two nights ago, with the bathroom in Acebo having a small vent to an outside wall. Tonight we are staying in a relatively new place, perhaps only a couple of years old and the bathroom has neither a vent or exhaust fan....it does have a window....which is not normal in hotels and a bonus here!
Don't get me wrong, I love Spain, there customs, their food and the people, but there are a few amusing things of note.

Tomorrow is perhaps the toughest day walking yet - only 13km, with the first 7km pretty-much on the level, but the last 6km, we climb about 760m. That is a 130m climb per km or in other terms almost 1m climb every 7.8m distance - I think those maths are roughly correct. I'm not sure how that compares to Kokoda, but I'm sure Compass will let me know in the morning.
I'll give you an update tomorrow, WIFI access assumed here, off to sleep now, buenas noches....(TL).

When You Go Out In The Woods Today.......

Near the bottom of the mountain, we came across this big black ugly ogre, with a head that looked surprisingly like Compass....or was it simply that we were all dehydrated and stressed from the walk? Either way, the Captain took charge and with Ram kept the creature at-bay, whilst TL kept the high-ground open for a hasty retreat, should things get out of hand.....(TL).

I knew these poles would come in handy sometime!

The Shot Rang-Out

Narrrr narrrrrrr narrrrr.. As the Captain lowered his gun and revealed the evidence of his misdemeanor, with dead deer on the mountain, we all stood in awe of his prowess!
Hoiking it over his shoulder, we descended into Ambasestmas to have it served for Tapas, with vino de casa!...(TL).

Hey Gringos.....

Kluster On The Rocks

About half way up the mountain, Compass spied a saying that suited our feelings for Kluster .... We wish you were here....(TL)

Our First Casualty

Over the mountain, we were all running out of water and had not had breakfast.
We were looking a bit desperate and eyeing each other off for an arm or leg for sustenance, to help us on the way, with the Dual Of The Banjos playing in our ears.
Fortunately we came to civilization before things got out of hand, although the bar was closed, it brought us back to reality.
We managed to get down the mountain without any of us popping a knee.
Towards the bottom, we were passed by this young woman RUNNING down the mountain. We had to hold Compass back, as the "rat" came out of him again and he was tempted to follow her.
Captain Fos had a blow-out on both his big toes. Here is a picture the Cap sitting on Compass's seat, applying Fixamol. Funny thing, he cut the Fixamol down the middle and then threw away the tape and proceeded to apply the backing to his toes, wondering why it would not stick to his toe!
After setting him straight, we cut some more and TL played doctor and applied the tape to his toes.
By the time we got to the hotel, he was feeling much better.....(TL)

Captain Fos with Fixamol applied correctly by TL

Media Abajo

Here is a picture of Villafranca from about half-way up the mountain...(TL)

What A Walk Today

The walk out of Villafranca came to a decision-point.
To the left a trio of mountains, up and down 400m each, taking some 20km.
Straight ahead, the path along a major road.
To the right, one mountain, approx 500m up and down over about 10km, tough going, but no road and only one mountain.
The first kilometer, we must have climbed about 300m, very tough going, what the *%#¥ had we got ourselves into. Still, Compass was like a greyhound out of a gate, or rather a rat up a drainpipe, climbing like he was on the Kokoda Track! The more seasoned of us, just plodded on....a bit like the tortoise and the hare....(TL)

Two of the "tortoises", with the third taking the photo -about 300m along the track.

Kluster Being Given a Hand (or cap in this case)

Kluster Being carried by the Dockers....(Captain Fos)

On The Road To Villafranca

Walking through the vineyards, walking in a relaxed manner....(Compass)

Standing Next To An Image Of A Peregrino

Hey! He looks Just Like Me....(Compass)

Villafranca Sleeping Arrangements

Tonight we had a double and triple room, Captain Fos, Ram in one and Compass, Kluster and TL in the triple. Here is a happy-snap of Kluster enjoying an early bed after a hard day walking....(TL)

Kluster at bedtime

Day four, Ponferrada to Villafranca

A long walk today, 26km, mostly on even ground and some roads. Nothing too challenging, except the distance. In Villafranca, after checking into Hotel San Francisco, off-into the Plaza Major for the nearest pub to replenish the lost fluids and calories. More later when the guys hand-over their photos.
And for the ladies, there may even be an action-shot or two (walking)....(TL)

A note for those wishing to comment. I believe you need a gmail account to comment....but don't quote me, so more comments please....(TL).

One for Kluster

Guess what we came-across Kluster, a model aircraft club....Spanish style.
If you zoom-in, you can see the launch racks and workbenches...(TL)

Walk to Ponferrada

Apologies for the lack of update last night...had a location with poor wireless.
The walk to Ponferrada was varied and with some tough sections, complementing the beautiful views along the 19km walk....(TL)

Quite a few kilometers of rocky and steep slopes, up and down, most with shale

In between some beautiful valleys, bursting with Spring flowers

ANZAC Day Commemoration

Compass at the Iron Cross.
LEST WE FORGET

...(Compass)

Stopping to Admire the View

Heavier  snow as we ascend

The Iron Cross

The Iron Cross is where we laid a token of significance with a prayer...(Compass)

Day 2 A Cold Start

7.30am start with temperature of 1 degree got us moving quickly to warm up our inner bodies
As we ascended we faced some light snowfall. The sun rising was a wonderful site and added some warmth to our back...(Compass)

Tokens At The Cross

We left our tokens at the iron cross (which is a tradition) and even the Proxy-Kluster enjoyed the snow....(TL)

 

About To Climb Up

Rabanal to Acebo today, 18.4Km, from 1182m to 1505m, down to 1433m and back up to 1504, all in the snow and snow/rain/drizzle. Quite an invigorating walk....(TL)

Just setting-off into the snow

In Rabanal

Our accommodation in Rabanal is named La Posada De Gaspar and is a Casa Rural style place (country house). Rooms are cosy and the heaters have come-on to dry the jocks and socks....always a good thing. It saves drying them on your backpack the next day when walking.
After a couple of beers and a few nuts, consensus was that we did not need more food after that huge lunch, so at 20:00 we decided to retire to the rooms for a hot bath and bed, probably setting a pattern for days to come....(TL)

Astorga To Rabanal Del Camino

Up at 06:00am this morning, pack and check-out. Our first day walking, 22.5km in 6 hours, a pleasant pace. We arrived in Rabanal just after 13:00, no blisters, no sore spots, but a little tired.
We checked in, did some washing and then off to the bar to replenish the lost fluids. After, we went for lunch, which consisted of pasta, soup and salad as first course and then trout, pasta, steak or pork for seconds. All washed down with a couple of bottles of vino de casa (house wine).
As it was afternoon and we are in Spain, we thought we would obey the custom of a siesta.
Getting up at 18:00, we went for a walk to get water from the local super mercado and settled into the bar for some light refreshment.
Here are a few happy-snaps of the day....(TL)

At 07:00 starting out from Astorga

Breakfast after 6km at Meson El Llar

Patatas Tortilla and Tomato Toast

Dinner In Astorga

After a hard-earned lunch of some liquid refreshment, padron peppers and chorizo con vino, we spent some time walking around Astorga and with it being a public holiday here, there were plenty of people in the main plaza, celebrating Peoples Day.
All of the shops were closed due to siesta time or the public holiday, so we visited the Gaudi Bishop's Palace and cathedral (outside only) and by the time we wandered back, quite a few of the shops were open. After stocking-up on some essentials, we went to the hotel for a break before dinner of menu del dia. This consisted of a mixed salad, beef cheeks with chips and something for dessert I can only describe as a Spanish version of Junket we had as children.
Again, there was a Kluster-in and fortunately he did not eat much so we got away without paying €9 for his meal.
After another walk to stock-up on water, we retired to our rooms and prepared for the day to come. Forecast for tomorrow is for 1 Degree to 14 max with a possibility of an afternoon shower. Hopefully we will be in Rabanal by then, after a 21km walk...(TL)

The five of us at Dunner

Madrid to Astorga

After breakfast this morning, we piled-into a taxi and set-off for Charmartin Train Station for the trip to Astorga. Very impressed with the Spanish rail system yet again. No confusion, everything labelled and easy instructions to follow. A painless journey to Astorga and the starting point of our walk.

On the train to Astorga. Note the Proxy for Kluster, sitting on his seat.

We had a stand-in for Kluster, complete with twisted leg, representing his recent woes...(TL)

Madrid Matador

Here are a couple of photos of the Matador, Compass and TL.... Not forgetting the €0.70 beers.
Captain Fos was really excited! (TL)

Que Vida.....What a life!

A very interesting afternoon. We met a matador and he literally took us for lunch. He was one of the street entertainers in the Puerta del Sol just near the hotel. For a few Euros you have your photo taken with him and we asked him for a recommendation for lunch. He took us to a great pub with beers for €0.70 each and tapas. We are sure that he got a kick-back from it, but who cares! It was a friendly service and he earned a few Euros fom us and we found a pub that we otherwise would not have found.
After a siesta, we ventured out for dinner around 6:00pm and found Plaza Major full of British football players celebrating.....assume here they won!
We stopped at a place in the square, ordered a beer and a Tapas menu and then asked to order some a Tapas and the waiter told us that they were not serving Tapas.....why on Earth did they give us a menu!!!!
So, we went for another walk and found a good place, shared a couple of paellas and chorizo, washed it down with another beer and strolled back to the hotel, with a detour into an ice cream shop. (TL)

The two "oldies" on the bus

We had a great breakfast at an all-you-can-eat place this morning for around €5
After, we crossed the road and bought some tickets for a bus tour around Madrid - €21 for us young bucks and €10 for the oldies Captain Fos and Ram. The price included two routes, the first of which we did before lunch and the second after. It was quite cold on the top floor of the bus and as you can see, we needed to rug-up to enjoy the views. It was a good way to see the highlights of central Madrid and in a few hours you could see what was worth doing and seeing. The tour has many stops along the way and allows hop-on/hop-off and with the busses running every 5 minutes or so, is a good way to get around the sites. (TL)

A Cold Selfie On The Bus Around Madrid

Today the all the training came to fruition. (Tapas and wine training to be precise).
After 12.5 hours to Doha and 7.5 hours to Madrid, we finally arrived in Spain for a two day lay-over,  before we go to Astorga to start the walk.
After wandering around Madrid for an hour or so, led by Compass and the realization that we had gone too far, we fortified ourselves with a beer, before we back-tracked to a pleasant restaraunt near Plaza Mayor for tapas and vino Tinto. We are all whacked and need a good sleep, so off to bed. More later....(TL)

Great Tapas and great wine.......we miss you already Kluster!

Man-Down!

Unfortunately Kluster's Last Stand was at the Perth Airport on Thursday.
After a day or so in hospital and doctor's orders to not fly for six-months, Kluster will no longer be walking the Camino with us.
However, he will be with us in spirit and we will deliver the tokens that he was planning to leave at the Cruz de Ferro (iron cross) which is the highest part of the the Camino Frances. This Iron Cross is just outside Manajarin - the smallest town on the Camino - consisting of a couple of buildings and the only public toilet we discovered on the Camino. (TL)

Dinner At Spanish Flavours 2/April/2014
A great training-night at Spanish Flavours Restaurant in Mount Hawthorn. Great food, great wine and great company. With all this "training", we are all SO are looking forward to putting all this training to the test, at the end of the month.
Till then, we must carry-on - as difficult as the training is :-)  (TL)

Training at Spanish Flavours Restaurant