We've crossed the halfway point of the trip. Two weeks in. No more busses--just walking from here on out. And I am super behind on posting!
Let's see...
5/26 Day 14 Rabanal to Cruz de Ferro to Molinaseca (bus) to Ponferrada - mileage 10.56 (9.7 for most students--we did a little backtracking in Molinaseca)
I'm glad a took a bunch of pictures because these days are blending together big time. We had a bit of a delayed start getting out of Rabanal because the bus that would take us to Molinaseca wouldn't arrive at Cruz de Ferro until noon, and we had a relatively short walk from Rabanal to Cruz de Ferro. Those of us that hung around the albergue had a riveting game of catch and an impromptu dance party--two of my truly favorite things. And naturally, I took no pictures of impromptu dance party (probably because I was dancing...) so here are a few shots of students in and around Albergue al Pilar.
Zennon, Alivia, Amy, Hunter, Ellie in Rabanal
The albergue entrance
Charlotte, Faith, Clara, and Sophie invited me to play cards with them.
Solid rounds of slapjack and BS :)
Solid rounds of slapjack and BS :)
Ellie, Paris, Hunter, Amy, Nicole, Tia hanging out at the albergue.
When we eventually hit the road, Jeff and I walked with students for periods of time, and then I think he and I ended up hiking just the two of us until we hit some tiny little town on a hill en route to Cruz de Ferro. It was a fabulous place to have a cup of coffee and fresh orange juice and restock emergency snack supplies. Probably 75% of the students were either already at this cafe or arrived shortly after Jeff and me, and it was just a fun, relaxed, sunshine filled morning. And some uphill walking.
Clara and Faith doing some uphill walking
One of my favorite cafe stops of the trip thus far.
Sophie, Charlotte, and Theo being excited that they're done with the hill climb.
Jack, Lily, Kimmy, Clara, and Faith waiting in line for well deserved snacks and bevvies
Lily going through the hype/trekking pole line
We made it to Cruz de Ferro around 12. From Caminoways:
"The Cruz de Ferro, or Iron Cross, is a cross on the Camino de Santiago, located between the towns of Foncebadón and Manjarín, on the Camino Frances. It consists of a wooden pole about five feet high surmounted by an iron cross, a replica of the original preserved in the Museo de Los Caminos in Astorga. At its base, a mound has been forming over the years. A legend says that when the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was being built, pilgrims were asked to contribute by bringing a stone. The tradition is to throw a stone, brought from the place of origin of the pilgrim, with his or her back to the cross to symbolize their journey."
Some folks carry rocks with them the entire route. I didn't know that was a thing until the morning of this walk (oops). I found a perfect rock on the trail to carry with me....and then left it at the cafe. Dang it. I found a suitable replacement rock somewhere along the trail after we left the cafe. Shape is more important than color to me, and this rock had wonderful sharp rectangular edges and it was very satisfying to press between my fingers as I was walking down the trail. I don't know what the rules are about disclosing what you are leaving behind, but I left behind fear.
Peregrinos leave stones at the top of Cruz de Ferro
Cruz de Ferro
Students at the top of Cruz de Ferro
The entire group at Cruz de Ferro
Before boarding the bus to Molinaseca, I experienced a betrayal most foul. Let me set the stage.
A few days ago, Jeff and I had been plotting a good natured prank against our Dean, Matt, who would be joining us on the trip for a few days. We decided that buying a bunch of clothespins and trying to get as many clothespins on Matt/his backpack without him knowing seemed appropriate and followed the Kellie Gerbers' rules of pranking:
1) No destruction of state or personal property.
2) No physical, emotional, or psychological harm.
3) Enjoyment of prank reaction must outweigh the amount of time/money it takes to set up the prank.
Well, wouldn't you know, Jeff and the students CONSPIRED AGAINST ME and when we were up taking photos at the top of Cruz de Ferro, I got got.
Betrayal most foul
Can't believe students would do me like that
After getting over my initial shock, I vowed to not rest until vengeance had been served.
We boarded the bus and drove to Molinaseca, and absolutely gorgeous little town. Students had the option to cab from there to our final destination of Ponferrada or walk. Jeff, Deya, and I took a very, VERY long lunch break at a cafe along the river.
Someone told me I look like a teletubbie with my hood up.
I think I look like a Keletubbie.
I think I look like a Keletubbie.
Most important food group.
I can't figure out how to rotate this image on blogger.
Everyone gets a Boomer moment.
Everyone gets a Boomer moment.
Views of Molinaseca
Views of Molinaseca
We take our jobs very seriously.
Students on the bridge of Molinaseca
View of Molinaseca. That's the cafe at which we ate.
After lunch, Deya hopped in a cab and Jeff and I finished on foot to Ponferrada, most known for its Templar Castle. From CaminoWays:
Okay, that is admittedly like, the crappiest description of the Templar Castle ever. Ask Jeff for more info.
Templar Castle in Ponferrada
Street view of Ponferrada
Poferrada Castle at night
After getting checked into the hotel, we were joined by three special guests! Nicole's parents, Gloria and Hector, will be accompanying us for the remainder of the trip, and we were also joined by Dean Matt!
Matt is our new Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. I'm not just writing this because he's probably gonna read it at some point :) but Matt. Is. Awesome. He fit in seamlessly to our group from the minute he arrived. One of the cutest things was when a student introduced himself to Matt, since we'd been calling him Dean Matt prior to his arrival, the student asked, "So is your first name Dean? or Matt?" :)
Jeff, me, Matt, Deya
We enjoyed dinner as a large group in the hotel. The faculty team + Matt went out to celebrate and debrief the trip thus far, and we called it a night.
May 27 Day 15 - Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo (14.18 miles)
Our hotel in Ponferrada was a lot further off the main Camino than most of us realized; consequently, we had to walk along a road for *several miles* to pick up the actual Camino without doing a whole lot of backpacking. I gotta say, while the company was delightful, this might have been the "biggest bummer" set of miles we've done on the entire Camino. Jeff, Matt, and I walked together and even though Matt did not once complain or even acknowledge our suboptimal surroundings, Jeff and I kept reassuring him that the Camino is indeed much prettier than what these road miles might suggest.
I would note that during these 4 miles of boring road walking, the clipping war was officially in full swing.
Me attempting to clip Jeff, dropping the pin, and laughing hysterically
We did find a cute little cafe with a great patio, so we were able to get off the road for a little bit and enjoy a cup of coffee.
Cute cafe
Conversation was good and the views got better along the walk.
Better than a road view
I love when plants thrive despite obstacles
Back in Keletubbie mode
Miles of views like this
Dean Matt on his first official day as a peregrino
Jeff is a seasoned professional at this point
We once again got lucky with finding a good lunch spot with a good patio, and we were fortunate to find a few students with whom we could dine. It was fun to have an opportunity for Matt to have conversations with students about their Camino and overall Westminster experiences.
Lily, Matt, Paris, Jeff
Jeff has a lot of growing up to do
We got back on the road again and Jeff, Matt, and I spent the next several hours getting to know each other better. And then, I had my most spiritual experience on the trail. We came across--in the most random spot ever--a vending machine that sold exclusively Pringles.
I don't want to say this is a sign from God, but I'm not gonna say it's not.
OG Pringles are the best flavor. Don't @ me.
My loyal readers will already know that I have STRONG feelings about the correct way to eat a Pringle. In fact, I have an entire entry dedicated to it. Eat your heart out. Pun intended. So yes, the next 20-30 minutes were spent VEHEMENTLY debating Pringle eating decorum. This is the hill I will die on. We eventually made it to Villa Franca del Bierzo, where we enjoyed a nice dinner and the clipping war continued. We had a great presentation from students on sustainability on the Camino--not just environmental sustainability, but also cultural sustainability. As peregrinos, we can consider what actions (e.g. wishing someone a Buen Camino when passing them) we are responsible for sustaining, along with being mindful of our purchasing choices (e.g. not buying plastic water bottles and using reusable ones instead).
Villa Franca del Bierzo
Kimmy, Lily, Berkeley, and Nicole giving a presentation on sustainability on the Camino
Clipping war is out. of. control.
Deya, Jeff, me, and Matt enjoying a stroll through Villa Franca del Bierzo.
Day 16 - May 28th - Villa Franca del Bierzo to Ruitelan (14.61 miles)
Had breakfast as a group, added some affirmations to our clips (or what we referred to as "resources") and set out for the day. The clipping war was in full swing. Like, the goals of this trip are to learn about some history, practice Spanish, and build community. I will defend that clipping wars helped build community...and also made us completely neurotic and I will never trust another human being ever again ever.
Who's to say a random act of clipping can't also be a random act of kindness?
Leaving Villa Franca, there was this epically creepy doll in the window!
First of several cafe stops along the route today
My two trusted walking companions. And by "trusted," I mean the absolute opposite of that--watch your six--head on a swivel.
Here's a clip
There's a clip
Everywhere's a clip clip
If you can see this clip, we even had assistance from another Peregrino, Joshua!
Berkeley was hard to clip!
Hanging out in the shade. Scheming for the next clip.
We eventually made it to Ruitelan, where we stayed in an albergue across from a stream--most of the group found an opportunity to splash around in the water for a little while.
Deya, Clara, Ellie, and Matt at the stream
When people describe my style aesthetic, I either hear "camp counselor" or "UGA Frat Boy"
To finish off the evening, Zennon, Madeline, Paris, and Max gave a presentation on Celtic culture, with specific attention to the legend of the holy grail. Students, if you read this, I'd love to include a few of your notes in this section!
Paris, Zennon, Max, and Madeline presenting
The group listening to the presentation
We got to have small group conversation about what myths, legends, and values we associated with the holy grail. Also, Chris' face lolololol
The Salazars, Matt, Deya, Jeff and I went and grabbed a snack at the hotel up the road (where the Salazars and Matt were staying) while waiting on our dinner shift. The albergue that we were staying in was super cute and very tiny, so we had to eat dinner in separate shifts. I mention this because I just discovered that I took no pictures of this hotel, but the landscape surrounding it was stunning and I want to make a return trip there the next time (and there will be a next time...) I walk the Camino.
Day 17 - May 29 Ruitelan to O Cebreiro to Fonfria (11.58? My watch kept dying. I think it was longer than this...)
Okay, it's 1AM Spain time, I have two more days to write up and I will be officially caught up. LET'S GOOOOOO.
After Jeff and I officially called a cease fire on clipping each other, we left Ruitelan in the morning en route to O Cebreiro as a halfway/meeting point. We were warned ahead of time, but today's walk had a *lot* of elevation gain over a short amount of miles--more than 3,000 feet! My watch died about halfway through the walk so I don't have the exact figures--I'll have Max check my numbers and correct where necessary (thanks, Max!).
Bagpipes
From CaminoWays:
Nestled at 1,300 metres of altitude, between the mountain ranges of O Courel and Os Ancares, the village is home to traditional mountain dwellings of pre-Roman origin, called ‘pallozas’. These unique homes can only be found in this region of Galicia...Built-in a circular or oval shape, with granite or slate walls of up to 1.70 metres high and thatched roof, a ‘palloza’ is a great example of traditional houses of Celtic design, and give visitors a very unique insight into the lives of local residents back many centuries ago. By the first half of the 20th century, the church and ‘inn’ of O Cebreiro was practically in ruins, while most of the locals still lived in the ‘pallozas’ like in ancient times. It was then the priest of O Cebreiro, Don Elías Valiña Sampedro, managed to obtain funding to promote the restoration of the church and village, building new houses for the locals, rehabilitating the ‘pallozas’ and turning one into a folk museum.
Once again, not a stellar description--ask Deya for info. O Cebreiro was a little touristy but still very fun. My favorite part of Galician history and lore is the emphasis on witches! Meigas, in the Galician language, were older women who were assumed to have some sort of magical powers--more on that in a second.
Nestled at 1,300 metres of altitude, between the mountain ranges of O Courel and Os Ancares, the village is home to traditional mountain dwellings of pre-Roman origin, called ‘pallozas’. These unique homes can only be found in this region of Galicia...Built-in a circular or oval shape, with granite or slate walls of up to 1.70 metres high and thatched roof, a ‘palloza’ is a great example of traditional houses of Celtic design, and give visitors a very unique insight into the lives of local residents back many centuries ago. By the first half of the 20th century, the church and ‘inn’ of O Cebreiro was practically in ruins, while most of the locals still lived in the ‘pallozas’ like in ancient times. It was then the priest of O Cebreiro, Don Elías Valiña Sampedro, managed to obtain funding to promote the restoration of the church and village, building new houses for the locals, rehabilitating the ‘pallozas’ and turning one into a folk museum.
Once again, not a stellar description--ask Deya for info. O Cebreiro was a little touristy but still very fun. My favorite part of Galician history and lore is the emphasis on witches! Meigas, in the Galician language, were older women who were assumed to have some sort of magical powers--more on that in a second.
View of the church in O Cebreiro
Interior of the church
View of the town
We took a group photo in front of the church (I think it's on Deya's phone) and set out for the second portion of our walk--still a lot of uphill--en route to Fonfria.
Paris (laying down), Ellie, Tia, and Hunter made it up the big hill!
When we made it to Fonfria, Deya gave us more history on the Meigas of Galicia, including teaching us a conjuring! Learn about Galician conjurings here (from ilucionesmagicas).
La Queimada es un ritual de origen desconocido que aúna varios de los elementos más característicos de Galicia: agua, tierra, fuego y aire. Y por supuesto las meigas y los malos espíritus se podrán espantar tomando este brevaje, quedando así libre de todo hechizo. Pese a la creencia, el texto que sirve como Conxuro es muy reciente y data de 1967. Su autor, todavía vivo, es Mariano Marcos de Abalo.
La Queimada
Deya teaching us la queimada
We ate dinner, and afterward, Miguel, the hospitalero, prepared a special treat for us: la queimada gallega!
Deya explaining what is about to happen with la queimada
Preparing la queimada
Cheers!
The fruit used in the preparation process. Note the coffee beans.
Miguel preparing la queimada
Learning about la queimada in this way felt like a very special treat. Plus, it got lit on fire (deliberately), so that's pretty cool. We had to say goodbye to Dean Matt this evening after la queimada preparation, and the whole team was genuinely sad to see him go. He's a part of our Camino family now! I am especially grateful for our time on the trail together. Safe travels on your way to Iceland!
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