I returned from the Invierno a little more than a week ago, and am finally getting around to sharing some notes from the trip. We did a 10-day Camino Invierno, and I decided the easiest way to share observations is to summarize my journal. In general, this route is becoming better known, at least by Europeans (we were bumping along with 3 Spaniards from Cantabria and a Frenchwoman from Bordeaux). The local folks are getting accustomed to seeing pilgrims, but infrastructure along the route is still developing slowly (i.e., places to stay, eat, etc.).
Ponferrada to Las Medulas: Be aware that the villages you pass through today may have some services as indicated in the guide, but are not necessarily on the waymarked part of the trail. They're small towns, though, so you won't have to look far to spot the main street. The Castle of Cornatel was back on its regular schedule (closed Tuesday, open other days from 11 am to 1:30 pm, also some evening hours). Las Medulas is a bit dead during the week, but Casa Socorro is anxious to welcome pilgrims. It's near the small church in town but isn't particularly well-marked by signage, so you may want to ask a local to point you to it.
Las Medulas to O Barco: Lots of welcome signs for pilgrims; you may be a bit disconcerted by the sign entering Pumares which welcomes you and says Santiago is 200 km, only to find later a sign on the ironwork pilgrim statue in Entoma that says it's 215. There's a cafe next to the ironwork sculpture in Entoma keen to welcome the pilgrim trade. Most of the guide-listed accommodation in O Barco is toward the far end of town, so you'll walk along the lovely river for awhile. Pension do Lar was great, though the wifi is still spotty.
O Barco to A Rua: Short distance. Staying with Asun and her mother at their private albergue is a real treat, but phoning ahead or arriving early afternoon is a good idea, as Asun is frequently out working on behalf of the pilgrim association in the mornings. She also has books and info galore on the Invierno.
A Rua to Quiroga: There's a new granite fountain and bench for pilgrims in the square of St. Michael's church in Montefurado. Official waymarking can be a bit spotty after entering Lugo province. There also seemed to be attempts to lure pilgrims off the LU-933 to some villages and casas rurales in the hills; we stuck to the guide-approved road and were fine, but one will run across arrows with signs saying Camino Alternativa leading you up the hill. There's some ambiguity in the guide upon entering Bendillo; the waymark will take you left upon entering town instead of right, although I have a feeling they probably end up in the same place. Also, upon reaching the river below Bendillo one should go across the bridge, then cross the highway and pick up the waymarked trail. You will see an association sign that keeps you on the right side of the highway and takes you up the hill. I'm sure the two paths wind up in the same place, but we chose to stick with the yellow arrows. Municipal albergue in Quiroga is very easy to find. The Restaurante Aroza is still excellent. The historic pilgrim hospital and San Salvador church are the big white complex on a hill to your right as you are entering Quiroga.
Quiroga to Monforte de Lemos: Well-marked up to Pobra do Brollon. The marked path will take you along the right side of the river until you come to a bridge. We couldn't tell if there was a waymark or mojon pointing into town because of a large pulperia stand at the intersection. It's not hard to find the middle of town and the Guardia Civil, though, and you can find the mojon that takes you out of town. The water-logged portion before Monforte has not been re-routed, but wasn't too terrible as we'd been enjoying dry weather. Odd thing about Monforte: we did not follow the waymarked path all the way through town to the Puente Romano, but ran across yellow arrows near the 15th-century gate leading people up toward the parador and away from the Roman bridge. Rather odd.
Monforte to Chantada: Leaving Monforte is tricky, made all the more difficult by the stages and booths of the local festival still filling the old town square. It's not too hard to get on the Rua Abeledos; if you overshoot the left turn onto the side streets, just turn left when you reach the highway on the edge of town, and you'll soon see the roundabout which now has a statue of St. James the Pilgrim walking toward A Vide. The Diomondi church is currently undergoing exterior restoration and is covered in scaffolding, but you can still see the famous cows on the side door. The marina bar in Belesar is closed on Mondays. Spanish pilgrims reported another bar open on the opposite side of the river if you take the road rather than the marked trail up the hill. Be warned: at the end of a long, hot day, the waymarked "steep ascent" the guide mentions is an understatement. People with heart conditions should definitely be warned to take the road. Chantada is a delight. There is a new LavaXpres laundromat in the block behind the Hostal Yoel, and close by the Hotel Mogay. We also ate in a great little pizzeria called Bohemia off the northwest corner of the Plaza Sta. Ana, which is the way by which you leave town in the morning. They specialized in pizza, but had a conventional Spanish menu, too. The pizza, made with local ingredients, was FANTASTIC.
Chantada to Rodeiro: Waymarking is great, no problems. Cantina O Peto in Penasillas was still not open mid-morning (a perpetual problem along the Invierno, where they're still not accustomed to the early starts of pilgrims looking for their cafe con leche). However, there is a new cafe with a sello called Bar O Recanto just before you reach Rodeiro. Also, at the Alto de Faro, when you reach the picnic area at the top you can take an asphalt lane to the left which circles the peak and takes you past a small shrine to the hermitage of Our Lady at the summit. The views are spectacular. It's also an easy, well-marked exit back to the trail from the peak. Entering Rodeiro can be a bit confusing; yellow arrows point you left, but the mojon takes you straight to the Casa de Concello (which closes for the day at 2:30 pm). The Hospedaxe O Guerra advertises as a cafe-restaurant, but has a limited number of rooms. The Hostal Carpinteiras at the top of the hill has more room, and is not much further along.
Rodeiro to A Laxe: Good waymarking. Our only hesitation was after coming out behind the Torre do Dozo in the industrial park before A Laxe. You reach the hotel and are guided behind it on a path that comes to a clearing with an intersection. Take the paved road to the left (there is a faint waymark on the ground that is easy to miss). This brings you to a parking lot where a mojon will guide you on a grassy trail with the businesses up the hill to your right and the highway below on your left. We happened upon the 10th-century church of Our Lady of Remedies in upper Lalin while they were cleaning up from the feast of St. Anthony the day before. There is a also a receptionist in the sacristy of the main church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Lalin who is happy to provide a sello for pilgrims. The river path out of Lalin is now easy to follow; just don't be seduced by the the first overpass with the fountain on the left. The ascent up to the main highway is well-marked.
A Laxe to Ponte Ulla: We decided to break our journey in Ponte Ulla because a) better food options, and b) we were spending a couple of days in Santiago and didn't feel pressure to make the noon Pilgrim's Mass on the day of our arrival. Bar Rios in Ponte Ulla was closed for renovations at the time, so we stayed at O Churrasco and ate at O Cruceiro across from the Dia supermarket (pretty good food).
Ponte Ulla to Santiago: Easy enough route, but the albergue in Outeiro is definitely a bit isolated. You do come across an interesting spot a few kilometers out from Santiago that has a bench and a sign that says "Here the team of oxen rested when Sts. Theodore and Athanasius brought the body of St. James to Libredon." Given the proximity to the Pico Sacra which figures in the legend of St. James' burial place, it's certainly possible, but I rather suspect it's the product of local imagination.
Well, those are my main notes from the Invierno in June. It was marvelous, and I'm glad to have walked it when I did. From the observations of townsfolk along the way, traffic is picking up along the Invierno route - mostly Spaniards and some Europeans, and a few Americans. 2019 is being promoted by the regional council in Galicia as the Year of the Invierno, so we'll see what comes in the before/during/after. I'm glad to have walked the Invierno sooner rather than later, as I'm definitely a road-less-traveled guy.
