- Time of past OR future Camino
- Except the Francés
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I plan to start my walk in late March and am still wondering as a first time pilgrim whether to walk the Olvidado or the Frances. II did the Cistierna to Boñar stage of the Olvidado a week or so ago. Quiet woodland roads, the occasional flooded section, but pretty in the autumn colours, even on a dull day. In Boñar I had to send postcards to one of my brothers and a nephew, both with Bonar as their unusual middle names. The original next stage of the Olvidado goes direct to La Robla in one short day, but I took 6 trying out the Camino Allerano variant of the Salvador, and returning on the official Salvador. Eventually getting to La Robla on Friday. A bit of a dump, but friendly and with plenty of decent options for eating and sleeping.
On Saturday I was back on the Olvidado, a nice short day to La Magdalena in the drizzle. Last time, 7 years ago, I stayed at the Santa Lucía hostal at the entrance to town. Now there is an excellent albergue in the old school just before the bridge crossing over to Canales, highly recommended. And apparently another one in Canales itself.
Sunday was glorious, bright perfect still autumn day with the camino going gently up and down mostly through forest paths, with the occasional river for company, and also a couple of convenient stops for coffee or radler, and distant views of a dusting of snow on the highest ground. Eventually you reach Vegarienza, a mountain village with both an excellent albergue and what is sometimes claimed to be the oldest restaurant in León. Just perfect. The restaurant is an experience, with the dueña being 91, and her 68 year old son as front of house. Outstanding home cured cecina de vaca. Very friendly locals. I set off a furious row about the best time to visit the valley, with enthusiasts for the fantastic golden colours of now, and one arguing for spring and early summer, and another lamenting the deep snow drifts of his youth.
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I'm afraid I've only walked the Olvidado from a day or so before Aguilar de Campoo, so never done the first climb you mention. Cervera de Pisuerga to Guardo is no real climb at all, just a very long day (?a little under 40km?). Guardo to Puente Almuey vía Caminayo is a long day and a climb, but I shortened it by staying at Velilla del Río Carrion. There's much more, and more accurate, info in the planning thread.Just wondering how difficult the climb is from Nava de Ordunte/Villasena de Mena to Espinosa de los Monteros and from Cervera de Pisuerga to Guardo.
Thank you. Much appreciated.The albergue in Vegarienza must be one of the quietest and most peaceful places on earth. Simply wonderful. And kind Estela, the hospitalera, leaves out some milk and powdered coffee and magdalenas so pilgrims can leave in the morning with caffeine and calories. Which is very necessary, as the choice is between an absurdly short day to Fasgar, where there is an albergue but no other services at all, and quite a long one to Igüeña, where there are.
So I put my headlamp on and left at 7.45am. Sadly, Saturday's bright autumn sun was replaced by teeming rain. Some of the camino follows the road, and one of the few cars gave me a friendly wave. It might have been Rosi, the energetic hospitalera of Fasgar's albergue, where I stayed 5 years ago, but my glasses were soaked by then so I couldn't see.
Something like 600m of ascent takes you up to 1640m and the 2nd highest point of the Olvidado. Yesterday, it also took me into a thick cloud. Sad: I would have given a lot to swap Saturday's bright clear sky for Sunday's cloud and rain. Coming down the 750-odd metres of descent from the Campo de Santiago was not a pleasure. It's a narrow steep path full of loose scree, and when, as yesterday, the scree is also a running stream, it's actively dangerous. I think it took me over an hour of very tentative walking to cover 2km between the chapel near the top and where the path becomes wider and safer. Utterly beautiful in the right circumstances, which yesterday's weren't.
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Eventually you hit Colinas del Campo de Martín Moro Toledano, the village with the longest name in Spain, but no bar on a Monday. The camino continues along the Boeza river, first encountered near the top. Wide and fast and still flowing through a narrow wooded valley, but no longer soaking your feet.
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The Playa bar in Igüeña, which also runs the local albergue, gets my most heartfelt thanks. I arrived wet and fairly miserable, after a little under 9 hours of continuous walking, at nearly 5pm. To my amazement, expecting a boccadillo if I was lucky, the dueña said ¿Quieres comer? and I was soon relishing a lovely mixed salad with a glass of light fruity white Bierzo, followed by a tuna steak and chips. Meanwhile she'd turned the heating on in the albergue (I was the first person to come over the mountain route in a fortnight), put out some old newspapers to help dry my shoes, and we soon settled our accounts and I got myself washed and changed. Bliss. Followed by deep sleep lulled my one of my favourite sounds - a busy mountain river in a hurry.
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I'm afraid I've only walked the Olvidado from a day or so before Aguilar de Campoo, so never done the first climb you mention. Cervera de Pisuerga to Guardo is no real climb at all, just a very long day (?a little under 40km?). Guardo to Puente Almuey vía Caminayo is a long day and a climb, but I shortened it by staying at Velilla del Río Carrion. There's much more, and more accurate, info in the planning thread.
I’ve never made it there from the Olvidado, but google maps showed me that the church is only 2.2 km from the Ponferrada albergue! Next time I’m in Ponferrada, I will make sure to head there.And soon I was in the lovely simple preromanesque church of Santo Tomás de las Ollas.
Notice on the door with a map showing her house and a number to ring in case she's out.is there a phone number on the door, or do you just ask around
Didn’t you forget to add sleeping in the big room behind the doctor and boticario’s office in Pozalmuro? I actually pulled the mattress out into the waiting room because it was so cold in the back.I've slept in many albergues in strange places - a palace or two, an Inquisition prison, above a funeral parlour, in a shepherd's hut at 2000m, three bullrings, at least a couple of barns, several nunneries, in a restaurant storeroom
I wanted to see Santo Tomás de las Ollas again. Also forgot to use the ATM in La Robla so was down to the last 30€ of my emergency stash.Is there a reason why you went into Ponferrada
Enjoy reading your posts and increasing my vocabulary. ApricitySome 80 of us seem to have slept in Cabañas Raras this year, the most recent at the end of October. Gloves and woolly hat needed for the beautiful clear cold frosty autumn morning, with the camino (relatively) soon leaving the main road and following a cañada real through woods and vines. Woods and vines still mostly showing their autumn colours - including vines with that intriguing near black red, but mostly gold. Really lovely in the dazzlingly bright sun - I had to dig my prescription sunglasses out when I was sitting on a convenient bench on a height enjoying a moment of perfect apricity. Looking back at the hazy wall I'd come down in a cloud on Monday, and forwards towards the smaller one I hope to climb tomorrow.
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At about 10am Cacabelos appeared, where the tiny stream of people who've walked the Olvidado joins the mighty river of the Camino Francés. More vines, some apparently unharvested - perhaps the recent rain arrived too late to plump them up? Pleasant undulating country, distinctly Galician architecture in some of the villages, and tomorrow's exertions becoming more clear by the hour.
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Around 1pm I was in Villafranca del Bierzo, with a tasty glass of godello and a tapa of sopa de ajo in front of me. I probably should have carried on a few more km, but it seemed a nice place to linger and eat. And collect my handsome "Olvidada" certificate from the tourist office. I told her I'd started the Olvidado at Cistierna, but she was clearly confused by my credencial stating my "lugar de inicio" as Porto Sagunt, so decided to write in Cervera de Pisuerga instead. And when I asked her if she had any information on the Vía Künig her reply was a succint "no". So it goes.
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My experience was similar to George Borrow's in the 1830s, when he wrote "I walked forth into the market-place, which was crowded with people, I looked up, and could see the peaks of tall black mountains peeping over the tops of the houses. The town lay in a deep hollow, and appeared to be surrounded by hills on almost every side."
Looks like the weather may hold for a day or two, or even more.
And that was the end of my (mostly) happy days on the Olvidado.
I wanted to see Santo Tomás de las Ollas again. Also forgot to use the ATM in La Robla so was down to the last 30€ of my emergency stash.
Thanks for staying at our CasaI did the Cistierna to Boñar stage of the Olvidado a week or so ago. Quiet woodland roads, the occasional flooded section, but pretty in the autumn colours, even on a dull day. In Boñar I had to send postcards to one of my brothers and a nephew, both with Bonar as their unusual middle names. The original next stage of the Olvidado goes direct to La Robla in one short day, but I took 6 trying out the Camino Allerano variant of the Salvador, and returning on the official Salvador. Eventually getting to La Robla on Friday. A bit of a dump, but friendly and with plenty of decent options for eating and sleeping.
On Saturday I was back on the Olvidado, a nice short day to La Magdalena in the drizzle. Last time, 7 years ago, I stayed at the Santa Lucía hostal at the entrance to town. Now there is an excellent albergue in the old school just before the bridge crossing over to Canales, highly recommended. And apparently another one in Canales itself.
Sunday was glorious, bright perfect still autumn day with the camino going gently up and down mostly through forest paths, with the occasional river for company, and also a couple of convenient stops for coffee or radler, and distant views of a dusting of snow on the highest ground. Eventually you reach Vegarienza, a mountain village with both an excellent albergue and what is sometimes claimed to be the oldest restaurant in León. Just perfect. The restaurant is an experience, with the dueña being 91, and her 68 year old son as front of house. Outstanding home cured cecina de vaca. Very friendly locals. I set off a furious row about the best time to visit the valley, with enthusiasts for the fantastic golden colours of now, and one arguing for spring and early summer, and another lamenting the deep snow drifts of his youth.
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