LIVE from the Camino @Yoga Girl on the Invierno!

[Yoga Girl]

Friday, May 17, 2019

A quiet, challenging at times, but beautiful walk through a variety of landscapes. I started walking alongside the gorgeous River Sil, then continued through hamlets, vineyards, cherry orchards, a ghost town, quarry, castle, gnarled trees, well-manicured neighborhoods, dilapidated stone villages, barking dogs, a two-stork town, pine forest, high desert- with lots of ups and downs. Trail conditions were great (not muddy), mostly dirt paths, but some asphalt roads after Castillo Cornatel. I ended up in the stunning red rock formations, Las Médulas, which were mined by the Romans for gold.
I saw just one other pilgrim. No pilgrims’ nest cafes, just a few local bars. If you’re feeling crowded on the Francés, take the Camino Invierno in Ponferrada. In some areas, trail isn’t well marked, so I used Wise Pilgrim’s Invierno guide and offline map to navigate. Photos are on my public Facebook page.

 

[VNwalking]

Buen camino, @Yoga Girl! Following in your footstps in a few weeks.

 

[nycwalking]

Camino Invierno is on my bucket list.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Bien camino.

 

[Annette london]

Friday, May 17, 2019
View attachment 57500
A quiet, challenging at times, but beautiful walk through a variety of landscapes. I started walking alongside the gorgeous River Sil, then continued through hamlets, vineyards, cherry orchards, a ghost town, quarry, castle, gnarled trees, well-manicured neighborhoods, dilapidated stone villages, barking dogs, a two-stork town, pine forest, high desert- with lots of ups and downs. Trail conditions were great (not muddy), mostly dirt paths, but some asphalt roads after Castillo Cornatel. I ended up in the stunning red rock formations, Las Médulas, which were mined by the Romans for gold.
I saw just one other pilgrim. No pilgrims’ nest cafes, just a few local bars. If you’re feeling crowded on the Francés, take the Camino Invierno in Ponferrada. In some areas, trail isn’t well marked, so I used Wise Pilgrim’s Invierno guide and offline map to navigate. Photos are on my public Facebook page.

Have a lovely time
I will be following your posts daily...and following in your footsteps in a month
Best wishes
Annette

 

[Marbe2]

Safe Trip! Thanks for the information! Sounds beautiful!

 

[gollygolly]

Bon Camino... it is a beautiful, magnificent and very well marked Camino and I am confident that while you will not encounter many, or possibly any other pilgrims walking on the Invierno until the last couple of days, you will be having a great experience.

 

[Yoga Girl]

Tracked walk video are now available so you can see the actual route and where photos were Captured.
Part 1 I got as far as Borrenes and thought I would end the day there:

'Ponferrada to Borrenes' | Relive

View my hike: Ponferrada to Borrenes

www.relive.cc

It looked like the hotel across the street from bar was nice for €25.
After a beer, I felt like I could continue on! So here’s part 2:

'Borrenes to Las Médulas' | Relive

View my hike: Borrenes to Las Médulas

www.relive.cc

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 2 Camino Invierno. Las Médulas to O Barco de Valdeorras. 30 km.
The walk leaving Las Médulas was pretty. There were light showers and sunshine. 2nd morning in a row with a rainbow! Then, a hilly climb with grand views up and down to Puente de Domingo Flórez which has a churrería. I earned and enjoyed my chocolate con churros. The crossing into Galicia has no sign or makeshift rock border like on the Primitivo has. Arrows are missing and sketchy but Galicia installed new markers recently. Walk follows the Rio Sil and railroad for most of the day, so views are scenic. But not any services between Quereño & Sobradelo, which has Bar Mar, the friendliest pilgrim bar I’ve been to on the Invierno. Highly recommend it. The walk to O Barco was grueling because I was exhausted, it was windy and lots of it on asphalt. Consider taking a taxi to O Barco to save your energy. I stayed at Hostal Gran Tortuga single room with private bath €20 includes breakfast. This might be TMI, but this route is new and has some rough patches so I am taking good notes for a route report I’ll publish this summer on my Camino Provides blog.
I didn’t see any other pilgrims except for 2 bikers from Spain.
Below is a link to the tracked walk video with photos.

'Las Médulas to O Barco de Valdeorras' | Relive

View my hike: Las Médulas to O Barco de Valdeorras

www.relive.cc

 

[Charrito]

Day 2 Camino Invierno. Las Médulas to O Barco de Valdeorras. 30 km.
The walk leaving Las Médulas was pretty. There were light showers and sunshine. 2nd morning in a row with a rainbow! Then, a hilly climb with grand views up and down to Puente de Domingo Flórez which has a churrería. I earned and enjoyed my chocolate con churros. The crossing into Galicia has no sign or makeshift rock border like on the Primitivo has. Arrows are missing and sketchy but Galicia installed new markers recently. Walk follows the Rio Sil and railroad for most of the day, so views are scenic. But not any services between Quereño & Sobradelo, which has Bar Mar, the friendliest pilgrim bar I’ve been to on the Invierno. Highly recommend it. The walk to O Barco was grueling because I was exhausted, it was windy and lots of it on asphalt. Consider taking a taxi to O Barco to save your energy. I stayed at Hostal Gran Tortuga single room with private bath €20 includes breakfast. This might be TMI, but this route is new and has some rough patches so I am taking good notes for a route report I’ll publish this summer on my Camino Provides blog.
I didn’t see any other pilgrims except for 2 bikers from Spain.
Below is a link to the tracked walk video with photos.

'Las Médulas to O Barco de Valdeorras' | Relive

View my hike: Las Médulas to O Barco de Valdeorras

www.relive.cc

I've walked this Camino more times than anyone, I believe (I'll be back in Monforte de Lemos in a couple of weeks' time with a friend), and would make a couple of points:

The route is certainly NOT new. Arrows missing? The signposting is absolutely perfect all the way from Ponferrada.

Bar Mar in Sobradelo is very pilgrim friendly, but so is the Cafetería Pontenova Centro Social, more or less opposite. It's a pity that the owners don't get on very well!

Gran Tortuga would always be my choice of a hostal in O Barco. I've stayed in the others, and this one wins hands down; as you say, free breakfast downstairs in the bar.

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 3 Camino Invierno: O Barco to A Rua
Thankfully it was a shorter day! 1 very colorful pilgrim spotted and he’s walked caminos 58 different times.
Casa do Solaina is closed but I met the owner and her mum. I stayed at Hostal Niza - €25 private full bath.
Here is the tracked video.

'O Barco to A Rua' | Relive

View my hike: O Barco to A Rua

www.relive.cc

I’m adding all my photos with detailed con this album:

https://m.facebook.com/CaminoProvides/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2697984416941667&mt_nav=1&ref=page_internal

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 4: A Rua to Monforte de Lemos vía train. Unfortunately, an illness had me re-adjust my original plan of walking to Quiroga. After visiting Asún and a pharmacist in A Rua, I had to take a day to recover. I decided to take Renfe to Monforte de Lemos and was so glad to arrive early (11:15) and not be exhausted, as this was a stay the Parador. I explored the town a bit, had a nice Caldo, a salt bath, and after a good sleep, I felt restored.

Here are a few 3D videos with photos:
Day 3 exploring A Rua:

'Exploring A Rua de Valdeorras' | Relive

View my hike: Exploring A Rua de Valdeorras

www.relive.cc

Day 4 Renfe to the rescue!

'Train Rua to Monforte de Lemos' | Relive

View my hike: Train Rua to Monforte de Lemos

www.relive.cc

Day 4 exploring Monforte: https://www.relive.cc/view/u3554546212

 

[Yoga Girl]

I've walked this Camino more times than anyone, I believe (I'll be back in Monforte de Lemos in a couple of weeks' time with a friend), and would make a couple of points:

The route is certainly NOT new. Arrows missing? The signposting is absolutely perfect all the way from Ponferrada.

Bar Mar in Sobradelo is very pilgrim friendly, but so is the Cafetería Pontenova Centro Social, more or less opposite. It's a pity that the owners don't get on very well!

Gran Tortuga would always be my choice of a hostal in O Barco. I've stayed in the others, and this one wins hands down; as you say, free breakfast downstairs in the bar.

Charrito, that’s awesome! More Caminos than anyone?!

My experience when I walked into Centro Social wasn’t great. My vibe was to find another place so I’m glad I went to Bar Mar instead. Very welcoming and friendly people. Manuel gave me a nice Camino Invierno t-shirt.

Gran Tortuga was decent for the price, though it smelled a bit musty. I was grateful for the nice breakfast even though I couldn’t keep it down. It wasn’t anything to do with their food - I just was very sick the morning of my 3rd day. Much better now.

 

[Charrito]

Charrito, that’s awesome! More Caminos than anyone?!

My experience when I walked into Centro Social wasn’t great. My vibe was to find another place so I’m glad I went to Bar Mar instead. Very welcoming and friendly people. Manuel gave me a nice Camino Invierno t-shirt.

Gran Tortuga was decent for the price, though it smelled a bit musty. I was grateful for the nice breakfast even though I couldn’t keep it down. It wasn’t anything to do with their food - I just was very sick the morning of my 3rd day. Much better now.

I mean more Caminos de Invierno!

Lili, in the other bar, is really friendly (it helps when she knows me by name, I suppose!), but so are Carla and Manuel in Bar Mar. Healthy competition would be great, but they really don't get on! What a pity.

In Gran Tortuga the rooms at the front are better than those inside, but it's a pretty decent deal.

 

[Donna Sch]

The Parador in Monforte is lovely but I have to say it wins the prize for the worst coffee I have ever come across in Spain!

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 5: Monforte to Chantada (36 km)
Part 1:
This is the day that I captured the sheep herding scenario and met that sweet 77-year-young farmer lady- you might have seen the videos on my page. This was a long stage, and it was the hottest day yet. I zipped the legs off my pants around 11 am and my pale legs got some sunshine, except for the parts on the back of my calves that had pain patches. LOL! I’m branded.
It was lovely and very scenic but lots of asphalt, so I did the unthinkable. I stuck my thumb out and hitched a ride. A car stopped and lowered its tinted windows. I was kinda scared that it would be a creepy pilgrim molester, but was relieved to see a young black woman with a big smile and braces. I showed her where I was going on my app and she said she was heading that way and could take me. I got in and off we went through more winding paved roads. I didn’t miss much, except for maybe 8 km of painful pavement pounding! She’s from the Dominican Republic, the same area where my dad lived, so we bonded over that (all of this in my best attempt at Spanglish). I spotted the church where the Camino route turns down a dirt path, so I asked her to let me out. I offered her money, which she refused, but gave her a patch. She’s a Camino Ángel! That brave decision to hitchhike saved my legs and energy, for there was a steep descent of switchbacks, rocks and dry leaves that I had to negotiate. Known as the “codos (elbows) de Belesar”, this was part of a Roman and later medieval road, some of the old stones remain. Here are photos up to that point.

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2711543925585716

 

[Yoga Girl]

The Parador in Monforte is lovely but I have to say it wins the prize for the worst coffee I have ever come across in Spain!

Maybe that’s why they have the Nespresso pods now. I love those machines!

 

[MikeJS]

Day 5: Monforte to Chantada (36 km)
Part 1:
This is the day that I captured the sheep herding scenario and met that sweet 77-year-young farmer lady- you might have seen the videos on my page. This was a long stage, and it was the hottest day yet. I zipped the legs off my pants around 11 am and my pale legs got some sunshine, except for the parts on the back of my calves that had pain patches. LOL! I’m branded.
It was lovely and very scenic but lots of asphalt, so I did the unthinkable. I stuck my thumb out and hitched a ride. A car stopped and lowered its tinted windows. I was kinda scared that it would be a creepy pilgrim molester, but was relieved to see a young black woman with a big smile and braces. I showed her where I was going on my app and she said she was heading that way and could take me. I got in and off we went through more winding paved roads. I didn’t miss much, except for maybe 8 km of painful pavement pounding! She’s from the Dominican Republic, the same area where my dad lived, so we bonded over that (all of this in my best attempt at Spanglish). I spotted the church where the Camino route turns down a dirt path, so I asked her to let me out. I offered her money, which she refused, but gave her a patch. She’s a Camino Ángel! That brave decision to hitchhike saved my legs and energy, for there was a steep descent of switchbacks, rocks and dry leaves that I had to negotiate. Known as the “codos (elbows) de Belesar”, this was part of a Roman and later medieval road, some of the old stones remain. Here are photos up to that point.

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2711543925585716

Did you walk through Belasar?

 

[Yoga Girl]

Yes! I stopped in Belesar for a much needed meal. I would have loved to spend a night there but no accommodations. That place was so beautiful!

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 5 Part 2 Monforte to Chantada
Tracked hike video:

'Monforte de Lemos to Chantada' | Relive

View my hike: Monforte de Lemos to Chantada

www.relive.cc

I had a spring in my step after getting that ride. Then I saw the 100 KM marker! The Wise Pilgrim App showed a different distance to Santiago (112km). Whatever, pilgrims can’t resist a good photo op!
When I reached the bottom of the zigzagging descent, thankfully with no falls, I couldn’t believe my eyes. A steep canyon with terraced vineyards on both sides of the river Mino. It was so beautiful! I went from farms and cows to wine country. Ribeira Sacra. Photos at:

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2711598955580213

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 6 Chantada to Rodeiro, 25 km

'Chantada to Rodeiro' | Relive

View my hike: Chantada to Rodeiro

www.relive.cc

It was another long, but beautiful walk through farms, windmills and up to Alto de Faro. On my way out of Chantada, I stopped at a café that hadn’t had a pilgrim customer for a long time. The place had a sello, but the ink had dried out- so I only got 1 stamp that day. Stops are few and far between on most stages on the Invierno, so I have been packing snacks for the long days. Some pilgrims wouldn’t like the lack of infrastructure. I am lucky to have great weather and received warm greetings by locals, like an invitation to coffee and tour of an amazing farmhouse called Boan.
Photos at:

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2716522998421142

 

[Yoga Girl]

Catching up while the WiFi is good.
More photos of Alto de Faro to Rodeiro:

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2716591908414251

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 7: Rodeiro to Lalin 24 km (14.7 miles)
Video of tracked walk: https://www.relive.cc/view/u3565790803
It’s election season so there are lots of posters of politicians plastered everywhere. And vans that go around town with speaker rallying for the candidates. It’s noise pollution to me. Alas, a beautiful walk through more farms and wooded paths near rivers, streams and forest. Just when I thought I’d jettison the shoe covers, I encountered the first patches of unavoidable mud. So I used those Daiso covers to keep my shoes dry and they worked great! This Camino still has great trail conditions compared to the Primitivo.
Photos:

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2716635191743256

 

[Yoga Girl]

Great vibe in Lalin. Lalin Centro was probably the best albergue I’ve been to. Clean, great location, well equipped kitchen and friendly owners. Cost just €10. It was my first bunk bed on the Invierno! Well, now it’s VdlP Sanabres and I’m not the only pilgrim!
A few photos:

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2717423878331054

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 8: Lalin to Silleda 19 km (12 miles)
Tracked video:

'Lalin to Silleda' | Relive

View my hike: Lalin to Silleda

www.relive.cc

The pilgrim statue was a perfect sendoff for my 8th day of walking. The walk leaving Lalin is along a beautiful river walk with bridges, mill houses, picnic areas and locals enjoying nature. Today I saw more farms, horses, signs for the equestrian Camino route and stopped by the municipal Albergue in A Laxe. Photos:

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2717521251654650

 

[ranthr]

Day 6 Chantada to Rodeiro, 25 km

'Chantada to Rodeiro' | Relive

View my hike: Chantada to Rodeiro

www.relive.cc

It was another long, but beautiful walk through farms, windmills and up to Alto de Faro. On my way out of Chantada, I stopped at a café that hadn’t had a pilgrim customer for a long time. The place had a sello, but the ink had dried out- so I only got 1 stamp that day. Stops are few and far between on most stages on the Invierno, so I have been packing snacks for the long days. Some pilgrims wouldn’t like the lack of infrastructure. I am lucky to have great weather and received warm greetings by locals, like an invitation to coffee and tour of an amazing farmhouse called Boan.
Photos at:

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2716522998421142

Lucky you that had a nice weather up there! Heavy fog when I went up there last year, saw nothing at all!

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 8 exploring Silleda. I thought I’d try to make it to Bandiera, but that would have been another 9 km to walk. I was getting tired so decided to stop for the day. Silleda is a nice place to hang your hat on the Camino Sanabres. The Gran Albergue is also known as Bluu Hostal, a trendy boutique hotel. I got a room with a small bathtub. I went to the Dia market to get some provisions. The hotel went a little crazy with the word art, but I like it! I also liked my hippie room.
Photos:

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2721124284627680

 

[Yoga Girl]

Day 9: Silleda to Ponte Ulla 23 km (14 miles)
So glad to have flexibility and options to split stages! Feeling great, meeting more pilgrims from the vía de la plata, and also a few who did the Invierno, like Gregorio and Julia from Islas Canarias, and William from Belgium. Tracked video:

'Silleda to Ponte Ulla' | Relive

View my hike: Silleda to Ponte Ulla

www.relive.cc

Photos:

https://www.facebook.com/903139123092881/posts/2723575011049274

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Lucky you that had a nice weather up there! Heavy fog when I went up there last year, saw nothing at all!

I have never been there in nice weather… Only seeing ten meters around me in the fog & rain...

 

[Charrito]

Three of us will be setting off from Monforte de Lemos next Monday, after driving up from Salamanca on the Sunday. I've done the Invierno quite a few times, but María and Juanjo only made it to Monforte last year. Talking of weather, it looks as though for the first time I'll be lucky, and it won't be ridiculously hot.

 

[VNwalking]

I may be there on Sunday. Who knows, @Charrito we might meet up, if you guys are faster than I.

 

[KinkyOne]

I may be there on Sunday. Who knows, @Charrito we might meet up, if you guys are faster than I.

Oh, do try to meet @Charrito (Peter). He's already Invierno legend

 

[VNwalking]

May it be so!

 

[Charrito]

I may be there on Sunday. Who knows, @Charrito we might meet up, if you guys are faster than I.

Which Sunday are you talking about? This Sunday? Where? OK, I've just read your beautiful account of the stage from Ponferrada to Borrenes. Let's hope we can meet up somewhere in Monforte de Lemos on Sunday, although I'm not sure you'll make it by then.

Buen camino! Enjoy the Invierno.

 

[Charrito]

Oh, do try to meet @Charrito (Peter). He's already Invierno legend

Not true at all! The Invierno legend is KinkyOne, without forgetting peregrina2000. I've been lucky enough to meet them both recently.

 

[VNwalking]

I'm not sure you'll make it by then.

Maybe not? I''m still unsure of the stages to come and how to break the distance up...but would so love to meet you Peter!

 

[KinkyOne]

I think @Charrito is the man that walked different parts of Invierno more times than anyone else. At least on this forum. He's really afficionado of this Camino and that's why I called him a legend. You want to know something about Invierno? He's the person you talk to. He just loves this Camino!