Day 25.1
Trabadelo to Fonfría del Camino: 32 Kilometres
A good sleep was a blessing on the Camino. All we needed was a warm room, a hot shower, clean sheets, and a comfortable pillow. What more did a pilgrim require or want? We went downstairs for breakfast at around 5:30 a.m. Isabella awakened, too. We laughed with her as we sipped our coffee. We thanked her for her excellent hospitality; then, I took a photo with her. My sticks, Laurel and Hardy, were ready for the road. See you later, Champ! Off we went!
Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack was the best noise we heard on the Camino, especially while we walked through the quiet streets of any town or village. The sticks served as a source of motivation. I understood it irritated pilgrims who walked with no sticks.
It was one of the more demanding stages on the Camino; some pilgrims who hiked this path in the past explained that it would be challenging. The further one advanced on the Camino, the harder the way became. No one must tell you differently. The trail disappeared dangerously, and precisely at one of the busiest motorways exists until we reached the Valcarce service station. We swerved off again, passing via la Portela de Valcarce after nearly four kilometres along the highway. La Portella de Valcarce was a tiny district with a handful of houses. The village name was derived from Galician for a narrow pass.
We passed a pilgrim statue in honour of Santiago. An inscription indicated the city of Santiago was 190 kilometres, Roncesvalles was 559 kilometres, and beneath those directions was Buen Camino, Peregrino. I would most definitely not walk back unless I decided to do it one day. There was a large hotel called Valcarce just to our right. We filled up our bottles of water at the fountain. The houses were very colourful with blue and red doors and overflowed with flowers on their windowsills. After a stretch of walking on the left, we passed through Ambasmestas, one kilometre outside of Valcarce. Ambasmestas was another tiny village with a small local church dedicated to San Pedro. It was increasingly notorious how the Field of Stars gained altitude, but almost always, from the beginning of the day, on deceivingly false flat terrain. This town also marked the meeting point between the Balboa River and the Valcarce River. We walked and chatted nonstop as we headed toward the village of La Vega de Valcarce. This village stood at the top of a hill, overlooking the Valcarce Valley. There were two farmers — a husband and wife — who crossed the streets with their cattle. We stood aside and took a few photos. The female farmer was undoubtedly the boss. She was the leader of the pack. You go, girl! We bought a baguette at a bakery, then went to one of the shops to purchase our Camino staples: cheese, fruits, and chocolates. We noticed there were many cyclists throughout the town. Gus should have been here, too. He would have loved to cycle the Camino, I thought. The small local Church of Santa Magdalena was neglected. I felt freezing inside.
The Castillo del Sarracín overlooked the village from a distant hill. It was a ruin now. I wished that I took more time to explore the site because I was sure the views from the top over the valley were awe-inspiring.
I loved our morning walk. We passed through little towns and villages, stopped here and there at two other communities: Ruitelán and Las Herrerías, another two tiny hamlets. Three separate routes converged in the latter town. We chatted with people, learned about their village, the history of the place, and discovered so much about ourselves and others. Every single day on the Camino was a unique day. We had two coffees each at Bar Rosa in Ruitelán. Our day would not have been the same without coffee breaks.
