Day 31 - Cafe con Leche on the Camino : Molinaseca to Cacabelos

Café con Leche on the Camino

Café con Leche and Castles along the Camino Francés

This morning, although our alarm went off at 6 AM, we slept in until 6:30 AM and did not head out until the "late hour" of 7 AM.  Such luxury!  Once up, we headed to a nearby bar for croissants and café con leche for breakfast and then followed the trail out of town.

    

We found that the route out of Molinaseca through Campo and into Ponferrada was poorly marked, leading us to worry that we had strayed off course.  Luckily, we hadn't, and it was a beautiful morning as we trekked through the Bierzo Valley and the town of Campo.

 

Ponferrada Spain

In the suburbs of Ponferrada, we navigated the city streets, passed over a vaulted stone bridge crossing the Rio Boeza, and wandered into the old quarter of town before settling into a bakery to await the opening of the nearby castle.  Here we each enjoyed two fresh large apple squares and another café con leche.

The Castillo at the heart of Ponferrada is best described as a massive structure on the river's edge which even amid modern structures dominates the region.  Recovered and ready to take some time off in the middle of the day, we visited the central castle - the Castillo de los Templarios - originally a Roman camp which was later controlled for centuries by the Knight's Templars.

Castillo de los Templarios

To enter into the Castillo de los Templarios, we crossed through two gates and over the moat, where we bought our tickets and were allowed to leave our packs.  Once inside, we wandered between historical displays, climbed into the towers, out onto the turrets, and explored the walkways leading around the castle walls. 

 

From these vantage points, we were afforded a wondrous view over the mountainous countryside and city below.    

 

The reconstructed fortification also houses the archives and library.  Unfortunately, many of its displays seemed overly dramatized, and vying to tie into public interest in the Templar society and Camino rather than focusing on facts.  Despite this, the Castillo of the Knights Templar is definitely a site worth visiting.

 

 
After recollecting our packs, we wandered the streets of central Ponferrada, visited the Basilica Nuestra Señora de La Encina, explored the beautiful multicoloured town square and photographed the iconic clock tower, the Torre Del Reloj.  Then, despite the late hour, we proceeded back onto the Camino. The city of Ponferrada now joined the ever-growing list of towns we wish we could have spent an entire day visiting!

 

Our hike out of town took us through a public park and past an iron bridge, which the region was named after. The trail then cut steeply uphill through the suburbs of Ponferrada and past a beautiful church and Celtic cross - the Ermita de Santa Maria de Compostela.  

 

We then found ourselves back on dirt roadways which meandered between vineyards and along rolling hills.  Blessedly, this afternoon's hike traversed through a lush forested region which provided some shade and a place for a break along the way amid the warmth of the day!  As we passed through Camponaraya, we discovered that it was wine harvesting season, and so we were fortunate enough to get to watch families picking grapes and loading up huge tractors!

 

Cacabelos Spain

Having hiked along the roadway for some time, we arrived at Cacabelos by 2:30; however, when we went to check in, our names had been misspelled during the reservation process, which resulted in a protracted discussion on our identities.   Despite the momentary setback, we were soon let into the Hotel La Gallega Albergue, where we were fortunate enough to receive a large private room, which was very clean, with two beds and a washroom!  An hour later, after shaving, showering (twice), cleaning our laundry and changing our clothes, we came back to the hostel bar for a lunch of orange juice and tortilla, during which we discovered that our now perennial group of American and Canadian pilgrims were also staying here for the evening!

 

This afternoon has largely been dedicated to catching up on our journals, reading about the next stages of the Camino, and giving us the opportunity to explore the town.  While out, we found an incredible municipal albergue with interesting closet rooms for 2 people, which would have been cool to try out.  We also tried to visit the local church, but unfortunately, the Iglesia de Santa Maria de la Plaza was closed, so we returned to our rooms to write a few postcards to friends and family at home, after which we relaxed until dinner time.

 

   

Exploring Cacabelos and Evening Dinner

Around 7 PM, a group of eight pilgrims all met in the downstairs lobby and enjoyed a quiet dinner together in the hotel.  Our meal was a delicious risotto, fresh bread, salad and red wine, though admittedly there was much debate as to whether we should try the famed regional pulpo or octopus. Ultimately, no one opted to try it out.   As I write this, we are about to turn in for the night, but I have to say that it was yet another gorgeous day on the Camino and our planned trek tomorrow is to possibly get to O Cebreiro and into the province of Galicia. 

See you on the Trail!

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Practical information:

Distance: 30.2 km
Max Temperature: 30°C
Accommodations: Hotel La Gallega Albergue