Molinaseca to Villafranca

Day 23

I woke up feeling a bit dizzy this morning. As I lay there I figured I was probably a bit dehydrated and should drink some water from my nearby waterbottle. Not even out of bed and I was reminded of the folks for whom reaching for fresh water is not an option. 😕

I headed out into the dark just after 5. Still enjoying the evening stars and the occasional meteors – I was thinking that it was supposed to be a full moon but I hadn’t seen the moon since I got here. This time of year it rises after I go to bed and I was thinking it must be low on the horizon. Shortly after thinking this, I went over a hill and was greeted by a spectacular buttercream-yellow full moon. This photo doesn’t do it justice.

The route split this morning on the way to Ponferrada – the next big town.  I took the older route and apparently it saves an hour of unnecessary detour. I learned this from my new friend, Yunus – a British pilgrim (who now lives in Italy).  This is his 20th Camino and he knows the terrain pretty well. I had met him at a dinner a few nights back and he was traveling the same route this morning. He was heading to First Coffee, which he apparently takes just as seriously as I do, in Ponferrada via a shortcut. He described an amazing bakery that had excellent coffee and croissants straight out of the oven. I was totally in for that. It turned out to be a place I’d visited six years prior – and it was amazing then too. So grateful for the shortcut!

We chatted over the next few kilometers and it was nice to have good company. He’s a writer / published author. At the next break we met Laura, an American from Houston. The three of us walked and chatted for the next few kilometers until our paces dictated we separate for a while. We were all heading to Villafranca so it would be lovely to see them again. 

We’re definitely in grape and olive country again. I passed several large vineyards and bodegas. Beautiful countryside. 

In a woods I met a local gentleman selling hand-carved shells. I didn’t purchase anything but did get a photo of one of his dogs. He said it’s a Leonees – a massive, local version of a Pyrenees. Very typical farm dog for the area. 

Further down the road the trail split again. This time I opted out of the scenic route through the countryside for the shorter route along the road. It was 1:30 and getting hot – I’d gone the other way the previous two times. Time for another shortcut. 

Arrived about 3.  A couple of the albergues were full so I tried San Nicholas, in a beautiful old church. I typically lay down on the bed for a few minutes before unpacking and showering. So glad I did. 

Generally speaking, I’m guessing this is a phrase one would prefer not to type into Google Translate:

SO glad I didn’t unpack!  She showed me their records which indicated the place had been sprayed for bedbugs just four days prior. I had to show her that, that said, at that very moment there were little black bugs climbing around on the bed and walls. She couldn’t argue with that. Clearly, they sprayed because they knew it was an issue. Hopefully they can get a refund from the exterminator. 

I headed out and found a really clean, newer place not far away. A bit of a treat but… clean!  After a really hot shower and the laundry done – it’s almost time for dinner. Hoping to find my friends again. 

More later…

If you’d like more information about my walk for charity:water, please follow this link. Thank you!

https://www.charitywater.org/marilyn-peterson/marilyn-s-camino-for-water