On Monday 6 May 2013, Harold and I walked from Ponferrada to Pareje; Pareje is the first village after Villafranca del Bierzo and it is about 5 kilometres after Villafranca del Bierzo. The Brierley distance today was 30.7 kilometres. [Note: The Brierley distance was 28.7 kilometres and not 30.7 as noted in the diary.]
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River Sil, which runs through Ponferrada. It was just after dawn when I took this photo on the 6th ofMay 2013.
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Another view of Ponferrada as dawn was happening on that Monday.
Ponferrada is a large city and it took ages for us to walk out of the city. Harold and I were not the only peregrinos who got lost trying to follow the Camino signs.
The Ponferrada municipality erected many poles just like this one to provide nesting places for storks. The nests made by the storks were very heavy and could cause church steeples to collapse – so the poles were erected to persuade them to stop nesting on the church steeples.
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We had nearly got out of Ponferrada when I took this photo.
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At long last, the Camino took us away from cities and towns and back into quiet walking.
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Another view of the Camino once we had left Ponferrada on the 6th of May 2013.
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Harold insisted that we have lunch at Moncloa in Cacabelos on 6 May because it had a stunning variety of preserved meats that could be bought. This photo gives some insight into the array of produce available at Moncloa.
This is the business card I collected at Moncloa – and no, I am not sponsored by Moncloa at all. It was a good place to have lunch.
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River Burbia in Villafranca del Bierzo. We kept walking through Villafranca del Bierzo because Harold thought it would be too packed with peregrinos – and there were certainly plenty of peregrinos there.
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The bridge over the River Burbia at Villafranca del Bierzo.
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As we neared Pareje, the major roads increased in number and in the volume of traffic they carried. A barrier kept us separated from the road in this section of the Camino.
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Diary Entry Made on Monday 6 May 2013 at 6:50 pm
Harold and I are at Pereje, the first village after Villafranca del Bierzo - about 5 kilometres after Villafranca del Bierzo. The Brierley distance today was 30.7 kilometres. [Note: The Brierley distance was 28.7 kilometres and not 30.7 as noted in the diary.]
This was a cool, cloudy day with drizzle developing as we walked. It was ideal walking weather. By going on to Pereje instead of staying at Villafranca del Bierza, it will hopefully make tomorrow's walk over the mountain into Galicia just a little easier. The albergue here is beautiful and it is empty except for a group of 5 others who are from south Africa (nice people).
We are now firmly in mountain country with rushing rivers, dense greenery and singing birds. Most of today's walking was through countryside with vineyards on both sides of the Camino.
Today's walking was through gorgeous country. My feet and body are not in pain.
Distance Walked Today: 28.7 kilometres.
Total Distance Walked So Far: 582.8 kilometres.
Total Distance Covered So Far: 604 kilometres including the 21.2 kilometres by taxi.
Soul Song Number 27 - Beauty in Bierzo
(6 May 2013)
Today you left the city of the Iron Bridge,
Trudging through dreary suburbs.
The dreary suburbs gave no indication of what was to come…
Eventually the suburbs surrendered,
Permitting the countryside to show its true colours.
Up towards the sierras the Camino climbed.
On either side, vineyards covered the ground.
Not yet, the sea of green that was to come,
But budding with the beginnings of what was to be.
Oh! The flowers!
They were determined to change the world immediately,
Change it by painting it in waves of white, red and blue.
So you walked through a world bursting with life and colour,
Edging always upward,
Upward into the hills.
As the day wore on,
You walked in a land of rushing rivers and deep, deep green.
Into the heart of beautiful Bierzo you walked,
Until you came to rest after yet another long day.
Then time stopped for you.
You were in Pereje.
Surrounded by green.
Surrounded by beauty.
You were definitely at a very good place to sleep.
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