👣 Noire Pilgrim: A Plateful of Love

Look! A double rainbow after a thunderstorm in the mountains

Camino Sanabrés is the final leg of the journey to Santiago de Compostela. First, camino Mozárabe, then Via de la Plata, and now camino Sanabrés the rest of the way. Well, I was always on the way but I feel that I am almost there with 371 kilometers to go. This stretch of the trail is in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon.

The trail was a little rough and stony in the orchard valley outside of Granja de Moreruela. I decided to stay on the highway or flat road but the pavement is not much better on my feet. It was familiar to me because I trained mostly on that kind of surface at home. Usually the paved road is better for bicyclists on their way to Santiago and it is a little longer.

Puente Quintos And Esla River

The trail is quiet and a bit lonely. I enjoyed the solitude and hoped that I could get to the next town, Tabara, without going into the mountain forests.

Along the trail a river sprang into view. It is the Esla river nestled in rocks and cliffs in the mountains. Ahead, an old stone bridge spanned the river.

The old bridge is the Puente Quintos.

Reading the signs on Sanabrès

A sign at the end of the bridge was posted for hikers and walkers. It was part instruction and part warning. Go left (IZQUIERDA) and encounter a difficult and accident prone walk; no bikes. Go right (DERECHA) and stay on the road for an easier trail for pilgrims and bikes. I stayed right!

I heard from another pilgrim that I missed spectacular views by avoiding the rougher, steep route through the viaduct. Sorry I missed it. My choice, to stay on the road, was best for me. I will, however, take him up on his offer to look through his photos of the trail.

Tabara

Tabara is a small town but had a handful of hostels set up for pilgrims looking for beds. The hostel that I found is attached to a nice restaurant. It catered to pilgrims, bicyclists, and townspeople. The menu del día was quite tasty.

I met a peregrina from Brazil who was recovering from jet lag and getting ready to begin her pilgrimage from here. Also, I saw a few regulars that I run into at albergues and cafes from time to time on the trail, including an interesting Spaniard and and charming peregrino from Italy. Later that night a group of Italian bicyclists came and really stirred up the place with their lively banter.

There were 14 beds in one dorm room. We also shared one bathroom in that place! But we were ladies and gentlemen as much as people can be in close quarters.

On the trail through the eucalyptus, I ran into a fellow peregrina from Korea. We met at an albergue in the town of Aldeanueva del Camino on camino Via de la Plata. She left the next morning before sunrise. I had not seen her on the trail until now.

My pilgrim friend and I walked through the eucalyptus groves and other parts of the camino. She is definitely a fast walker. Soon we were separated on the trail. I usually caught up with her when she stopped to take a break.

Calzadilla de Tera

On the way to the small town I stopped at a nice picnic area with a small lagoon in the middle. I took off my shoes and socks and dried my feet.

Before the stop at the picnic grounds, I ran into my pilgrim friends from Finland and France at a cafe on the way. We started to talk about the scarcity of accommodations in the town. They already reserved beds in a private albergue. There were, they mentioned, a couple of beds that were still available if I was interested in sharing a room. I was very interested as was my pilgrim companion from Korea, who coincidentally was taking a break at that same cafe. We agreed to share a room. And our Finnish peregrina graciously made the reservation for us since she was already familiar with the proprietor.

All we had to do was get there.

We got here just in time before a wild afternoon thunderstorm. The two of us had a comical sprint to find the albergue before the skies burst wide open!

Our friends were already at the albergue, a private one. The owner introduced herself, collected our money, and stamped our credentials.

My friend and I shared a room with a very nice view of the mountains.

The band’s back together

It was just us, my Zamora pilgrims (France and Finland), the peregrina from Korea, and me. After registering, settling in and showering, all of us walked to the market. This is always a good time to replenish our personal supplies.

We were in the market only a few minutes before our French pilgrim, the peregrino in the group, wanted to make a pasta meal for us. He was eager to make the dinner. The four of us pooled some resources together and bought the ingredients. We had a vegetarian in our little group so we brainstormed how we would make our meal special for her too.

The meal was cooked without meat. I suggested that something green in the dish would benefit us all. Bottled spinach – which is actually pretty good – was added to the pot. Then it was cooked with white cheese sauce. A portion was reserved for our vegan friend and a little meat was added to the rest of the dish for the carnivores in the group. We also had fruit that we found at the market. It was the perfect solution. The meal was truly a labor of friendship and love.

During the meal, the thunderstorm ended. The sun also peeked through the clouds. We looked out the window and saw a double rainbow. It was a surreal moment that I will always remember.

For some people, a rainbow is a sign that the storm is over at least for a while. It is a sign of good luck or new beginnings. Perhaps it signals a spiritual awakening. We’re on the right trail for that.

On to the next town

That dinner moment last night was proof of the positive energy that was with us. Our Korean pilgrim friend left the albergue at her usual time… before sunrise. We may or may not see her again on the trail. That is the way of the camino. An hour later, the rest of us left that cozy place.

Rionegro de Puente

Luckily we found an albergue. Across the road is a cafe with excellent food on the pilgrim’s menu. The local residents also eat here. Chef Teo was very good and a showman! There were citations and awards posted on the walls. The man is truly a master and an unexpected sight to behold in this small town.

Back on the Trail

Well, it is morning. I am a pilgrim. And I am back on the camino, now Sanabrés, getting closer to Santiago de Compostela.

Baadaye and Buen camino

Shirley J ♥️

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This and several posts this summer are chronicling my pilgrimage in Spain where I am walking the 1400 kilometer-long camino Mozárabe, now on the Via de la Plata, northward to Santiago de Compostela. Read my announcement here.

My YouTube channel – Noire Pilgrim By Shirley J – features mini videos, snippets, and shorts from my pilgrimage on the camino.