Madrid, 23 May

I had an early morning swim in the pool on the 13^th floor, in my knickers and a T-shirt. The other occupants of the pool were 2 Russian guys in their underpants. I didn’t join them in the sauna!

A sumptuous €22 breakfast followed: the buffet had everything you could possibly desire, including lovely pink grapefruit slices nicely prepared and a bottle of champagne hidden in an icebucket with bottles of water, just right for making Bucks Fizz. I also had bacon and eggs, with a churro and choc to follow!

After all this, I took a taxi to the Museo Reina Sofia to see Picasso’s Guernica (unable to face the complications of the Metro, not to mention the steps, with my gammy foot). The traffic going into the town centre was again horrendous, but I was thrilled to see Guernica!

Notes on Guernica made in the museum:

It was painted by Picasso at the request of the Republican Government for the Spanish Pavilion at the 1937 Paris International Exhibition. It was a condemnation of the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica by the Luftwaffe,who were allied to the rebels, on April 26, 1937. It remains a universal symbol of the fight against aggression.

Some foreign press who were in Bilbao were immediately moved to Guernica to gather images and testimonies, which reached the international press next day and affected the entire world. News of the attack on a non-military enclave with a population of mainly women and children spread throughout Europe.

The same day, Picasso made first sketchesfor a great mural (3.50 m. x 7.87 m.). The choice of black and white diminished any anecdotic or hedonistic intention. Picasso portrayed the terrible consequences of war in the light of an electric light bulb. The stillness of the composition, a frozen image. In the form of women, the bull and the horse, we see the most extreme impression of pain in the history of art. It is expressed through open mouths, tongues like fists, eyes transformed into needles, ships or fountains which overflowwith tears. (Taken from information leaflet at the museum).

Postscript: since returning home, I have read the novel "Guernica" by Dave Boling.  This is a moving account of the destruction of Guernica, seen through the eyes of two Basque families.  It reminds us of the horrors of war in the same way as Picasso's painting does.

Villafranca to Madrid, 22 May

The bus from Villafranca was supposed to take half an hour and connect with the 10.40 “superbus” to Madrid, for which I had paid a higher fare.  The best laid plans…  My bus was about 2 minutes late and the Madrid bus must have been 2 minutes early!

I don’t know which was worse – sitting in the Ponferrada bus staion for 3.5 hours, or sitting on the slow bus to Madrid for 5 hours!  Fortunately, I had a leftover “picnic” of pulpo, which the waitress had kindly parceled up for me in a shrink wrap the previous night.  I could have done with more to drink though, and the driver seemed reluctant to let people off at stops.

The road to Madrid was exceedingly boring across long flat plains.  A DVD of “The Butler” was showing, but no-one seemed to have any headphones.  It seemed like an interesting film to while away the afternoon, especially as it was in English with Spanish subtitles.

On arrival at the Bus Station “Sur”,  I knew it would be an expensive taxi ride through busy traffic to reach the Hotel Puerto America, 4 kms north of the centre.  It was!  (€15)

The hotel was certainly different!  I was given an iPad and asked to select a floor.  Each floor had been designed by a different architect.  I was a bit too tired to think properly, and couldn’t really be bothered to look through information about 10 floors, so I chose No. 6, with designs by an Aussie architect, Mark Newson.  The corridor to my room was bright red plastic.  The room itself was in dark grey leather and dark grey plastic, with the bathroom done entirely in white Carrera marble with light grey markings.  Stunning!

I had a G & T from the minibar, and then later went for dinner in the posh restaurant,  I was first in there at 9.15 p.m.  Menu:  light cream soup with scallops and courgettes, followed by stewed oxtail in red wine;  then a gluttonous dessert: a cross between a bread and butter pudding and a crème brulee (€50).  There were at least 7 waiters hovering around and only one other couple, till a group arrived well after 10 p.m.

Luxurious hotel room

Accommodation List for Camino 2014

28 April  Burgos,  Hotel Abba                      €70

29 April  Burgos,  Meson del Cid                 €65

30 April  Hornillos,  La Consulta de Isar     €40  (€58 w. dinner & breakfast)

1 May  Hontanas, Albergue El Puntido       €5

2 May  Castrojeriz,  Camino de Santiago Camping   €33

3 May  Boadilla del Camino, En el Camino €33  (plus €10 dinner)

4 May  Vilacazar de Sirga, Las Cantigas      €30

5 May  Carrion de los Condes, Sta Clara Convent €22 (plus €21.25 dinner)

6 May  Sahagun, Hotel Puerta                     €25

7 May  El Burgo Ranero, Albergue La Laguna       €30 (plus €15 dinner)

8 May  Mansilla, La Puente                          €35  (plus €10 dinner)

9 May Leon,  La Posada Regia                      €65

10 May  Leon,  La Posada Regia                  €79  Sat rate)

11 May  Villar de Mazariffe, Albergue Tio Pepe    €25 (plus €10 dinner)

12 May  Hospital,  Paso Honroso                 €35

13 May  Astorga,  Hotel Gaudi                     €45 (lunch at Las Termas €20)

14 May  Sta Catalina,  El Caminante                       €25 (plus €9.50 dinner)

15 May  Rabanal del Camino, Posada Gaspar        €41

16 May  Acebo,  La Posada del Peregrino  €41 (incl. dinner and breakfast)

17 May  Molinaseca,  Casa del Reloj                        €30

18 May  Ponferrada,  Hotel El Castillo        €44

19 May  Cacabelos,  Hostal Sta Maria         €30

20 May  Villafranca del Bierzo, Parador     €259 for 2 nights, B & B and dinner

21 May  Villafranca del Bierzo, Parador

22 May  Madrid, Puerta de America           €311 for 2 nights

23 May  Madrid, Puerta de America           w. 1 dinner & breakfast

24 May  Avila,  Hotel las Leyendas              €59

25 May  Madrid, Puerta de America           €330.75 for 2 nights

26 May  Madrid,  Puerta de America

27 May  Illetas, Mallorca, Hotel Bonsol

Cathedral, Palma de Mallorca

Cathedral, Palma de Mallorca

Villafranca, 21 May

I was up at 7.30 a.m.  Rain was falling steadily as per forecast.  I left the hotel with only a coffee (not realizing that I had actually paid for breakfast with my booking).  I was at the bottom of the hill in good time for the little bus up to Pedrafita, rain falling all the while.

It was a most interesting ride up and up into the mountains.  After a couple of stops on the minor road, we swung onto the freeway.  This was a feat of engineering, with at least 4 viaducts built high above the valley floor.

On arrival in Pedrafita, it was exceedingly cold, so I headed straight for a bar to get a hot coffee.  I got talking to a Norwegian girl, Sol, who also had a foot problem which was preventing her from continuing to walk.  However she was limping along and determined to complete her Camino by bus.

When she had found a hotel and deposited her bags, we shared a taxi for €10 up to O’Cebreiro.  When we got there, the weather if anything was worse.  It seemed to be blowing a Force 10 gale, which made my notion of strolling round the little town very unattractive.  I had been there previously with Fresco Tours, but we had arrived late in the day on a lovely Autumn evening, with no time to look around.

Sol and I headed for the old Church, now with its own legend, and had our Credencials stamped by a monk.  We then hurried inside (as fast as we could with our gammy feet!)  to a warm bar across the street.  I ordered a sherry and the lady also gave me a tiny bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Suddenly some old Camino friends of Sol arrived, and were amazed to see her there, thinking she must be behind them.  They had left her way back, injured.  They were a couple from Queensland with their grown up daughter.  We had an enjoyable long lunch (just beer and bowls of garlic soup), but we made it last as long as we could as it was just too cold and wet to go out.  From our little refuge we were able to watch all the pilgrims arriving, struggling up the hill, exhausted and dripping wet.  Not the dream Camino!

Outside I saw “Taxi Ana” parked, but no driver.  The friendly bar lady located Ana for us, having a coffee at the opposite bar.  So we jumped in and headed back down to Pedrafita.  The driver agreed to take me back down to Villafranca for €30.  I was keen to get back to the warmth and welcome of the Parador.  Ana drove down the freeway at speed, negotiating the bends with skill and talking on her mobile at the same time.

I thawed out with a nice hot bubble bath, washed my hair with proper shampoo and conditioner, then lazed on the bed watching the Spanish TV News.  The weather forecast was still solid rain across Northern Spain.  After another long Internet session, during which I booked my hotel in Madrid for 2 nights, it was time for dinner: a fresh salad with goats cheese, followed by octopus and potatoes.

Iglesia de Santa Maria Real,  O'Cebreiro
dating from 9th Century

Bibles in the church in many languages

Candles in the church

Typical house in O'Cebreiro

Hotel next to the church

Looking back from O'Cebreiro