Camino Confidential: 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.