Distance: 36.8km (110.5km / 839.2km).
Weather: Overcast, then sunny.
It is a light dusk that greets me walking out of the albergue early in the morning. I had been sound asleep in my bunkbed during the night, probably worn out due to the previous day. No breakfast yet, that will have to wait to A Rúa de Valdeorras, to where the path is dark and calm, except for the cars driving past on the close highway. I am a lone walker, a lone pilgrim, in the dark. Left behind in the albergue is a notice where I express my gratitude to the people here.
Morning light after leaving Vilamartin de Valdeorras.
Nothing much happen on the 5km to A Rúa de Valdeorras, other than a very nice color in the sky behind the mountains when the day is waking up. My strange guidebook is quite confusing when it comes to A Rúa de Valdeorras. If I follow the waymarking, I will be clearly walking outside of and around the centre of the small town, but in the book there is a picture of a yellow arrow in the centre. I need to get something for breakfast, so I have to walk down to the centre anyway. Breakfast I do find, but I do not find the Camino out of the centre. There is a faded arrow in the main street, but going further I find no more, making me return back up the way I came down. I do not know if the Camino has ever gone down here at all. Maybe it did, and it has been rerouted around. There is supposed to be an albergue here too, a little bit outside the town, but after yesterday I do not know if I can trust my guidebook.
Igrexa de Santo Estevo (16th century) in A Rúa de Valdeorras.
Walking with a view of the Encoro de San Martiño.
Wherever the path through A Rúa de Valdeorras actually goes, it is the walk afterwards that matter scenic-wise. At first, I walk a little above with the view of the town, the Encoro de San Martiño lake and the outskirts. Behind are the hills and mountains shrouded in clouds. With the clouds lifting slowly, making a dramatic scene in mid-air, the Winter Way begins to ascend on an extremely quiet road. I love how the changing clouds plays with the sunlight to create different views of the valley below. It is like the fields of dark and light are moving around in the landscape.
Dramatic clouds above the Val de Valdeorras.
The road eventually goes higher up. At the bottom of the valley goes the highway (between Logroño and Vigo), but the rather steep sides of the valley hides both the highway and the valley bottom from my eyes. Sometimes sounds from the road below reaches me up here, but mostly it is quiet. No cars on this road at all. Clouds has not lifted entirely, a grey lid is still situated above me, adding to the quietness. The surface is hard, but I like the walk. Several times I pass by small painted wooden figures. They figure everything from eyes, fish, boars, flamingos, crabs and butterflies to mention some. At the highest point on this road, I get to a small village or hamlet, Albaredos, where there are more of these figures. This place is probably the origin of them.
Walking higher up on a peaceful and quiet road with no cars after A Rúa de Valdeorras.
From Albaredos the Invierno descends down to the next little village on the way, Montefurado. This little place is best known for another Roman engineering feat close by, the Túnel de Montefurado. This is a 400 meter long tunnel that was built to divert the course of the Río Sil, which otherwise went in a long way around. With the tunnel the Romans was able to extract the gold that the river carried with it. Seeing it means a detour off the Camino, but I am too curious to let it pass by.
Above the Río Sil.
Eyes on the Camino.
Fortunately, there is a small road I can use to cross the busy road to get there. Unfortunately, I find the place next to the tunnel, a little park, not the best place to see the tunnel at all. You can see the entrance (or exit), but it does not give you a way to actually see through the tunnel. I try to find a way down to the river, but the riverbed is overgrown and difficult to get to. Maybe the river runs a little high now and it will be better when it is a lower water level. Still a scenic spot though.
Leaving Albaredos.
Montefurado is another of those small and scenic villages with a mix of rundown houses and some relatively new ones, surrounding a big church (San Miguel). From the path leaving Montefurado you get an actually better view of the tunnel than right next to it, from up here you can see further into the tunnel. The Camino up to the hamlet Hermidón goes on a path that almost feel carved out of the ground.
Túnel de Montefurado.
Again the Invierno goes high up on the top of the valleyside. The valley below is wider here, so the road and the river Ril is better visible from this part than the earlier walk. On the other side of the valley are green rolling hills and lower mountains. Small villages are nestled beneath the verdant hills. And again the road is very quiet. No cars. Almost no clouds left on the sky. No pilgrims either, I have not seen any other pilgrim all day. The walk is lovely, later changing to a soft gravel track instead of the road.
Montefurado.
At A Venda Vella there was once an inn for the walkers, now nothing much exists of the old building. I arrive at spot where walkers in old times used to discard their rags, or farrapas. Thus giving name to the chapel here, As Farrapas. I have sort of divided my lunch along the way, ate first at the small park next to the Túnel de Montefurado, I sit down here and eat some more of the food I brought with me from A Rúa de Valdeorras (there is nowhere to get food at until Quiroga), it is a peaceful location.
Old houses exit at Montefurado.
The hillside walk ends at another small village, Bendilló, where a climb up into the belltower of the tiny chapel provides me with a good view of the valley ahead. Down to the valley bottom there is a short, but steep path. At the road there is a choice of routes, but frankly I do not know which is the best one. I end up walking on the upper (north) side of the road, but basically the choices are about coming into the hamlet of O Soldón from the north or the east side.
Túnel de Montefurado from above.
Walking from Os Novais I see the square tower on the hilltop in front of me, this is the Castillo de Torrenovaes. A castle built in the 12th century in a strategic location above Río Sil. When the castle was in use it was inhabited by the Hospitalers of St John of Jerusalem. On the facade is a Maltese Cross. From the tower the first stretch towards Quiroga is a scenic walk through a forest over a hill.
Another view of the Río Sil from above.
A lovely walk towards Quiroga on the Camino Real de Invierno.
Quiroga is the logical destination of the day and far enough to walk from Vilamartin de Valdeorras, so I feel tired when walking into the small town. There is an albergue de peregrinos here too, but it passes me by and I end up taking a room at Hostel Quiper. Another pilgrim is checking in just before me.
And old mill at the As Farrapas chapel.
Nothing really much to see in the town, but for a pilgrim that is not always that important. More important is it to get some rest, so I just go for a short walk before sitting down at a bar for a beer. And that is also fine by me, the walk today has been another good one.
Walking towards the Castillo de Torrenovaes and its tower.
Castillo de Torrenovaes.
The bar I am sitting at is recommending the Restaurante Casa Aroza for dinner, so I head there at the proper time. At the restaurant bar there is a man ordering two glasses of red wine. I take a sidelook at him and then I cannot believe my eyes again. He is wearing a blue sweater and clearly visible on the sweater is the words 'Bamble Kommune'. I have to scratch my eyes to believe what I see. Here I had believed to be the only pilgrim walking the Invierno (not in total of course, just did not expect to meet anyone while walking), and in this small town on this lesser walked Camino I meet a man from my home country. Of all places. Bamble is a small municipality (kommune) back in Norway.
The path to Quiroga from Castillo de Torrenovaes.
Kevin and Kari are also walking the Invierno, after walking all the way from Alicante on the Ruta de la Lana. That is another interesting Camino, barely throdden by pilgrim feet. Now I can forget for a short while about talking English and my poor Spanish. It has all taken an interesting turn, turning into a pleasant evening. They are staying at the albergue.
Mural in Quiroga.
The Camino Real de Invierno has more than met my expectations so far. A Camino full of surprises too. Strange to think that I have been walking for a month now, on two different Caminos though.
Bar Zorro in Quiroga. Here time has stood still and I could not help taking a picture, a wonderful place.
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