Rio Negra to Pueblo de Sanabria - One Step Ahead

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‘One step ahead . . . Stay in motion, keep an open mind.’ I needed to today. I had fallen a little behind in days and distance - I made it up okay, through a gradual, mostly roadside, shuffle. It was fine.

In the early morning hours, I closed the door to the albergue, in the rain - what a cool start to the day.
Shall I walk the road or follow the yellow arrows?
To be honest - I have been spooked by my Levante experience - official paths can be so unpredictable - I didn’t want to risk twisting an ankle or falling into a ditch in the dark - so I took the road. The pre-dawn hours were magical - gentle drizzle, hardly a car.
The sun rose over my right shoulder.
I had breakfast at Mombuey. I felt safe in the presence of the Civil Guard. They ordered a tortilla from scratch while my toast was burnt. Oh well, I suppose I am an alien.

The rest of the breakfast was wonderful. I had been light on food over the last day or two so it set me up for a big walking day. Gracias El Porvenir Bar!

The 12th century Templar church and pyramidal tower is a ‘must see’ at Mombuey - nothing like it anywhere else in medieval Europe.  I wondered why.
I must be making progress. This post says Santiago is less than 300kms away - ‘stay in motion keep an open mind’ One step at a time.

The roadside path fitted my physical and mental state. I had a long distance to cover and needed a flat reliable surface where I could feel my feet, my knees and my legs with certainty, and let my mind focus on other things. It worked perfectly.. I was alert the whole time, watching the traffic and communicating with the drivers. I got such encouragement through beeps and waves - 99% of the cars and trucks moved across the road to give me more space - for the one percent, I tried to stare them down but then jumped into the bushes.

In between I had periods of solitude. 
Roadside ruins always fascinate me. What happened here? Who was the family? Why is this place a ruin?

Pace quickened as I approached Pueblo de Sanabria 
The regular albergue was closed . . .
so I checked in at the hostel across the street.
It had been a long day, I was tired but I wanted to see the castle.

The cliimb took 330 steps -  beginning with step number one.
The stairs looked daunting . . . 

The view at the top was worth the climb.
Pueblo de Sanabria has a medieval village next to the castle at the top of the steps.

A lot to take in at the end of a long day, but it was worth it. 

Stay in motion - keep an open mind.



Inspiration by Neil Finn and Split Enz

Comments

  1. Anonymous28 June 2024 at 03:19

    one step ahead indeed. you’re doing good stuff (i think) easy for me to say sitting in pilgrims in milton drinking chai😊the irony is not lost on me. keep going mike, for those of us not walking. behold. the pilgrim😘

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous28 June 2024 at 05:43

      Thanks, A chai would go down really well right now. I’m about to head off to the next destination. I do feel like a pilgrim, Especially now, as Santiago is getting closer

      Delete
  2. Tess28 June 2024 at 10:14

    Great going Dad! Good on you for taking on those additional 300 stairs to the castle at the end! The medieval beer and nuts at the top would have been extra satisfying with that view

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous28 June 2024 at 10:15

      Oops make that 330 ;)

      Delete
    2. Anonymous28 June 2024 at 22:02

      It was ! Thanks Tess!

      Delete
  3. Chrissy30 June 2024 at 10:42

    Less 300 km to go, and 330 steps additional today. Well done!

    ReplyDelete

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