8 September 2023
Sobradelo to A Rua de Valdeorras - 23 kms
Wanting to avoid walking in the afternoon heat as much as possible we set out at 7.15, over an hour before sunrise. Fortunately the path was along the road for a while and by the time the route took us onto a track it was reasonably light.
We had a steady climb up out of Sobradelo until we came O Barco de Valdeorras then it was more or less a flat walk until the end of today's walk.
Walking through O Barco seemed to go on forever, with one suburb or town joining into the next, mostly on paths next to the road. Fortunately, towards the end of our day's walk, we were able to go on a couple of alternative paths which gave us some break from the roads, and also gave us some shade.
At the end of each day's walk all we want to do is to get to our accommodation - some days we have no problem finding where we're staying but on other days we seem to go around in circles. Today was one of those days, it took us quite some time to find where we're staying tonight. The entrance is on another street to the address we had been given!
Leaving Sobradelo before light.
This route is well marked which makes it easy to follow.
Most of the way from Sobradelo to O Barco de Valdeorras was on a track above the roads and the river, the Rio Sil.
Looking back at the sunrise.
A view of the Rio Sil - it was quite wide at this point. Later we came to where it is dammed.
So much of today's walk was alongside roads.
On one of the alternative routes - so lovely to leave the roads behind, also to have some shade.
The Camino Invierno in brown and the yellow route is the Camino Francés.
The Rio Sil - very wide this side of the dam.
Another green stretch.
The dam
We took a alternative route a few kilometres before A Rua de Valdeorras. The signage had a warning on the original route for this section which was on very busy roads. Unfortunately the alternative had quite a steep climb and the day was very hot by then.
Looking down towards the dam from the alternative route.
We walked past vineyards - very small blocks compared to New Zealand vineyards.
These would be the biggest vineyards we saw today.
Finally arriving A Rua de Valdeorras
We got quite confused when trying to find our accommodation. This chap tried to point us in the right direction...
...we had to walk through so many little streets and lanes.
We eventually found where we're staying. This is our host leading us in from the gate.
We're sitting out in our host's garden - the air is almost too hot. It's just after 5pm and it's 35°C, but feels way hotter than that.
