Camino Invierno - Day 12h

15 September 2023

Chantada to Vilaseco - 7 kms

We had a semi-restday today. We spent this morning in Chantada as we had such a short walk to tonight's accommodation near Vilaseco. 

As we didn't need to check out of our accommodation in Chantada until midday, it was a lovely break from our usual morning rush. We did a supermarket shop last night knowing that they would be shut today, Sunday, so enjoyed a lazy breakfast with the spoils of our shopping. 

I had been trying to find out Mass times for today but didn't have any luck looking online so we decided we would check out the small old Church of Santa Mariña we saw when we walked in yesterday, only it was still locked. 

We wandered on a wee while then walked back on another street and spotted what looked like another, more modern, church not far from the back of the old one. It was locked too but as we stood there looking a man crossed the road walking towards the church. When he saw us he asked if we were peregrinos and used sign language to ask if we wanted a stamp. He indicated to follow him. He unlocked the church, switched on some lights then took us to the sacristy and stamped our credentials. I asked him what time Mass was. He had limited English and my Spanish is almost nonexistent but he managed to tell us that Masses were at 11 and 12. He then indicated that we should look around in the church and wished us Buen camino. 

It was very modern compared to the ages of most Spanish churches but we have no idea when it was built. It was beautiful with stunning stained glass windows and other artefacts. 

We left the church and had a hot drink for morning tea and bought some tasty treats from a panaderia which we took back to our accommodation to enjoy as it was still quite early. 

We did a final pack of our backpacks and left our accommodation just before 12 and walked to the church for Mass - this newer church is called the Church of Santa Mariña, the same as the old one. And the priest who said Mass was the chap who opened the church earlier and gave us our stamps. He recognised us too and gave us big grins. 

When we came out of church it was raining, not heavy but heavy enough to need raincoats. We were standing huddled under some street umbrellas wondering where we could find some early lunch - the Spanish don't have lunch until nearer 3 pm - when a man approached us wanting to know if he could direct us somewhere. With his help we went to a nearby bar/restaurant and after a simple but good lunch we were on our way - wearing our ponchos. By then the rain had settled to a light drizzle and about half way through our short walk it stopped altogether. 

We're in the middle of nowhere tonight, at least it feels like that. It's in the country with no houses in sight. We've been told that dinner is at 8.30pm and breakfast will be at 8am. That suits us as it's not light enough to start walking until nearly 8.30. 

We have a decision to make tomorrow -  to go on the original camino route up and over Monte Faro, which is what we would prefer, or to walk an alternative road route which sidles around the mountain - Brierleys guidebook suggests taking the road variant if the weather isn't good. Rain is forecast for the rest of our camino. 

We are now less than 100 kilometres to Santiago de Compostela. We had been keeping an eye on the mojones, watching them count the kilometres down expecting to have one marking the 100 kilometres distance as on the Camino Francés but, unless we both missed it which is unlikely, there wasn't a special one. They went from 100.258 to 99.278 kms. 

The modern Church of Santa Mariña 

After Mass the priest gathered children for what looked like a first holy communion preparation lesson. 

This piece is made entirely by small tiles. 

Unusual Stations of the Cross 

Setting off from Chantada in the early afternoon.

Jeff stepping it out.

After seeing our first horreo yesterday, we saw several today.

Art on a farm building. We'd not seen that before. 

An old cross on the way.

100.258 kilometres to Santiago de Compostela 

When the rain stopped completely we left our ponchos draped over our backpacks ready to pop on again if needed. 

Suddenly it was 99.278 kilometres to Santiago, no special 100 km marker!

My poncho, which was draped over the back of my pack, looks like a superhero cape 😁

Cattle were housed in this shed. We've seen so few in paddocks that we think that most be in sheds.

Our accommodation place for the night. 

Camino Invierno - Day 10

14 September 2023

Vilariño to Chantada - 16 kms

We are disputing how many kilometres we walked today. Guides and the mojones say 16 kms but we think we could add another 10 kms for the effort that was required 😂

It's been a fantastic day, we've thoroughly enjoyed it in spite of the effort needed.

After a wet night we woke to a fine but foggy morning. We rejoined the camino route from our stay at Vilariño and had road walking until we reached Diomondi when the camino path took us on a short, distance-wise, but very steep rocky track down to the settlement of Belesar. John Brierley, in his guide, stated that it is a 610m descent. 

Belesar, which straddles the Rio Miño,  is incredibly picturesque. The fog hadn't quite cleared so we can only imagine how it would look on sunny day. 

We had a brief snack stop at Belesar before continuing on our way. The path from Belesar went up ...and up. It zigzagged it's way to the top, partly on road but mostly on tracks which intersected the road. Much of the track sections were rocky, and just as we started the climb the sky cleared and it became sunny and hot. 

Brierley said that the climb up from Belesar is the steepest and most spectacular climb of the Camino Invierno. An information board in Belesar stated that the Invierno route was used by the Romans well before medieval pilgrims began using it, and some of the stones are from the Roman times.

There were no services all day. Diomondi, or what we saw of it, consisted of a 12th century church, San Palo de Diomondi, which has an albergue attached, and we didn't see any shops in Belesar either. 

After our climb up from Belesar we stopped at Lincora, opposite the church of San Pedro de Lincora, for a very late lunch break before walking into Chantada. 

Chantada is 105 kilometres from Santiago de Compostela making it a starting point for anyone wanted to walk the last 100 kilometres on the Camino Invierno which would enable them to receive a Compostela. 

Up until now we've been getting one stamp a day in our credentials, but from here we need to get two a day to prove that we have walked the last 100 to Santiago de Compostela. 

We're not sure how we'll manage to get two stamps a day as it has been difficult at times to even get one.

It was quite foggy when we set off.

The road was very quiet, very little traffic. 

Cows were being moved along the road. We've seen hardly any cows, or sheep, in paddocks. We've seen no sign of milking sheds. The paddocks are usually bare although the grass isn't long.

This is the first horreo, Galician grain store, that we've seen. 

12th century Romanesque San Paio de Diomondi Church. 

The stone carvings showing animals and mystical creatures are very well preserved.

A small settlement we walked through 

We found that it was impossible to capture the gradient of the descent and ascent we had today. This is on the way down to Belesar. The path was way steeper than this shot shows. 

Coming down to Belesar 

Belesar straddles the Rio Miño 

And then we had the climb up out of Belesar 

The slopes above the Rio Miño were terraced, using low stone walls, and were planted in grapes and fruit trees.

Another horreo 

A friendly character on our way up.

Finally at the top in Lincora where we had our late lunch stop - opposite the Church of San Pedro de Lincora.

Church of San Pedro de Lincora.

On the outskirts of Chantada 

In Chantada 

The plantings in Chantada are fantastic. 

The Church of Santa Mariña, Chantada. 

Street art.