Пройдено 29.43 км ( по горам ) за 7 часов 16 минут.
I got started as usual after 8 AM. Sun hasn't rise yet, but it was bright and you see your path. I should walk through whole village, because I staid overnight in it start. But the walk was grate. Usually those villages on the Camino at least 1000 years old. It's nice to see those millennium old walls and buildings. From everywhere pilgrims are coming to one point of the village - bridge over the river to continue their Camino. Before bridge I found small monument of pilgrim and get photographed.
After the bridge there were three way to continue. First, easiest way by car road, second way slightly left of the road, which has been created in current time to make pilgrim life easy ( with tunnel through mountains. ). Ant third way - original Camino de France path more than 1000 years old. In my guide book it saying this path is not well marked and in many cases you must use you feeling of the right direction. As well in book it shows change of altitude more than 1500 meters three time during the walk. You'll never know what those numbrs means untill your body doesn't tell you
And guess what I had selected? People knowing me well will answer right - Dragonte , third one , one of the ways that pilgrims used to traverse the Valcarce Valley.
It is longer, with three deep river valleys to cross, and is way marked as part of the GR-11 and variously referred to as Camino de Los Franceses or as Camino Dragonte.
After crossing last bridge to Dragonte , I stopped to pack back my guide nok. I look back last time to see how beautiful was Villafranca in lights of rising sun.
I noticed that two more people are going same way as me. In Camino it is very easy to start talking to the people. First question usually "Where are you from" ( :-) not for me thanks to my Canadian straws hat ) and conversation has started. They were from New Zealand, Ross and Jenny. In their middle sixties this was their second Camino. They were very fit, but because of ages they were using backpack delivery service. But against their ages they had selected Dragonte path, which is most hard of three and not many people using it.
Everyone on Camino thinking I'm from Quebec, because of my Russian accent. I said where i am from and we started good discussion about exUSSR and current situation in Russia and Belarus. I was surprised how informed they were. But the key was easy to gt - couple of years ago they travelled in Russia and visited Moscow and St. Peterburg. The second was that their son was engaged to Ukrainian girl. I always knew that Belarus , Ukraine and Russia are producing most beautiful girl ( sorry for word producing ). Anyway, we managed to get into Dragonte-beautiful village on top of the mountain. I always wondering what people doing there. Actually now I understood how beautiful view from your windows can be and probably I will have it some day. But people here usually doing all agriculture related job.
Talking and making couple of pictures we had reached village Dragonte. The view from there was amazing. After 1600 m we got in the first top - La Corona. After we started steep down hill walk. And there we met first trouble. In guide this path described very briefly. In this point it is saying get around the greek and follow the path. We found greek, but there was no path. We are trying to continue aproximately the same direction. In six or seven hundred meters we stranded before grass field getting steeply up and there was no visual presence of path. Jenny decided to go uphill to check if there any path. We waited with Ross. In this point I would like to spend a little bit time to describe Ross and Jenny. In their middle sixties they are looking very fit. Especially Jenny They are retired as I understood. They are loving to travel. Their son started Camino with them for three days to see how they are doing. And after he returned to London to his job. It was very funny to look how Ross reading guide and trying to follow every letter. I guessed he was a teacher or university professor. He looks after us as after kids. He was always behind us for couple hundred meters and comparing all our steps with the guide. One of the reason we managed to finish this path is his attention to details and following the guide. Jenny was opposite to Ross She never stop. She walked ahead of everyone , she usually saying "I'll wait you on the top.". When close to the end of our trip I said to Ross, that Jenny as a energizer bunny, he surprised me saying that she run 4! Marathon last year!!! Anyway , back to our Camino. She went up and didn't found any path. We decided to get back to the Greek and try another rout. Ross as always properly read the guide and we realized we must go right, not left after greek. And we found some path on the up of the hill. We followed this path and again stopped against grassed field going up to the Forrest. And in this point Ross ( as real good teacher) decide get out his compass( I was surprised that he had compas in his light backpack , not just water and some food ) and check direction, compares it with the map. We went to the downhill following his recommendation and unexpectedly I noticed Camino path. I have to explain to my reader - the Camino path not just well market. Because it very old and built during the centures, it has specific view - you can see on my road picture in most cases it surrounded by stone wall at least one side. We got back on Camino! After this point path was going up. We continued by this path and in about one kilometer we found a church, mentioned in the guide. And we walk in the next village Vilar de Corales - another piece of preserved history from thousand years ago.
In the end of the village we found Fontaine and old sign Camino de Frances. We was really happy , but there were two more hill and two more river to cross. Next hill was a little bit easy. Jenny once missed turning point ( she didn't see the sign) and run probably couple of hundred meters in wrong way. We called her back. For her it was nothing. She continued run forth and wait us. I can say truth - afte second mountain I join Ross in his back position and Jenny was ahead of us at least 300 meters.
We came by small village where was kind of a party. On guide book it said there should be a bar, which often closed. But there was group of yang people ( 5 or 6 ) and we went to the direction of yellow arrow. It was another steep climb until we can se radio antenna on top, which has been specified in our guide as point, where we have to go. Path wasn't marked good. We missed ( actually we turned 15 meters before) another key turn. Got uphill 300 meters and must get back, because there was dead end. Finally we managed to get right path ( again we understood this because it was walled and we passed by fountain). We finally got up to the last mountain. What the beautiful view we can see from this top! And in the bottom of valley we can see our destination point. Vary hard descent waited us. But, seeing you destination point you don't care how hard way to it is. Jenny as always was ahead of us for good 7-10 minutes. Energizer Bunny!!! We had good thank you to each others for have a good company and good work as a team. I'm very glad to meet those people on Camino and always will remember our Dragonte Camino de Frances.
They went to the hostel where they ordered their backpack should be and I went to alone albergue in this village Herrerais.
The same evening in the bar I met another Jenny and Robin ( as he said Robin Hood ) from Guelph, Ontario. We had good conversation. They are 74 and 76 years old!!! And this is their second Camino. Previous has been done ten years ago. Very nice people. Jenny was surprised that I'm from exUSSR. She never seen before Russian ( say Belarussian ) people?! I was first in her 70+ years. How funny sometimes world is. I love those people in Camino - they are always open, they have nothing to hide from you. Good luck to al pilgrims. God blessed you.
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