Day 7: Villafranca to Herrerias

What started out as some pain in the ball of Chisoon's right foot had gotten much worse by last night to the point where she could not bear much weight on either foot. This morning it was not much better after some Advil. It is not clear whether it was just a skin irritation or that wastebasket term of metatarsalgia, but needless to say she could not walk today (and most likely tomorrow when there is a mountain to climb). She was soon joined for a taxi ride by the Jersey lady and the Pennsylvania team of two women, who were all wiped out by the long walk yesterday (over 30 km, or 19 miles). Collectively their ailments involve the knees, the Achilles tendon, and the feet.

After consuming the breakfast that a very friendly lady at our hotel brought to our room, I set out well past 9AM, down the steep path to Plaza Mayor of Villafranca. It seemed all the pilgrims, especially those who are going all the way to O'Cebreiro today have left and the tourists have not arrived yet (yes, I have seen tourist buses at various points along the Camino), so I seemed to have the whole town to myself before getting out.




Villafranca: a quiet morning as I walk out of the hotel




Villafranca: Plaza Mayor with locals only

It turned out to be probably the easiest day ironically when Chisoon is taking a rest. I did get lost a couple of times by ignoring obvious signs which added a couple of kilometers. Solitude can be a distraction. (I had mostly myself to contend with, other than a stretch where I walked with an Italian man who likes San Francisco.)

It was relatively easy because
1) the route described by Brierley from Villafranca to O'Cebreiro as a single section was split into two by our agency, a very sensible thing to do, which leave only 20 some km of relatively flat terrain for today,
2) as I discovered last night, the recommended route involving a climb of about 1000 ft is not the only option, and in fact most people seem to choose the easier path going around the mountain,
3) there was some cloud cover and the sun was not as strong as in the past several days.

I still needed plenty of fluid along the way. Everyday, I have gulped down several sodas, typically Fanta (or Kas) Naranja or Limon. It's the first time I am drinking cold sodas since I stopped them cold a few years ago.

 




A cemetery near Pereje

 



An albergue ad containing a Korean flag. And they serve a Korean dish?



A vegetarian restaurant in Trabadelo, recommended to me for lunch, was closed. So I had a sandwich at the albergue next door. The pilgrim's menu seems to be of better value.



Siesta in Vega de Valcarce

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Doors of a bridge, or a bridge of doors? (near Herrerias)

 

No, they are not simulating the pilgrims with their heads down. (near Herrerias)

Arrived at our hotel in Herreiras before 4pm, which gave me an added advantage of having time to explore. The stroll through town was a most peaceful experience. You could almost close your eyes while walking, just listening to the flow of the river and other sounds of nature. The only things you have to watch out for are cow dung on the road and occasional chickens crossing!





Herrerias is distinctly rural.



Herrerias



Herrerias

At dinner, we enjoyed conversation with people from Germany, Finland, Italy, Spain, and the States in the small dining room. We get into Galicia tomorrow. It remains to be seen whether I will have to deal with the rain walking up the mountain.