Camino San Salvador : Leon to La Robla

Camino San Salvador 

Leon Spain

The call of the peahens from the park opposite our hostal broke the still, cool, morning air as we headed out in search of breakfast.  Somewhat ironically, the first open café we found was the Cafeterìa Peregrino. As we made our way to breakfast, walking away from the Camino Frances, a very helpful lady on her way to work pointed out to us that we were going in the wrong direction.  Given the constant flow and energy from the many pilgrims following the Camino Frances, it kind of felt like she was right.  In the café, we were offered a stamp for our credentials and enjoyed excellent café con leches and a truly huge croissant before getting underway. 

We crossed the limestone plaza outside the Parador San Marco and stopped for a moment to admire the bronze statue of a weary pilgrim resting on his long journey.  At the corner of the building we came to the clearly marked split in The Way, one arrow for the Camino Francés, pointing west towards Santiago, and the other for the Camino San Salvador, pointing north towards Oviedo.  We said our goodbyes to the Camino Francés and turned northward. 

 

A paved bike trail took us to the first traffic roundabout, which had a small yellow airplane displayed in the center.  From there we followed the signs for the river option, which took us through a beautiful treed park on a dirt footpath that ran alongside the river. The path was very well marked, and both the park and the cycling trail were full of locals out for their morning exercise or commute. 

Eventually, we left the river behind and diverted up a street lined with very large and up-scale condos and estates.  Behind the gated communities were well landscaped yards and properties, and we passed newer-looking neighborhoods of large homes with backyards, something that is somewhat unusual in Spain.  

Carbajal de la Leguna

It was a gentle but steady climb up out of Léon on sidewalks that wove through pleasant neighbourhoods.  When we arrived in Carbajal de la Leguna, a tiny community on the edge of Léon, we stopped at the Central Bar, which was the last chance for a café con leche for the next 13 km or so. 

There we received many gifts from the extremely nice and pilgrim-friendly bartender.  He offered us each our second stamp of the day, a colourful San Salvador pin, and beautiful purple Camino San Salvador sashes, all free of charge!  In addition, the churros that came with our café con leches were some of the best we've ever had.  What a wonderful way to begin this Camino!  

As we were sitting inside with our coffees we watched another pilgrim pass by without stopping, and as we went to leave, two more pilgrims arrived!  One was Mick from Ireland, who speaks English (and some Spanish!).  We haven't learned about the second man yet, but we were thrilled at the prospect of having a few others to share this journey with, or at least a few other familiar faces to recognize along the way.  Companionship is one of the best parts of any Camino, and while the Camino Madrid, which we just finished, was a wonderful walk we missed having anyone to share it with. 

As we left the small town behind we began to climb on a red dirt track which almost immediately took us up into the hills.  Sandy slopes covered with scrubby trees and tough grasses, patches of dark green gorse that were blooming yellow, and rocky red soil rose up to our right.  On our left, we could hear the waters of the Rio Bergensa rushing along below us, and beyond the lush forested valle,y we could see the red roofs of the suburbs of Léon stretching back to the horizon.  We stopped often, not just to catch our breath, but also to enjoy the stunning scenery! 

After a few kilometres of rather strenuous climbing up and down the rocky red dirt path, we found ourselves in a dark green tunnel of shiny, spiky, holly trees.   These short, tough trees arched across the trail, creating a cool, shady, corridor of green that was full of birdsong.  Many birds were busily building nests, creating a hive of activity around us. 

Although the guidebooks, and to some extent the elevation charts for today's hike suggested this stage was relatively flat, it didn't feel like it.  We found ourselves constantly climbing up and down, with two notable ascents scattered throughout the hot, sunny afternoon. There were benches placed at strategic points with scenic views along the way, and at the top of the first larger climb we found a picnic table with a panoramic view over the forested river valley. 

As we were enjoying the view and a snack of pastries bought at a panaderia in Leon, we were joined by Mick.  We chatted for a bit before carrying on, leaving him to enjoy his break.  Shortly after leaving the viewpoint, we encountered the first of several visitor's logs contained in metal boxes on posts along the trailside.  We stopped to sign the log and look at past entries and then began the second of the long climbs.  Pretty soon Mick passed us and disappeared down the trail, going at an impressive pace.  

We walked the next part slowly, taking time to photograph some interesting birds that we hadn't previously noticed, and stopping to admire butterflies that not only had iridescent blue wings, but brilliant blue fur as well!  We were also impressed with a large patch of shrubs whose white blossoms filled the small sunny valley with a strong sweet smell that attracted a whole swarm of bees and butterflies.  The buzzing of the insect activity at these snowy flowers could be heard some distance down the trail. 

Cabanillas

Around 10 km into the pilgrimage, we came to the tiny and charming village of Cabanillas.  Its buildings had a different feel than other towns we've walked through in Spain - more like a mountain town with warm, golden, fieldstone buildings with red brick outlining windows framed in rich, dark wood.  We made our way down the single street to the far end, where we arrived in a small cobblestone courtyard with a fountain, and a couple benches in the shade of flowering fruit trees.  Once again we ran into Mick and another pilgrim and exchanged friendly greetings. 

As we headed out of town past the small stone church and the Albergue (which was closed), we passed a group of six people who were trimming brambles and other vegetation at the edge of the trail.  We wished we knew how to say thank you for the trail maintenance in Spanish.  We know how much the condition of a trail affects our enjoyment of it when hiking, and we are truly grateful for all the work that goes into creating, signing, and maintaining these Camino routes. 

After Cabanillas the dirt path followed the river more closely.  The rushing of its waters was loud beside us, and we could see its white rapids through the trees.  For a time we followed a treed valley, which was peaceful and shady.  Along the way, we found another visitor's log book, and we continued to see more of the tiny nativity scenes we'd discovered tucked into tree forks along the way.  Eventually, we climbed a rise and saw the community of Seca stretched along the other side of the river.  We decided not to cross the small pedestrian footbridge over the river into town, and instead continue onward in the hot afternoon sunshine. 

About an hour later we arrived on the outskirts of Cascantes, which was another mountain village.  We stopped at the bar for a cold drink to escape the bright, hot sun for a few moments before continuing on. 

Shortly after leaving Cascantes we found ourselves walking down the shoulder of a hilly,  winding, asphalt road.  At first, this seemed dispiriting, especially since there was quite a bit of traffic, but then we spotted an extremely cool Slow Worm Snake. Maybe that isn't its correct name, but it was highly glossy, completely round, and from a distance its scales resembled the segments of a worm.  It was slowly moving along the side of the road, and to us, it looked truly amazing!  A short distance later we spotted a spectacular lizard, making the road walk seem worthwhile.  

La Robla

At the edge of La Robla, we came to a small park with the Chapel of Celada.  It wasn't open, but we were able to see through the metal bars of the grate to the sanctuary within. At the far edge of the park was a double gate for peregrinos.  It seemed like a warm welcome to the town, but sadly it was somewhat overshadowed by an enormous power plant and several large factories. 

We made our way through the loud industrial section, crossed the highway on a tall pedestrian bridge with a modern sculpture at the end, and made our way into what felt like a somewhat uninspiring, modern industrial town. Our accommodations turned out to be down an alley behind a bar, and at first, the reception and the room were a bit sketchy feeling. However, we have a roof over our heads, a shower, and a bed, and the place is passably clean.  In the end, what more do we really need? 

After showering and washing our clothes we made our way to the Lupo to buy groceries for tomorrow.  We then found a small alternative café with a warm and friendly atmosphere where we had a cerveza and some excellent tapas and worked on the blog.  

After waiting for a brief rain shower to pass, a walk around the town suggested that a rowdy Friday night was commencing, and we didn't find any places that looked like they offered inexpensive vegetarian options for dinner, so we headed back to the grocery store for yet another meal of bread, cheese, tomato, avocado, and wine.  The walking today was very beautiful, but if I repeated this stage I'm not sure I would go out of my way to make La Robla my destination for the night. Perhaps the town in 8.8 km is more inspiring? Tomorrow we will see!

See you on the Trail!
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Distance: 25.7 km

Accommodations: Hostal Ordoñez de Celis