Unseen Blessings in the Cathedral of Nature : La Robla to Poladura de la Tercia

We got up around 6:30 am, made a quick breakfast in our room consisting of instant coffee and croissants that were unexpectedly filled with chocolate, and set off.  We followed the sidewalk to the edge of town, where we passed under a Roman aqueduct, which I would have mistaken for a stone gateway or bridge if there hadn't been a sign indicating otherwise.

Almost before we knew it, a shady sidewalk that ran beside a treed river corridor brought us to the town of Puente de Alba.  There we began a pleasant if unremarkable walk along what felt like a transit corridor.  We were walking beside the river, along the highway, and adjacent to the train tracks, down which trains passed relatively frequently.  Around us the mountains rose like tall rocky peaks.

We walked along through the crisp morning air until we reached the Sanctuario del Buen Suceso, where we found a peaceful field stone church on the edge of the river. A dew soaked grassy trail brought us to its entrance, but sadly it was locked.  For the past few kilometers we had been following another pilgrim who was maintaining a slow but steady pace, seemingly having a lively and unceasing conversation with himself or someone on his phone, and stopping to take a lot of photos.  We felt like we were chasing him, so when we unexpectedly saw an open café across the road we took the opportunity to let him get ahead.

When we entered the café we spotted another pilgrim, who at first seemed a bit shy. It turned out he was Romanian, and we would see him again and exchange smiles several times throughout the day.  It was a good place to stop for a café con leche, and we got a stamp for our credentials.

We continued on through several more small towns, crossing back and forth over the Bergenesa River.  When we reached the bright and colourful town of La Pola de Gordon we crossed under the river on an extremely narrow tiled pedestrian walkway.  We came up on the other side, and made our way through the edge of town, past a beautiful church that faced the river.  One of the interesting things we found in this small river-side town were signs for the Camino Olvidado, which we followed for part of today, dreaming of future hiking possibilities.

We headed out of town on a winding asphalt road, climbing gently but steadily.  The steep grey stone mountains with their lush green mosses grew increasingly larger all around us.  The sound of birdsong and cow bells filled the air.  Above us on the impossibly steep slopes golden brown cows were grazing.  At one point we came across a cow that had escaped her pasture and was standing in the middle of the road at a hairpin turn.  A car drove up at speed just at that moment, but somehow the driver managed to avoid both us and the cow, slowing down and calmly steering around us both without mishap. 

We were increasingly awestruck by the scale and rugged beauty of the landscape around us.  Huge rocky outcroppings towered above us, and atop one of them we spotted the silhouette of a wolf, which looked like it was standing guard over the community below.  

When we reached the outskirts of the charming mountain village of Buiza, we passed a small pasture filled with beautiful chestnut coloured horses and two adorable foals.  Just beyond the pasture was an attractive sign situated in a colourful flowerbed, which welcomed visitors to the village.  There was also a really nice looking municipal albergue at the entrance to the village, which was a tempting spot to stop for the night. 

As we made our way through Buiza we found ourselves climbing up very steep, winding streets lined with fieldstone houses that reminded us of those found in Galicia.  The climb through town left us huffing and puffing, so we stopped for a short break at the fountain, enjoying our view of the mountains extending above a small orchard of blooming apple trees enclosed by a field stone wall. 

At the far end of Buiza the paved road became a dirt track and the serious climbing began in earnest.  We ascended steeply up through a field of cows, having to open and re-close the string gates to several pastures as we went.  Up and up we climbed.

As we ascended the view just kept getting better and better.  There really are no words or photos to describe the majesty and scale of some landscapes, and today we walked along a truly awe inspiring mountain range and over a pass that simply defied description.  It felt like we were in God's Cathedral, created to amaze and give us perspective on our own existence.

As we climbed the landscape changed.  At first we were just slightly above green meadows filled with cows, and we were following a trail of delicate yellow flowers.  A little higher up we were surrounded by a rocky outcrop, and following patches of white wildflowers.  Finally, as we continued to climb we felt the temperature dip a few degrees, and suddenly we were surrounded by shrubs covered in purple blossoms.

As we reached the pass there were rocky peaks all around us, the rugged grey rock striated and patterned like it had been shoved up out if the ground by continents colliding.  The pass was covered in purple flowers, and there were bees, stunning butterflies, and beetles everywhere.  In the cool, sunny air it felt like we were surrounded by life. 

At the far side of the pass the trail began to resemble a Roman road, built from more or less flat, smooth, granite chunks.  A little later it became a bit of a stream, with water flowing down to join a larger river which was bordered by scrubby pines.  As we reached the very top we looked out ahead and caught our first stunning glimpses of the snow covered peaks ahead of us.  So that was where the refreshingly cool breeze had come from!

As we began to descend on a wide dirt track surrounded by tall pine trees the views continued to amaze.  We took a short break in a small grassy patch, just content to sit and enjoy the panoramic view. Eventually we continued to descend, until we came to a break in the trail where a very narrow dirt footpath led up and around the side of a steep slope.  We followed it up, up, and around, feeling a little like mountain goats. 

Again, the views from our precarious seeming perch were stunning.  To our left the grassy slopes of the mountain rose up above us, and to our right they dipped sharply.  It felt like we were suspended in between, surrounded by wildflowers and incredible beauty. 

Eventually we rounded a bend and saw the red roofs of a village tucked into the valley below us.   Our home for the night!  Or was it? Beyond it, a lush green valley extended between two stunning mountain ranges.  To our surprise, we found that the markers, which had taken the form of yellow shells for the first time since we left the Camino Francés, took as down the valley, away from that first village.

The last 5 km or so were down a dirt track, gently switch backing and descending among grassy pastures.  Finally we reached a road, and again thought we were 'home', only to discover we were in San Martin de Tercia, and not Poladura de Tercia.  No problem, our destination was only 500 meters farther along the road. 

 

 

Poladura de la Tercia is a tiny village with a few homes, a single bar/restaurant, and one place to stay - La Posada Embrujo, which is both an albergue and a hostal.  We arrived around 2:30pm, had our showers and washed our clothes, and then spent a wonderful afternoon in the garden enjoying a few cervezas with Mick from Ireland and Jaques from France.  It was a truly wonderful afternoon, and well worth the sunburn.

As we sat there a large group of very clean and energetic Spanish day hikers arrived for a few drinks.  At first we thought they were all staying in the albergue, but after a short rest they broke into a joyful sounding song and dance, and went merrily on their way.  No idea where that might have been. 

At 7 pm we again joined our pilgrim friends for a fantastic meal.  They very kindly made us a vegetarian meal of potato soup, excellent salad, Spanish tortilla, and yogurt with raspberries for dessert.  At dinner we finally met and shared our meal with the pilgrim we had been following in the morning - Fernando, from Spain.  Although he knew we didn't understand Spanish, he spoke to us at great length, and with much enthusiasm, animatedly describing something.  It was a long day, but filled with so many blessings, from gorgeous weather, to wonderful company, to delicious food.  Who could really ask for anything more? 

 

Distance: 23 km 

Accommodations: La Posada Embrujo