Stage 23 from Astorga to Rabanal del Camino is a good one. It’s about 22 kilometers mostly natural path, a gradual slow climb with shade trees and nice places to stop along the way. I decided to take the optional route to Castrillo de Polvazares which is promoted as an authentic Maragato village that I had skipped in 2017. I figured it was worth the extra couple of kilometers and it was but barely.
In order to get your Compostela or Distance Certificate when you finish your Camino, you must maintain and present a Pilgrims Passport with at least 2 sellos (stamps) for each day of your Camino. Most of the sellos are different colored ink stamps but on my way to Rabanal I came across a guy doing something new. He was doing sellos with sealing wax. You could pick the color of the wax and the design of the stamp. So cool and fun and different, I bet the next time I’m on the Camino there’ll be a lot more sellos with ceiling wax.
And before I knew it I was in Rabinal del Camino where Hannah and I began our Camino in 2018. I had the Menu Peregrino at Tinzin’s where I stayed in 2017 and where Hannah and I stayed in 2018.
The next stage, Stage 25, from Rabanal del Camino to Molinaseca is a monster. It’s a 400 meter ascent over 15 kilometers to Alto Altar which at 1515 meters is the highest point of the Camino Frances in Spain. And then you descend 900 meters over the next 12 kilometers.
In 2017, I made it up to Alto Altar without too much problem but then took a taxi to Ponferada because I was tired and sore and didn’t want to risk a silly injury on the steep descent.
As I was enjoying my ensalada mixta at Tinzin, I chuckled thinking about the evening Hannah and I arrived at Tinzin in 2018 to start our Camino.
Due to planning errors that were entirely within my control we didn’t arrive at the Albergue until after dark and due to inclement weather which was entirely outside my control, it was raining hard when we arrived and rained all night.
In 2017, in good weather, I felt like hiking up to Alta Altar was a real accomplishment for me but Hannah and I hiked up to Alto Altar in intermittent cold pouring rain with no gloves.
We literally hiked up against a river of rain water that was flowing down hill against us. And we made it and we had a really great time. And we even continued on to Acebo before we caught our cab to Ponferrada.
I learned something about Hannah’s character that day. Whatever the job to be done or the task to be accomplished, Hannah’s going to see it through, do it well, and have a good time along the way. Scott’s a lucky guy.
Here’s my contemporaneous blog of the ascent:
Episode 2 – Rabinal del Camino to Ponferrada
This year I skipped up to Acebo and walked from Acebo down to Molinaseca and on to Ponferada. Ponferada is a good size town of about 70,000 with a beautiful plaza and city hall, wonderful restaurants and a maginificent restored 14th Century Templar Castle.
The next Stage 25 to Villafranca del Bierzo takes you through the beautiful wine growing region of Bierzo. And from there it’s Stage 26 to O’cebreiro, and this year, I’m doing it on horseback con mi querida Lucera!
Buen Camino!
