26th September, Camino Sanabres to Rionegro del Puente

A quick photo call at the 12th century church of Santa Marta de Tera:

A 7.20am start under clear skies meant yet another cold start, they’re becoming something of a bad habit. The first few hours of unexciting walking were in the shade of trees which didn’t help.

The benefit of sunshine wasn’t felt until we crossed the River Tera, and then it got really hot:

More troglodyte dwellings:

In search of a late breakfast / early lunch in Calzadilla de Tera, we passed the ruined and abandoned church dedicated to Saints Justa and Ruffina (Santa Justa y Ruffina). The two sisters were martyred in the 3rd Century – you can read a bit about them here.

There’s a very atmospheric photograph here.

It’s a damned shame that so many of these wonderful churches have been allowed to fall into such states of disrepair. It can’t be that long before these buildings collapse all together.

It was another couple of Km before refreshments were found, in the village of Olleros de Tera:

Blink and you miss it:The village shop. There was nothing to identify this as a shop other than an advertising poster for ice cream in one of the windows. 

 

 I do like grapes….

…..lots!

 Matthew giving an apres-lunch performance.

To The Trout Inn

Another locked church: Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Agavanzal

I managed this shot through a peep-hole in the front door

 Route choice: left for bicycles

The dam across….this:

 Embalse de Nuestra Señora de Agavanzal

Which was full of enormous fish:

At Villar de Farfon a small Albergue offered very welcome refreshments to passing walkers. The place was run by a South African family who have dedicated themselves to missionary work. We were certainly grateful for their efforts. Within a minute of walking through the door we were offered cold drinks and biscuits – all they asked for was a donation. I hope we were generous.

 

A couple of hours later we rolled up at Rionegro del Puente. En-route to the village I snapped this, just for Alan:

We arrived in a cookingly hot Rionegro del Puente and made straight for the wonderful Albergue:

Things were to get even better. Across the road from the Albergue was a rather splendid restaurant:

This place was run single-handedly by one man….well I suppose it would. Although it could have been run single-handedly by one woman. Whatever.

Our chef / waiter / everything else, served excellent fare (including wine and seemingly unlimited amounts of the local rocket fuel) for norralot of dosh – 10 Euros.

We all slept well that night.

Well we would have done had it not been for the burping, farting and general racket coming from a bunch of cycling peregrinos who were sharing our dorm. Oh well.

And the storms that were forecast? They just didn’t happen.