To Ponferrada

2006

Walking into Ponferrada we came across an open vegetable market. 

I loved seeing the braided onions for sale. 

The castle looked great from the front,

but in the back the crews were doing some rehabilitation.

We stayed at the municipal this year.

I love this little albergue.

They have 4 beds to a cubicle, a nice kitchen,

and plenty of hot showers.

It was donative in 2006 and when I stayed here in 2013,

it was still donative.

Our bunkmates were this interesting couple,

Pere, who was in his 30's

and his partner, Sylvia,

who entertained us with spirit music 

with their mouth-harps and flutes.

We took a train with this couple to Sarria,

and walked with them to Portomarin,

where we parted ways,

as pilgrims often do.

2009

Summer

In 2009, coming into Molinaseca, 

we found the gigantes!

2012 Spring

One of our favorite stops when walking into Ponferrada is the Domino Bar.

Here, we always stop for coffee and the little snack that comes with it.

But to stop here, you must walk the road from Molinaseca,

not the Camino.

Restaurant in basement of Hotel Templarios

It's worth visiting the church in Ponferrada to see it's beautiful statuary

I always love seeing the storks with their young in Spring

In 2012, there was a LOT of ugly graffiti on the walls.

Everywhere you looked, 

the walls were destroyed with ugly paint.

What a shame young people can't be proud of their heritage,

and instead, must ruin it.

It appeared to us that the owners had just given up.

This is one reason we no longer stay in this village.