Day 18
Villafranca de Montes de Oca to Agés - 16 kms
28 April 2019
We left Villafranca de Montes de Oca behind very quickly - a right turn out of the courtyard of our albergue and we were out in the countryside, back on the Camino. Our walk took us straight into a climb going from 950m above sea level to 1150m and now at Agés we are down a wee way to 1050m. After the rolling cropping country of the last few days our path was through forest - some of it in pines but most of it had trees we didn't recognise. A young deer ran across our forest path - it was so beautiful. About four kilometres from Agés we came to a little settlement of San Juan de Ortega where we had a morning tea break. San Juan was a disciple of Santo Domingo and like Santo Domingo San Juan did much to help the medieval pilgrims. He built bridges, hospitals, churches and hostels. This area was dangerous and difficult for the pilgrims of the time as there were gangs of brigands - hiding, ready to attack and rob pilgrims they went by. After San Juan we walked through more forestry for a way before it opened out to farmland with cattle and horses and we were able to look down on the village of Agés.
The weather is awesome. It was cool in the morning and we were up in the clouds for good way until it cleared and we walked on in the sun. Agés is a beautiful wee village and our albergue is very good, so clean. We're having dinner in albergue tonight.
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| The countryside in the early morning as we set out for the day. |
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| Monumento de los Caídos - Monument to the Fallen - marks the shallow graves of 300 people who were shot during the first months of the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. |
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| The path ahead went down then up a steep rise. |
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| Near the high point of the walk we came across a pilgrim rest area - in the busy season there would be a cafe here. The distance to Australia was on the post but not New Zealand. |
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| A forest person |
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| Looking towards San Juan de Ortega |
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| The San Juan church |
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| San Juan's tomb |
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| Out of the forest we came across horses... |
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| ...and cows |
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| Coming into Agés |
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| We had so many cyclists racing past us again today |
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| 518 kms to Santiago according to this sign |
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| Santa Eulalia Church in Agés |
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| The stork nest on the church is massive. |
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| This is Pappy's house - he has lots of work to do on this one as the doors are rotten and the plaster work needs repairing but he should be happy as Agés is such a lovely village - I think I'll join him. |
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| A late lunch |
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| Flowers on our walk |
Don't the trees look different, haven't seen too many like that for a while. You must have temporarily left the crops behind
ReplyDeleteWe walked through a bit of cropping this morning - will get back into after Burgos I'm guessing.
DeleteI love the stork and her or his nest. Do the resident storks have names? Are they like pets?
ReplyDeleteI don't think the locals make a fuss of them at all. I was told that their nests used to be destroyed after the rearing season bout they're pretected now.
DeleteYes, the stork nest are huge. They even look big on top of the church, amazing sight. I'm glad you had some nice weather, the sky looks so blue. xx
ReplyDeleteYes the stork nests are massive - they would be a metre round, very likely even more.
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ReplyDeleteSomehow I posted a comment twice so deleted one. 😊
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the storks forage among the villages the wy our ibis raid bins so are called 'bin chickens' & we also add to the diets of our magpies & galahs. I guess you might encounter more cyclists at weekenda when locals add to the traffic.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen what the storks feed on. Just see them sitting in their nests.
DeleteThe area we have just walked through would be fantastic for cyclists - but many are cycling to Santiago so we'll have them all the way.