DAY2 OF THE CAMINO WAY

Day 2 started just outside Ponferrada with an excursion to Las Medulas, the remains of a Roman gold mine from their occupation in this area in the first century AD.  We had a 'warm up walk' through the site, enjoying the abundance of beautiful old...

 ...sweet chestnut trees! The Roman's were the first to cultivate them here.

Our walk today took us along the road at first, before heading off amidst the vineyards!  It is harvest time & there were many a tempting bunch of grapes dangling on the edge of the path!  Yesterday was wet & windy, today was boiling hot sun! We had packed our raincoats, but needed hats & sunscreen!  Our goal was Villafranca Del Bierzo.

We knew we were on the home stretch when we came to the beautiful little stone Romanesque Iglesia de Santiago.  In this church, pilgrims could receive absolution from their sins, if they weren't able to continue on to Santiago de Compostela.

Another hard day, but with beautiful vistas over the vineyards (a grape introduced by the Romans all those years ago) & with a few charming villages to stroll through as well. Today we encountered other (more authentic) pilgrims & so were able to call out the traditional greeting "Bueno Camino"..."good walk"!

It had been a good walk, but we were certainly ready for a hotel with a bath tub!