This is a challenging route heading into the mountain ranges of Leon. We head out of Astorga on a cold morning. We make a slight detour to Castrillo de los Polvazares - a cobbled stone medieval village preserved as a national monument. This town is worth a visit. Exiting on the other side of town, the yellow arrows bring us to a few kilometers of gravel road before hitting tarmac.
Further on, 2 roads run parallel - a walker's path and a paved one-lane local road virtually running side by side. The air is fresh, roads are flat with a 360 degree mountain scenery until reaching Rabanal Del Camino. It is a pilgrim's practice to lay rocks at the base of each cross in hope for a safe journey. We learn to do the same. Common greetings between pilgrims are "Buen Camino" (good road) or "Hola" (hello).
At Rabanal del Camino, we meet up with 3 jolly Spanish walkers we saw earlier on the road. These guys walk at constant quick pace, almost the same pace we bike. Their secret they claim is drinking wine (a lot of it) and bread. We first heard the term "Vino para Buen Camino" (wine for a good road) from them. The local bar served us a hearty meal of Sopa de Verdura (vegetable soup) and bread for under $3.
Past Rabanal, the road starts to climb, giving this day's ride its 6 star rating. The Camino and the highway becomes one in this section. Roads are paved with a moderate grade. It's not the grade, but the length of the climb that's the killer. This is where a low geared bike helps.
While resting on top of the hill, we see a group of lycra clad riders coming up the hill at a relatively fast pace. It is a group of Spanish cyclists in their team uniforms cycling from Leon that day. They cover twice the mileage we are doing per day. Our recumbent bike is the subject of much conversation for the Spanish cyclists. Even with our limited Spanish, we communicate quite well.
