Castro

In the morning I set off from Grandas with Sarah and Lenka, a teacher from the Czech Republic. She hoped to finish her Camino in Finisterre, which was on the coast and where the ancients ended their journeys. Before we left, the albergue owner graciously gave each of us a shell and wished a Buen Camino.

Candles had been lit in the window of a chapel outside Grandas.

Modern 'cow rustling' -- these cows had apparently busted loose from the farm and were being rounded up with the help of the owner's car -- another person walking in front helped steer the cows back home (no pun intended).

We stopped in Cereixeira at the bar/grocery Casa Federico for a leisurely breakfast.

In Castro, a village not far from Grandas, I said goodbye to Sarah and Lenka, who were both trekking onward to Fonsagrada that day. Sarah was then going to walk to Santiago via the "Green Way," an alternate path off the Primitivo & marked with green arrows to guide walkers.   

My schedule allowed for a day of rest in Castro, and I'd made reservations at Albergue Residencia Juvenil. This charming building is 80 yrs. old & a former schoolhouse. It includes a bar/restaurant on the lower floor and lodging above. Camping space was also available on the grounds. 

The albergue's stone facade matches the stonework of the church next door.

My room had quaint blue shutters that let in cool evening breezes. Two other walkers were in the room with me -- Gaelle, a teacher from Normandy, France, who as a teen visited her aunt in Reno, NV, & also Kristen from Kentucky, who has hiked on both the Appalachian & Pacific Crest Trails. On the PCT she stopped in Julian, a mountain town not far from where I live.

Laundry hung above; the washing room was below.

 

In the bar, albergue manager Natalie showed me the jar of mantecadas, a traditional Spanish cake, that were made by her mom. These little rectangular treats contain flour, butter, & sugar and are baked in hand folded paper tins.

Residencia Juvenil's restroom signs

Castro daisies for Mom

Trying to stay hydrated in the afternoon heat

"Castro" is a Latin word for "hill fort," and in northern Spain it references a fortified settlement of pre-Roman origins. On the outskirts of town is the archeological site of a bronze age settlement, Castro de Chao Samartin, discovered in 1977. Founded in 800 B.C.E., the settlement existed until 100 A.D. during the Roman period. It was abandoned after an earthquake. Excavation of the ruins began in the 1990s, and a museum not far from the site opened in 2007.

From the hilltop museum, the archeological site could be seen below. During my early afternoon visit I found out about a tour of the site at 5:00 (17:00).

A pottery vase with Roman influence  

The tour guide Susana (in the white dress) arrived to the site promptly at 5:00 and opened the gate for visitors. She gave the tour in Spanish, of course, so I didn't understand much but was able to wander around the settlement and imagine what it might have been like to live there.

Natalie and Dutch walker Thijs demonstrate a two step dance in the albergue bar.

A delicious menu del peregrino was served in the evening. I hastily took a photo before everyone started eating their main course -- Around the table were Gaelle, Santiago from Spain, Thijs, and Kenneth, a teacher from Denmark. For his literature classes Kenneth sometimes includes American classics in the curriculum. To help prepare for the Primitivo, he took walks with his grandmother.