Parting ways
Today I’m back to riding alone. David, my riding companion yesterday, turns west towards Puebla de Sanabria, while I carry on north towards Hospital de Órbigo. Long, flat straights between the fields will keep me company all morning. Luckily a gentle, cool breeze keeps the pedalling comfortable. The monotony of the route is suddenly broken by one of those charming places that make you smile and force you to fire off a few photos to try to capture it. Shame I’m not a good photographer.
The old railway bridge over the river, long out of use, is now used by pilgrims on their way to Benavente. Mind you, riding over it with a loaded bike is pretty dangerous; you have to take great care.
A few kilometres further on, the route passes through Benavente, where I take the chance to rest for a while. The route carries on along tracks and minor roads, through big fields, much greener now than in the province of Zamora. With no great change in the landscape I reach La Bañeza, where I take the chance to do a lap of the famous motorbike circuit and stop for lunch.
With not much else to report, I reach Hospital de Órbigo and join the Camino Francés, the French Way. It’s amazing to see how many people this route draws. I’ve ridden practically alone from Béjar to here and, on arriving in Hospital de Órbigo, I find a village packed with walkers. Not that I mind the company, but the French Way in summer is too much, in my opinion. All that’s left is to ride it the wrong way as far as León and leave it right there, heading for Oviedo along the Camino de San Salvador, the pilgrim route from León to Oviedo.