Editor’s note: Rick McKay, Joe Masonick, and Jack Karolewski, have been travel companions for more than 50 years to a variety of sites with many goals. This week’s adventure is the 20th in the series, a 14-day hike in 2005 across northern Spain’s intriguing Camino de Santiago, known as the Way of Santiago, for a religious retreat and pilgrimage. Visiting various villages on the journey requires continual hiking and climbing.
The previous article is at https://thevoice.us/flaming-brew-in-the-courtyard-intertwined-with-blessings
By Rick McKay
Continuation of Day 6 Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2005 in Villfranca to Vega de Valcarce: This morning the lights went on at 7 a.m. and after our usual coffee and pastry, we were on the Camino again. Most of today’s early trek followed the winding tarmac. Even so there were some stunning views.
At one point Jack and I looked over a railing down into a field of grazing sheep scattered on a long hill below the roadway. One black sheep stood out, but didn’t seem to be suffering from the dubious assignation.
Nearby in the shade of a spreading oak, a large black sheep dog lay, keeping a watchful eye on the flock. Hearing our voices above, he looked up and let loose a series of deep guttural barks until we moved on down the path.
Just short of Vega del Valcarce, Jack and I stopped to wait for Joe to join us for lunch. He had lingered behind, as seems to be his wish, but soon met up with us and accompanied us on into Vega del Valcarce, a small village along the Rio Valcarce.
Most pilgrims go on from here to make the steep climb to O Cebriero, the summit of our final mountain crossing. But we felt it wise to stay here for the night and make the difficult ascent in the morning.
From our albergue, to the southwest, high upon a hill overlooking the village, stands the Castillo Sarracin or Saracen Castle, built in the 9th Century by Marquis de Villafranca, presumably to defend this region from the Saracens, or Moors who, at that time, threatened northern Spain from the south.
Later this afternoon, when the heat begins to relent, Joe and I will climb to the ruins and take a look around.
For certain the highlight of the day was the Castillo Sarracin. At about 5 p.m. Joe and I left the albergue to make the steep climb along a dirt trail shaded by horse chestnuts and arching oaks to the base of the fortress. Almost impenetrable by virtue of its position atop an extremely steep crest, access beyond the outer wall is gained by a small archway protected from the side by a single arrow loop. Once inside the outer wall, one must walk around to the left to reach access to the inner castle, an arched gate. This deviation would expose invaders to an onslaught of arrows and/or debris from above.
Inside the inner wall, to the left stands the three-story tall dungeon whose walls are thicker by far than all the rest. It was the last line of defense in the case of a successful breaching of the outer fortifications.
The view from the ancient walls, mostly still intact, was stunning, the highest hills and deepest valleys about Vega del Valcarce being fully exposed. Very, very cool!
Continued at thevoice.us/insects-tame-on-the-trip