Berducedo to A Fonsagrada: Camino Primitivo day 9, June 16, 2021

Day 9 Berducedo, past Grandas de Salime to A Fonsagrada: a private pilgrim shelter

Friends we met along the road to Grandas de Salime. This cutie little donkey ran down from the upper field to meet us, we didn’t give him food but he sure loved our attention!

Along the way we rested by a lovely stream and the church across from it. Slipped off our shoes. Snacked on fruit, util our reserves felt built up enough to move on.

We hiked up, we hiked down, we hiked up again, all along the Grandas de Salime Resevoir— gorgeous views, killer uphill trekking on pavement, and our exhaustion was showing!

After the brutal walk up and around the reservoir, we made it to the small town of Grandas de Salime. We needed a break after the long, rocky descent.

I was horribly exhausted but I had goals for the day: Touring the ethnographic museum for starters.

The museum featured typical style houses both views of the outside and inside. Much of these styles were used through the times of the dictatorship that ended in 1975.

The museum recreated different indoor scenes as well.

Much of the realia was from the early 20th century and used well into the times of Franco (mid-1970’s) and even beyond—

My friend Nasco, being Spanish, reminisced as we walked through the rooms, it made it more personal having a friend there who lived amongst these relics! It also made me realize how Spain is relatively new to modernity, Franco really held the country at arms length from the outside world.

Old style school room– Nasco said his classroom looked much like this, that was only in the 1960’s

it was the toilet paper that my friend really laughed about, it was all the rage for the kids back in the day!!

A bottle cleaner— as late at the 1970’s bottles were returned, cleaned and refiled with things like soda and wine— I think this old way of doing things needs to become new again!

Woman’s galochas. This female style of wooden footwear is distinguished from the male style by the crest along the heel.

My other goals for the day were to eat the creamy, delicious cheese of the Osco region, have a coffee break as an excuse to try the famous mantecadas of the region, and finally, to resupply before continuing on to Castro–

What is a mantecada?

Mantecadas are a dense buttery cake made primarily of butter, flour and eggs. Originally the mantecada was made from lard or “manteca” hence the name, mantecada—- You can find this buttery muffin bread all over the Spanish speaking world. However, mantecadas originate from Spain, and those from Astorga in the region of Castilla y Leon are some of the most well-known and considered a protected product as per the geographical location in the European Union.

Nasco slicing creamy cheese for our picnic

I felt so accomplished as we checked off each activity, and after a restful picnic in the park accompanied by a church view, my body decided it would cooperate with the next goal, that of walking another handful of kilometers to our final destination, A Fonsagrada.

We mustered our energy reserves and forged ahead!

I almost cried for joy when I saw the sign for Fonsagrada, our day was finally ending!!

However, when we arrived, the hostel was full. I felt panicky for a moment because the thought of walking another step felt impossible let alone another 8 +Km to the next potential accommodation!

Thankfully there was another option, the casa rural just down from the albergue. It did cost a bit more than the two of us would have paid for a bunk bed in a hostel– however, it was minus the 8 other pilgrims we would have been sharing a room with— we had an entire house to ourselves!!

…We lived like royalty for the night!!— Slept in, started late– A blissful, restful, sanctuary along the road— sometimes a place can be an angel, and that night, we slept in the quiet, cozy, comforting bed of angels!