Camino 2016: Via de La Plata Day 20 - Montamarta to Granja de Moreruela

Sunday April 17, 2016
After a very good night in the Casa Rural had some breakfast and set out for Granja at about 7:45.
It was cloudy when I set out and the path lead around a reservoir as I left the town. There an old convent perched on the hillside just above the water. When it was built it would have been high up on a ridge above the valley that is now flooded.

In the distance there was a row of windmills along the top of the hills above the lake.

The route went partly around the lake and at one spot there there was a line of fisherman along the bank.

When I looked closer I saw that they were all on chairs that were actually in the water. I am not sure why because they were casting their lines out onto the lake and I can't imagine the extra couple of feet made much difference. But then I am not a fisherman!.

We had about 22km to cover today to get to the place where the caminos separate into the one to Astorga going fist north and then west and the one heading first west before north to Santiago.
Along the way I passed an old ruined castle. It must have been very large since the ruins covered a large area. It was the castle of Castrotorafe in the 12th century and was the seat of the Order of the Knights of St James.

By now the sky was opening up and looking less like rain. The sun even came out from time to time.

Next we passed through two small villages. In the first one some storks had taken up residence on the bell tower of the church.

I walked round the church to find the door and head singing from inside. It is Sunday so there was a Mass in progress. The door was on the side of the church and I peeked in there were people sitting right next to the door so I decided not to disturb things. If I could have come in at the back I might have stayed for a bit.
Outside the church there was a plaque about the Via de La Plata but I couldn't understand what it said. Something about this village having the first of something I think.

I looked for a bar but couldn't find one so I walked on to the next village about 3km further. There was a bar for coffee but the person serving was very inhospitable and not at all welcoming. However that was the only place to get anything so I had my coffee and moved on.
The sun came out and the peregrino saw his shadow. The rain held off until I arrived in Granja but started soon after.

I had to ask where the albergue was and two old men pointed me towards a bar and said that was where I can sign in. I went there and signed in and then asked if the albergue was open. She said 5. I thought she meant 5:00 pm but I found out later she wanted Eur 5:00 for the bed for tonight and that the albergue was already open. When I got that sorted out and gave her the money I went to the albergue which was just up the street and settled in, unpacked, showered and was able to relax. It had been a fairly easy 23km walk today. Only two stretches of mud, one where my boots were so heavy I had to stop and scrape some off so I could walk properly! It has been fairly flat for the last few days so I didn't post an elevation chart. The next few days to Astorga will be the same.
After I was settled in the albergue I went for a tour of the village. The church was next door but closed. The next service will be next Sunday at 18:00 so I suppose they only get a service every couple of weeks.

Behind the church is a sign showing where the caminos separate. Left on the Sanabres to Ourense and right on the Via de La Plata to Astorga.

Then I went to visit the Cistercian information center which is also close by and should be open on Sunday from 4:30-6:30 but when I got there at about 5:45 it was closed. However there was a pillar outside with a reproduction of the oldest known statue of St James. The original is on the wall of a church somewhere here on the Camino. He doesn't look very happy!

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