Natural Regeneration: Tabara to Camarzana de Tera

 "Your soul needs the silence of nature to heal."

Camino Sanabrés  Stage 2 / Via de la Plata Stage 26

Time in Nature on the Way of St. James

Last night was peaceful, quiet, and cozy. We both woke up around 5:30 AM feeling well rested and rejuvenated from a great night’s sleep.  While this seems like a small thing, we are enormously grateful for the immediate positive experience with sleep and food on the first day of the Camino Sanabrés, which marked a stark contrast to much of our time on the Via de la Plata.

We had decided to do a relatively short stage (26-27 km) today, rather than compete for the 6 beds at the donativo albergue in Calzadilla de Tera.  As a result, we had a lazy morning waiting for breakfast at 7:00 AM in the bar downstairs.  Outside our window, a spectacular sunrise unfolded, painting the sky with glowing pinks, oranges, and yellows.  

When we went downstairs for breakfast, we were a little surprised to find the place empty except for two American cyclists.  We had expected at least a few other hikers to have stayed for a bite to eat, but it seemed everyone else was long gone.  This didn't stop us from enjoying a couple of delicious café con leche and toast with butter and jam.

Departing Tabara, Back on the Way 

Finally, we set off into a cool and very beautiful morning, following the quiet streets as the Camino meandered to the edge of town.  After a few short minutes of following the paved highway, we turned down a dirt track, heading out into the countryside.  The forested hills and mountains in the distance were softened by a blue haze, which gave them a beautiful layered appearance.

Many were topped by lines of wind turbines, which stood silently in the still morning air like sentinels keeping watch. In the foreground, the rising sun turned the mist bright silver, shrouding the fields in an ethereal light.  Behind us, we could see the village of Tabara, its tall bell tower glowing gold in the sun.

We crossed the deserted railway tracks on an elevated pedestrian bridge and then followed the gracefully curving road back down into the fresh green fields.  The small trees that dotted the countryside were alive with bird song, and we spotted Eurasian Chaffinches, European Goldfinches, Tits, Common Linnets, and various sparrows moving about in the tall grasses. We were also delighted to catch sight of several Eurasian Skylarks perched in the tall, dew-covered grasses, filling the air with their sweet melodies.

Countryside Camino 

Soon we were huffing and puffing up the rocky red soil track, climbing up the first of many ridges we'd cross today.  The views behind us over the lush countryside were spectacular, and as we turned to enjoy them and catch our breath, the two cyclists whom we'd shared breakfast with pedalled past us.  Strangely, those would be the only other people we would see on the trail until we reached Santa Marta de Tera, 21 km into our hike.

On the far side of the hill, we descended again a little, following the red dirt track through quiet dehesas.  We didn't see any livestock, and noticed that there weren't many fences to keep them from wandering, but the landscape of evenly spaced oak trees in grassy fields reminded us of the dehesas with cows, pigs, and sheep that we spent so many days crossing on the Via de la Plata.

Nature on the Way 

As we progressed, we thought we were approaching a large pond or small lake.  We could hear a tremendous chorus of frogs coming across the quiet landscape, and knew there was water long before we saw it.  To our surprise, it turned out to be little more than a puddle surrounded by a few cattails, attesting to the immense biodiversity that can thrive with the slightest encouragement.  It was such an extremely enthusiastic group of amphibians!

Soon we were climbing once again, making our way up the next ridge.  The landscape changed once again, with many of the oak trees burnt black by a recent forest fire.  Beneath the sooty and twisted branches, a blanket of dark green Gum Rock-Rose bushes was thriving, their large white and yellow blossoms looking like a blanket of snowballs.  Clumps of bright purple Spanish lavender lined the track, mixed with sunny yellow and white daisies, Spotted Rock-Rose, and other wildflowers.  Under the clear blue skies, it was a very colourful and vibrant landscape, and overhead we spotted the outlines of a Common Buzzard lazily circling on the updrafts.

This pattern seemed to repeat throughout the morning as we made our way through the quiet and peaceful countryside.  We would climb up a forested ridge, descend onto a grassy plain, and then climb again.  The ridges around us were forested, and many sported their own group of wind turbines. 

Alternative Possibility 

Around 10 AM, we came to a split in the trail, with one option leading to Bercianos de Valverde, a small village with no services, and the other leading to Villanueva de las Peras, which held the promise of a café con leche.  Predictably, we chose to follow the left-hand fork in the hopes of finding a coffee and a place to take a break.  As we descended towards the town, we could see that extensive mining had been done in the area, exposing large gashes of red soil on the sides of the hills around us. Once again, we wondered what mineral or substance had been extracted. 

Soon we were following a paved road across the next wide open, entirely flat plain.  The land around us was mostly grassy meadows, but we passed a small poplar plantation, the trees planted in perfectly straight and uniform rows.  It reminded us of the curiously beautiful plantation just outside of Carrion de los Condes on the Camino Frances.  As in that other stand of trees, a slight breeze rustled the tough green leaves, making a sound like water rushing over stones.

Villanueva de las Peras

After 14 km and 3 hours of walking this morning, we arrived in Villanueva de las Peras.  

We followed the paved road, which looked like a highway but was completely deserted, through the small town.  Modern homes were mixed with wattle and dub buildings, and we spotted quite a few intricately designed locks and hinges affixed to old doors in the warm stone walls.  Another thing we noticed in the village was a collection of human-sized dummies wearing pilgrim shells that were attached to lamp posts and buildings throughout the town.  We appreciated the effort and the unique Camino artwork, but if I'm being honest, I found the result more than a little creepy.

To our delight, we found an open bar, Café-Bar La Plaza, which looked very nice, and we were soon enjoying a second café con leche on the patio.  In the southern part of Spain, we noticed that drinks and coffees are often served by themselves, but as we've progressed northward, we are delighted to discover that a 'little something' is provided along with beverages.  In this case, the coffees came with delicious apple cookies in individual wrappers.

It was a lovely break, and when we were ready to continue, we headed up the hill to look at the church.  It was a beautiful stone building, but like several other churches we've visited recently, its front had been completely bricked over and sealed off.  As we had expected, it wasn't open, which was a shame, but the view from the top of the hill was spectacular.

Yellow Arrows and GPX Tracks

Our GPX tracks suggested that we should follow the paved highway out of the village to the next one.  However, at the edge of town, a cluster of yellow arrows pointed us down a dirt track that led off into the countryside.  Being relatively obedient pilgrims, we followed the arrows and soon realized that we were heading back to the other branch of the trail that had gone to Bercianos.  In effect, we had just taken a massive detour.  Well, at least it had café con leche!

Hobbit Homes and Bodegas

This detour undoubtedly added a couple of kilometres to the walk, but it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed walking through the countryside. In addition, the track took us past a row of incredibly cool-looking bodegas. 

The hillside we were paralleling had been hollowed out by a warren of wine cellars that looked like hobbit homes.  We could see the rounded wooden doors facing the track, and the domed shape of the cellars, each with its own brick chimney, extending out beyond.  Since we had passed no vineyards in the past few days, we wondered why there were so many bodegas here, and where the grapes came from that were used to make the wine?

When the track eventually turned and we began climbing steeply up the ridge once again, we passed what looked like a homestead or several alternative homes that were half-buried in the hill.  It consisted of a whole complex of buildings, and had a large umbrella pine tree and a flower garden with tall purple iris out front.  It looked very intriguing, and it must be inhabited by a group of very creative and unconventional individuals. All of which, in our opinion, seemed very cool, and we would have loved to have seen inside them, as this type of construction has always been an interest of ours!

Forest Hike 

Continuing on, the trail repeatedly wove off the GPX tracks but still headed in the necessary direction, though it took far longer than the advertised road route – now familiar that at times the Camino is often several kilometres longer than either the guidebook or online tracks infer.  

We finished the steep climb, coming out on top of a ridge that had been heavily mined, the previous activity leaving behind large flat terraces and small ponds.  We then followed the track across the forested ridge, passing a lovely pilgrim rest area that consisted of a picnic table in a small shelter formed entirely out of woven sticks and a metal roof.   Though we didn't need to take a break, it was nevertheless a lovely spot.  

As we continued on, we couldn’t help but notice that in many ways it seemed like the landscape here had had the hell beaten out of it.  Either the fields have been dredged or ground up, while at the same time, forest fires have transformed the regional tree plantations.  Regardless of these astounding challenges, nature seems to have found a way to not only survive but also to thrive. 

As we walked through the forest, we noticed the remains of many wattle and dub buildings that were slowly melting back into the land.  They reminded me vaguely of termite mounds, but also made me wonder what they had once been used for, and how the land had once been worked.  The natural materials were slowly returning to the earth, reminding us of a time when most people had lived more closely connected to nature.

Eventually, we descended from the ridge, enjoying expansive views over the agricultural plain ahead.  Once again, the hill we were climbing down hosted a whole village of hobbit-home-like bodegas.  It would have been great fun to explore them!  At the bottom of the hill, we crossed a small canal, our first encounter with the Rio Tera, which we would follow for the next day. 

Santa Croya de Tera

Another short walk along a paved road brought us to the edge of Santa Croya de Tera.  This village was bigger than I had expected, and contained a large and very well-mowed and landscaped park at its center. The streets were lined with multistory buildings and shops, their tidy white walls and dark shutters providing a contrast to the wattle and dub structures of the rural villages we'd passed through earlier. 

To our delight, there was also an open bar where we stopped for a second break, this time to enjoy a couple of cans of ice-cold orange Aquarius.  After so many days on the Via de la Plata, the abundance of cafes felt like an embarrassment of riches, and we were determined to enjoy it to the fullest.  

When we continued out of town, we found ourselves following a nicely landscaped riverside walk.  A row of trees bordered the concrete path, which contained inlaid pebble designs of stars, fish, and ducks.  Beside us, the cattail-lined river contained Marsh Wrens, Barn Swallows, Mallards, and very large fish that occasionally broke the surface.  It made us wish we were staying longer so that we could spend some time walking the forested footpath on the far shore and enjoying the peaceful solitude along the river way.

Santa Marta de Tera

Instead, we continued on, crossing the forested river corridor and then the river itself on an arched road bridge.  Immediately, we climbed back up into the village of Santa Marta de Tera on the far shore.  The road was steep, but we soon came to the Romanesque church, where we've read that the oldest known stone statue of Santiago the Pilgrim is located.   This same statue is considered the symbol for the Camino Sanabrés and appears on stone markers throughout the region.  The municipal albergue is also located at the church, and when we approached it, we saw our first pilgrims of the day outside - three people we've never met before.

We went inside, asking at the desk if we could visit the church and museum.  A very nice lady said we could, even though Mass was in progress, and she gave us two tickets.  We quietly crept into the back of the church and listened for a few minutes to a mass being given to about six elderly parishioners.  The kind lady then allowed us to go upstairs to explore the church museum.  There were a number of interesting displays, including photos of three different popes on Camino, as well as one of their Compostelas. 

When we came back downstairs, the priest and the lady offered us donuts from a recent celebration and stopped for a chat.  They were both extremely nice, and again, we were tempted to stay.  However, we had decided to push on a little further in an effort to shorten tomorrow's 36 km stage. We enjoyed the visit very much, but for all our efforts, we never found the famous statue of Saint James.  There was a lot of restoration work going on, so we thought perhaps he was out for repairs. However, we later discovered he is located above the back door to the church, accessed by walking through the cemetery behind the church at another doorway entrance. 

Stepping outside, we came across several more pilgrims - once again, faces we had never met before. They were gathered at the bus stop, loudly declaring to anyone within earshot that 22 km was far too long for any Camino stage, and that the distance had forced them onto the bus to Ourense, from where they planned to walk only the final 100 km. When they saw us, they asked what we thought of the Sanabrés and whether we intended to stop at the nearby albergue. Since it was still too early in the day, we said no and carried on, which was an answer that seemed to unsettle them more than we expected.

In the end, of course, everyone walks their own Camino, and we would not see them again.

River Walk and Forest Plantations

From Santa Marta de Tera, we followed the dirt track back into the countryside. The Way left the town past the familiar stone slab markers of the Camino Sanabrés and soon wound along the Tera River, leading us into a stretch of quiet forestry plantation. Wooden signs, each adorned with a faded image of the saint, marked the route, guiding our steps through the peaceful landscape.

This time, we were traversing the length of a river valley.  First, we passed a series of small gardens.  Then we crossed into another area of mining, with signs warning of danger, dynamite use, and the possibility of falling into open-pit mines.  While we didn't encounter much danger, the ponds that had been left behind by the digging were filled with birds, which was both beautiful and quite interesting.

A little further down the track, we passed through a stretch of poplar plantations.  As Canadians, it is always striking to see a 'forest' whose ground has been ploughed, and consists of bare earth organized into small furrows.  There is almost nothing natural about the perfectly arranged rows of evenly spaced trees, but there is nonetheless something beautiful about the lines of light and geometry in the created landscape. In some ways, it brings to mind highly stylized and minimalist Zen gardens, which contain the essence of all the natural elements, but in reality hold almost nothing that is truly 'wild.' Sean often calls these "manufactured landscapes".

This last section made us marvel at the resilience of nature.  Today we walked through some highly disturbed landscapes, which had been burned by forest fires, scraped clean and terraformed by mining, and planted with a monoculture of trees.  Yet, for all those disruptions, we were walking amidst an array of wildflowers, surrounded by birds of all kinds, and shaded by a corridor of trees.  Perhaps this landscape represented a loss of biodiversity, but we could feel the resilience of the natural world all around us, and it was highly rejuvenating.

Camarzana de Tera

Around 2:30 PM, we came to the turnoff for Camarzana de Tera, a small town that is around 2 km off the Camino.  We had decided to stop here for tonight because it makes tomorrow's stage about 5 km shorter than stopping in Santa Marta de Tera, and also avoids the race for the donativo albergue with only 6 beds in Calzadilla de Tera.  When we went to check into our accommodations, which we located above a rest stop on the highway, we ran into Flor and Edourado, our Basque pilgrim friends, who looked dusty and tired from the day's stage.

Checking in and heading to our room, we soon discovered that the Hotel Juan Manuel was undergoing renovations and that there were no lights in the halls and no hot water in our rooms. Regardless, we were grateful to have a room for the night.  It was a roof and a place to sleep, and we were happy to simply be done with the day’s stage.

A short trip to the Carrefour market for a baguette, guacamole, tomato, and cheese for dinner led to the discovery of the Villa Romana de Orpheus.  This modern building on the main street seems to house an excavation which features a large and relatively intact Roman mural.  The museum was supposed to be open this afternoon according to its sign, but sadly it was not, so we had to content ourselves with peering through the metal grate.  Even from that limited perspective, the tiled floors looked quite impressive!

Tomorrow will be a long day, and there isn't much to explore in this tiny community.  As a result, we will make it an early night in the hopes of getting an early start.  We go to bed grateful for a truly beautiful day on the Camino and look forward to our next stage between Camarzana de Tera to Rionegro del Puente.

See you on the Way!