BIKING PORTIONS - route comments

[Marty Patton-Volz]

Bob Toy-
I had other requests for my posting responding to your biking portions, so
am sending to the whole group:

We also cycled the Camino a second time (2000) to take the route at a more
leisurely pace, allow for some side trips, and explore those villages and
places that we didn't take time for on our first journey.  We started
further away (Paris) to make it a more significant journey, and took 6 wks
to do the 2100+ km.  We used a guide combination of the Confraternity of St
James walking guide, the Millan Lozano guide, and Higginson's Cyclist's
Guide to the Way of St. James.  We took one side trip from Burgos (rented a
car for the day) to visit Santo Domingo de Silos to hear a mass by the
singing monks - a real treat.

Your route questions:

1.  San Juan de Ortega - Burgos:
We followed the Dutch cycle Camino route, which heads up the Oca river
valley at Villafranca - Montes de Oca and follows the BU703 and BU701 to
meet up with the walking route near to N1 on the northeast approach to
Burgos.  The route is very rural, some rolling hills, and passing through
several almost deserted villages (including one - Villaescusa la sombria
with an almost ruined church with a standing bell tower - very eerie
looking).  At the N1, definitely ride through the town of Rubena - it is
lovely with a wonderul bell tower on their church and little old ladies that
take care of the altar flowers).  The N1 is busy on the approach into town
but much less traffic than N120, and becomes the main street Calle Victoria
taking you right into the center of town.   Advantages of this Dutch route -
it is off the N120, follows a beautiful river valley, and hooks up with the
walking route before the N1 route into town.  Disadvantages - you are off
the trad. walking route, and you miss San Juan de Ortega.

2. Astorga - Ponferreda - we have done this route twice: the first time we
actually started in Hospital de Orbigo which made for a lonnnng day with the
mountain at the end (where bone chilling rain poured on us with huge wind
gusts while we were on the actual climb).  The second time, John (my
husband) was recovering from a 3 day bout of flu or food poisoning with
fever and had major trouble making the climb, so we did it in 1-2 km chunks
with our companions and me zigzagging back and forth to carry his and our
gear on each leg so he could make it himself on the bike.  The final pull he
did on foot, with me pushing his bike, but he made it under his own steam!!

I would definitely recommend this section of the Camino.  The road is steep
and the final climb is pretty long, but it is definitely do'able if the
weather is not horrendous (that first trip I was not sure we would ever make
it up to the Cruz de Ferro) and has many interesting Camino sights along the
way, including the Cowboy bar in El Ganso, Rabanal del Camino, and the weird
refuge at Manjarin.

By the way, both times we stayed at Molinaseca, the first town at the bottom
of the long downhill - first time because we were wet and exhausted, the 2nd
time because we enjoyed this village so much we wanted to stay a second
time.  Ponferreda is a much larger city and nowhere near as nice for a
recovery evening.   However, stopping at Molinaseca makes for either a
verrry long ride to O Cebreiro with the major hill in the afternoon, or
(recommended) a more workable 2 day ride, breaking the route in Villafranca
del Bierzo (also a delightful town that was well worth the stop with a
wonderful old church-San Nicholas, that has been turned into a hospederia
with rooms and a lovely dining room - simple but good).

3.  Route to O Cebreiro -

We have taken the old N VI road both times, but in 2000 it was under
construction which made for a nasty, sometimes unpaved, rocky ride, but
still better than the traffic-heavy main road.  Road conditions have changed
now that the construction is done, but based on recent postings and our
experiences, wherever possible stay on the old NVI.  We did not take the
antigua N VI but followed the old N VI into Pedrafita.  The last hill (about
5 miles) is long, unforgiving, but not as bad at the end of 35 km as it was
at the end of an 70 km day!!

This final hill is another good reason not to ride from Ponferreda to O
Cebreiro in one day, but go from Molineseca to Villfranca to O Cebreiro
taking 2 days.  O Cebreiro is a wonderful place and deserves some time to
explore, contemplate, and enjoy the mostly pilgrim atmosphere.

4.  Cannot comment on the walkers Portomarin route - we did the road both
times and the downhill screamer to the reservoir remains one of my favorite
memories of the ride (I love fast downhills!!).  Our route was Sarria to
Melide in 1996, and Samos to Palais de Rey in 2000.  I highly recommend a
stop in Samos and a visit to the monastery.  In 1996 we stopped for lunch
and managed to catch a brother just before lunch and he gave us a wonderful
hour tour.  In 2000, we stayed at a Hostel across the street from the
refugio which is in the bottom floor of the monastery, explored the town and
got a tour of the monastery and a chance to attend vespers before Mass,
along with the pilgrims at the refugio.  The rebuilt part of the monastery
(after the fire in the 50's) has wonderful murals around the inside wall of
the 2nd floor of the double cloisters, a 3rd cloister level (very unusual)
and a cupola on top of the church.  A great stop with lots of camino
history.

A routing you did not ask about, but which I will recommend, is the
alternate route from Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calazada.  Najera is a
wonderful little town with an outstanding monastery with beautiful carved
ceilings and  WONDERFUL choir stalls upstairs in the organ loft that a
little old lady comes to take visitors through.  Najera has a nice mix of
hostels as well as the refugio and the townspeople have been outside
enjoying the open plaza next to the river both times we came thru.  It is
well worth a stop for the night!

The less direct route to Santo Domingo goes up into the hills to the two
monasteries near San Millan de la Cogolla - Yuso and Suso.  We were there on
a Monday, and only Yuso was open, but a German padre spent an hour and half
showing us around, including the Michelin 3 star ivory carved reliquary
chest, and a wonderful room of  huge 30-100 kilo books of 17th century music
and text manuscripts stored in special cupboards with air tunnels to keep
the moisture and pests under control.  After lunch, we took the road to
Canas, climbed out of the river valley, and then enjoyed an 8 km downhill
into Santo Domingo.  Wonderful wild flowers in the fields along the way!!

Route info:  LR113 out of Najera (signed to Yuso & Suso), to the LR205 to
Cardenas, to Beraban, and on to St Millan de la Cogolla where the
monasteries are.  Then LR 205 & 206 to Canas, and follow signposts to Santo
Domingo from there.

My only other comment is to have a real michelin map along with you, we used
both 1cm-4km and 1cm-2km scales. The map gives you options for adjusting
routes, dealing with construction, avoiding city traffic, and (hopefully
not) - bailouts...

I have detailed trip reports for both years, if you are interested in more
details on any of our routing.

Have a wonderful trip and enjoy your camino!!
Marty (&John) Volz
Santa Rosa, CA