24 October.  Nice departure but increasing chilly climbing.

Imagine the Meseta if you can. Then, tip it upwards. Flattish becomes a 300 meter climb. Wind and chill factor makes it a bit harder.

QB again walked the walk.  Road quality generally good for walkers and bikers and generally parallel. 

We are now in the Maragatos, a collection of 44 villages on the sides of this mountain.  Picture is of a cobbled entre to one of them. QB will have pictures of some villages. Cobbles are not my idea of biking. 

The Maragatos used to be muleteers and have their own customs and lifestyle that apparently set them appart from the Spaniards.  They consider themselves a separate race descended from Berbers or Phoenicians. 

The Confraternity runs a pilgramage here. Only one in Spain run directly by the English. Met the couple running it for a fortnight, they waited a year to be able to volunteer to run it. Nice couple from English northcountry. Thirty four beds and a separate area for those with bedbugs. Only place that will do a hot wash of all cloths and then a shower and full spraying of possessions before putting you in a separate building.  They provide manditory disposible sheets for all pilgrams.

The walls and streets of these Maragatos area are lined with stone walls of high quality and durability. Many without motor. Similar to those in France.

This village has a winter population of 30 and swells to 300 ( some people from Madrid have summer houses here at almost 1200 meters) .  The 30 are feuding. The small monastery took or move paintings or relics from the church, or the other way around. Demonstrations in the street occurred.  Priest was reassigned. All very hush hush in the telling by the confraternity innkeepers. 

Romanesque church of great simplicity and charm is pictured.  No net connection here but wonderful old stone building at top of village.