This was a decision day. There were three choices available: the Dragonte route with three elevation gains of 400 m, the Pradela route with one elevation gain of 330 m, and the low road following the highway and walking on the asphalt for half the way.

Chris and Doreen took the Pradela route and enjoyed the views of mist covered valleys. They enjoyed the walk but were tired when they arrived at the municipal albergue in Vega de Valcarce.

I took the low road out of Villafranca del Bierzo which followed the main highway and a secondary road winding in and out. The harvest moon was just setting as I left the village.

Looking back toward the East, dawn was breaking and I could see the castle outlined against the horizon.

The sun took a long time to reach into the valley and it was chilly. I even had to put my gloves on for a bit. I am just going to post some of the pictures I took along the way.

At Trabadelo there were piles of logs that had been cut and further along a small saw mill.

The village of Vega de Valcarce has a huge bridge that passes over the village and spans the valley. It is really quite impressive.

There is an old castle ruin high on a hill above the village.

And lastly, I was able to enjoy the beauty of the roses still blooming in a garden along the road.