The Camino de Invierno
Day 6 Monforte de Lemos
Wednesday 1st May 2019
I could only have one night in the Parador Hotel as they were fully booked for subsequent nights, so I had booked another place for 2 nights .... Mon ComeySueñya Guesthouse in Rúa Roberto Baamonde in the centre of the town. This places was considerably cheaper than the Parador, and had the advantage that I did not have to keep climbing up the hill as you do to reach the Parador. The first task was to find it.
I had gone through my rucksack examining every item and had separated out all the items I did not really need and could do without; this totaled some 2 kg! My first port of call was the post office (Correos) in Rúa da Conde. It was Monday morning and was quite chilly, but I was standing outside the post office at 8-30 a.m. waiting for them to open. There was no sign of life, and I realised that it was 1st May. My posting of unwanted items would have to wait until the next day. The guesthouse Mon ComeySueñya was just around the corner, so I went to locate it and to leave my bag there until I could check in. The guesthouse comprises a ground floor coffee shop with stairs
leading to two floors with 5 rooms on each. I had a coffee in the Mon coffee shop, and checked with the lady where the self-service laundromat was; another customer took pity on me and led me up Rúa Roberto Baamonde to show me where it was. When people realise that you are doing the camino they are very kind and go out of their way to help you. The laundromat was something else..... the best I have ever used...... modern with Miele Professional machines, with a vending machine, two TV's to keep you entertained, WiFi and even a children's play area. The average reader will have no interest in laundromats, but for the camino walker with a pile of dirty clothes after a week's walking, it was a god send.
Itwas 3 euro for a small wash and 4 euro for drying. |
Without the help of the local I would probably have walked straight past this place
The "Excellence" Lavanderia Autoservicio
| Washing complete, I returned to Mon ComeySueñya and was able to check in. After that I was free to walk around Monforte, as I have done many times before and enjoy the sights. |
Colegio PP. Escolapios Monforte de Lemos
The pedestrianised central area with many restaurants.
The steps leading up the hill to the Parador in Praza de España
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José Luis Balado Pérez "Chicho" 1936-1994
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The Roman bridge
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| Having been to Monforte twice before I have a favourite restaurant down this street, Cardenal, which is Restaurante Cafeteria Polar / Capitol. I ate there both nights, the first having a pizza and the second having a really nice dish, jamon serrano with white asparagus. I got taking to three Spanish walkers here from Majorca who were doing Camino de Invierno, bringing the total numbers of fellow pilgrims I had met to 6! |
There was something reassuring going back to my regular restaurant, and even Manuel,
the waiter that served me in 2014 was still there.
| I had two other activities planned for Monforte de Lemos, both of which I have done before, and they were the boat trip down the Garganta de Sil, and the tour of Colegio PP. Escolapios. These are reported on the following pages. |
Accommodation
Mon ComeySueña Guesthouse in Rúa Roberto Baamonde
My room; simple, clean and comfortable. The only drawback was that it faced the road,
was single-glazed, and was noisy until midnight when the traffic died down. But at euro 36 per
night including breakfast it was very reasonable.
Mon ComeySueña coffee shop
Mon ComeySueña coffee shop
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