# Experiences Bembibre / Ponferrada Area



## Guest (Feb 28, 2011)

We have family and friends in Bembibre and will be seeking a three to six month rental initially in Bembibre area. We want to use this as a home base for seeing Spain and taking trips througout Eurpope using the rail lines. One of us is a full time electirc scooter user...so bus/train etc accessiblity would be nice..

My wife and are are younger retired US couple living in Colombia. Currently there are direct flights to Madrid for 750 US RT...and the weather will be getting warmer soon...we are prepared for the plunge. time frame end of marchish...

Any pointers on the area would be apprecaited. We know Bembibre is pretty small but with pretty good amenities. We currently live very urban in Medellin and have a small goat farm at 8000 feet in the Andes...cool enough that I am wearing socks with my sandels. 

Thanks in advance for allowing me to particpate in this forum


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Now I've found out where it is you appear to need help from our more northern members. Hopefully some one will be along shortly.


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2011)

gus-lopez said:


> Now I've found out where it is you appear to need help from our more northern members. Hopefully some one will be along shortly.


Thanks Gus! Our goal is to have a home base norte Spain and use the eurorail system to explore as much of Europe as possible. Bilboa is seems to be another option. 

Once the norte expats get the wood chopped and moisture wiped we expect to hear from them. I'd like to have know if there might be some english speakers in the town we pick, just for company.


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## Spanky McSpank (Aug 27, 2009)

Hi

I worked up in Ponferrada a while. Maybe I can help. What info do you need?


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2011)

Spanky McSpank said:


> Hi
> 
> I worked up in Ponferrada a while. Maybe I can help. What info do you need?


Hi Spanky,

Just your general impressios and any experiences you would like to share. Our family say's it's only 10 minutes from Bembibre to Ponferrada by bus or car. The family is all excited of course and have a huge place in Bembibre. Seems like a reasonably priced area in which to base from.


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## Spanky McSpank (Aug 27, 2009)

folklore said:


> Hi Spanky,
> 
> Just your general impressios and any experiences you would like to share. Our family say's it's only 10 minutes from Bembibre to Ponferrada by bus or car. The family is all excited of course and have a huge place in Bembibre. Seems like a reasonably priced area in which to base from.



Hi here is some info for you. 

Scenery wise the Bierzo area is great, loads of mountains which are beautifully snowcapped in winter. Lots of areas for walking,cycling, many rivers etc. Can go skiing in some places. There are lots of little unspoilt villages dotted around to explore.

The locals are friendly enough, although perhaps a little reserved.
There are few english speaking people and the locals do not generally speak english. I met a few Swedes working at the steel plants and the occasional tourist doing the camino de santiago (it goes past ponferrada)

Ponferrada is great for a night out, they are big wine drinkers and have their own wines made from the mencia grape so you can get some decent wine for a low price. The bars are packed with everyone jabbering away. They tend to throw stuff on the floor and then clean it up later.

The food is great, as they have the tradition of the pincho, and very very generous pinchos in a lot of places. They eat a lot of meat, and stews and a big meat dish called botillo that I'm sure you'll try one day.
The climate is rainy, very rainy especially from nov-march and is very cold in winter. July and August is pretty hot.
The area is influenced a lot by galica, some parts of el bierzo consider themselves galician and it is spoken in some rural parts. 

Ponferrada has a Carrefour so you can get all the things you need. There are regular buses to all over spain. Portugal is not so far away either, I went to the north and its only about 3 hours away. Galicia is 2hours away.

The train service is not so good though.

Hope that's useful if you have any more questions let me know.


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2011)

Spanky McSpank said:


> Hi here is some info for you.
> 
> Scenery wise the Bierzo area is great, loads of mountains which are beautifully snowcapped in winter. Lots of areas for walking,cycling, many rivers etc. Can go skiing in some places. There are lots of little unspoilt villages dotted around to explore.
> 
> ...




Thank you so ever much some excellent information and observatons! We bought our tickets today and arrive March 30th. 

We were thinking the train service out of Ponferrada might get us on main eurorail tickets but we have not checked it to that level ye. We are going to consider Ponferrada as it appears to have more entertainment options but I'm sure the relatives will want to escone us in Bembibre though as you said the bus service is excellent.

We get our comfort foods here in Medellin from Carrefour so they will continue to get my money I see.

The foods and nightlife sound like a great experience. The do not smoke meat here and look forward to sampling their cuisine and vino.


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