As I walk along, I often think what section of this route I would recommend to someone with only a couple of weeks to spend walking. I’ve met a few who started in O Cebreiro to walk to Santiago. The long descent from O Cebreiro offers a good endurance experience and the walk out of Sarria is one of the loveliest. Not as majestic as crossing the Pyrenees, but still challenging for one’s first days. Most common is the walk from Sarria to Santiago because that is the minimum requirement to receive a Compostela and it only takes a few days.
Quick review of the last two days. WiFi connectivity has been sketchy, so just a quick catch-up. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. That pretty much sums up the walking days! The ups are hard for me; I may be the slowest person crawling up these ascents, but I eventually get there. I’ve been taking long breaks at the cafes through the day which help. The paths are mostly through woods and along streams. Through the villages, we walk the same paths as the cows, so one must remain alert in the game of Dodge the Cow Patties!
Leaving O Cebreiro Remember to stop and look Alto de San Roque (elev 1270 m)Mass in the tiny village of Pedrafito de Cebreiro Walking the rocky paths create less end-of-day leg stress than walking the smooth, flat surfaces. Peek-a-boo!SamosGuarding the path. Guarding the cafe.
The last big climb. Entering the final Spanish region on the Camino Frances.
O’Cebreiro (pronounced oh–thay–bray–air–oh) Marks a final major threshold over the Cantabrian mountains. 3rd highest peak on the Camino.
Galicia – The mountains of Galicia are the first object in 5,000 km that the westerly winds across the Atlantic hit so you can expect an immediate change in weather with frequent rain showers and thunderstorms. (Brierley)
Hi, All. I walked up that mountain- very slowly. The views were breathtaking, the weather perfect.
Twenty steps off the trail in all my gasping glory. Mountain View along the wayThe trail Mountains Crossing into Galicia Thomas said to keep going, so I sat down. Didn’t realize I’d arrived until I saw the green lady.
The bread truck rolls into the villages with its loud air horn blaring; the villagers pop out of their houses, bread bags in tow, and head to the truck. It’s surprising how fast some of the oldsters get up the hill to the truck!
Vega del Valcarce On October 08, 2019: I was very sick with a bronchial infection and stayed in this village for two days of rest. At a sidewalk table across from my lodging, I was having my morning cafe con leche and feeling extremely sorry for myself. Homesick. Sick. So far from home. All alone. Waaaaa.
Up walks this man who hands me a fig. I thank him, set it on the table. No! He says. And gestures vehemently that I am to eat it NOW! I did. And I snapped his photo. And his small act of kindness turned my day around. That was the end of my self pity. People are kind.
This year, I am staying an extra day here to find him (I’d learned his name is David -Da-veed). I brought a 5×7 copy of the photo from 2019. The pharmacist spoke English, so I showed her the photo and told her my story. She called Mrs. David, and I walked up the street to meet David and his wife. They gave me a tomato and a small jar of honey. David let me know he is 84. Mrs David is now carrying the photo down the street and showing it to all her neighbors and business owners. I am so happy this worked out. That I’m here precisely two years from the date of the fig gift is absolute serendipity.
Pilgrim Chris from the UK. I’ve enjoyed the company of this young man and his friends many times along my journey. He was also part of the group that gave me the impromptu birthday party in El Acebo. I learned yesterday that his day job is a circus performer. I invite you to watch this video all the way through- his performance gets increasingly difficult and impressive as time goes by in the video. What a graceful body and gracious spirit.
A narrow path along the road the entire day. It really wasn’t too bad because we walked along the Rio Valcarce or by woodlands and meadows. A few cows and sheep here and there.
One is tempted to walk through the middle of these narrow village streets, but cars DO come puttering through rather quickly!Thankfully, there was a concrete barrier between the path and the road most of the way. No barrier between the path and road, but very few cars came along. Lots of big pumpkins along the way. A little church on the side of the road. Usually there is a village around a church. Maybe advancing civilization replaced that part of the village with the road. Roncevalles is the first Spanish town on the Camino Frances. We start in France, cross the Pyrenees, and walk into Roncevalles.
Got some ups and downs today! Will be a long day for me – 14 miles. My max is probably 15 miles without getting too tired for the next day’s walk.
More road walking than I like today. There was an alternate route that would have been prettier, but it was longer, and with a 16 mile day, I was already pushing my daily limit (must remember I have another day to walk in the morning…and the next..and…)We walked through beautiful countryside this day.
Leaving Ponferrada: Mooned by a couple of wood statues. I did not walk around to the front!Fall is in full swing Follow the arrow The camino path always passes the church The castle across the street from my lodging. Castle-Palace of the Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo. Built ( reconstructed) in 1515. People live in the castle. https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo-Palacio_de_los_Marqueses_de_Villafranca
September 5: Started walking. October 17: Will arrive in Santiago October 18: A rest day. October 19: A four-day walk to Finisterre (at the Atlantic Ocean). October 26: Arrive home
Finisterre: “In Roman times it was believed to be an end of the known world. The name Finisterre, like that of Finistère in France, derives from the Latin finis terrae, meaning “end of the earth”. It is sometimes said to be the westernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula.”
