Tag: O Cebreiro

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October 11. O Cebreiro

In 2019, I rode up O Cebreiro on a horse. In 2021, I walked. This year, I came up on wheels! So, this is an O Cebreiro post. I didn’t walk today – other than the three miles just roaming around this little, ancient village. It’s full of albergues, gift shops, restaurants, and at least one hotel. People are often put off by the commercialism here, but I enjoyed exploring, reading the history, reuniting with pilgrims and meeting new ones.

I attended evening mass and a beautiful after-mass pilgrim blessing – read in seven languages from volunteers within the pilgrim gathering. If you find yourself in O Cebreiro, it’s a special pilgrim experience.

Fun note to my south Texas friends – I had a rousing good time at a table with four men from Matamoros and a woman from Australia. The guys were pretty excited at running into someone from Corpus Christi. To the rest of you, Matamoros, Mexico is only 165 miles south of my hometown. We had lots of stories to swap.

2019 O Cebreiro by reluctant horse.
It really wasn’t all that difficult for me at a strong 74
2025! A €30 ride. Oh, well.
Santa María la Real is believed to have been founded around 836 AD, making its origins almost 1,200 years old. Much of the structure visible today dates from restorations in the 12th and 20th centuries.
Santa María la Real
Santa María la Real
Santa María la Real
Pilgrim blessing

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Sorry. That’s a Facebook link and I can’t seem to delete it

Old stone building
A palloza is a traditional stone-and-thatch dwelling that dates back to pre-Roman (Celtic) times and was used for centuries in the mountains of Galicia and León.
Café con leche time!
This fellow is walking in silence. He has a big sign on the back of his pack about it. He communicates by text – to order food, he creates the text in large font and shows it to the server.
Elevation from where I stayed last night to O Cebreiro
Universal language

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O Cebreiro to Sarria

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!
Samos
Guarding the path.
Guarding the cafe.
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Stage Thirty-one: Vega de Valcarce to O Cebreiro

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 way
The 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.
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October 9 O Cebreiro

For my Spanish-speaking friends, that’s pronounced oh-thay-bray-air-oh. Just like “gracious” is pronounced gra-the-is.  Iglesia de Santa Maria Real. Dating from the 9th century and the oldest extant church associated with the pilgrim way. (Brierly guidebook)

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