Up to O’Cebreiro

We had a great and long rest last night. Dinner at 5pm meant that we were in bed and going to sleep by about 8pm. Breakfast was hearty (though again, no eggs!), and we were ready to start our climb. The sun was peaking through the mountain mist in the valley, and the cows were out grazing. It all felt like good omens for our day ahead. Even the cows came to wish us Buen Camino! An interesting thing, though, is that my Apple Watch decided to stop tracking my walking this morning. Maybe it’s another sign for me to focus on the present and not on distance covered or yet to go. (Of course that also meant the nagging reminder from Siri at 4pm, “You can still do it!” I really need to examine my relationship with Siri.)

The first stretch of the climb was on asphalt with a modest uphill. As it got more steep, the initial morning chatter of the pilgrims ceased and gave way to the sound of heavy breathing and the clicking of trekking poles. Then we stepped down onto a dirt track - actually muddy from yesterday’s rain - which was a bit slippery for the second stretch of uphill. We had our poles, went slowly and stopped frequently - and were very grateful it wasn’t raining today! It was a lovely sunny day, and the trail was under the shade of many trees. I let Rory take the lead and set the pace, since she was more nervous about today’s climb. The slow and steady pace was good for both of us! I probably would’ve tried to barrel up the hill and hurt myself. It was also a very good exercise for me to not be in control or take the lead, just let myself follow another’s lead. That was a much bigger hill for me to climb!

We got to the first rest option at La Faba for cafe con leche. What a charming mountain town with a stunning view of the Valcarce valley. Here I met my favorite Camino dog so far, Santiago. I petted him profusely, and he kept putting his paw on me whenever I tried to stop. I wished I could take him with me, though I don’t think Cocoa would be happy about that.

After La Faba (or “La Fabulous” as I am now calling it), the climb continued on dirt track but more sunny and fewer trees. The views as we moved higher up became more and more magnificent. This stretch went fairly quickly and didn’t seem as hard as the first. Maybe it’s the views?

We stopped for lunch in Laguna de Castillo, the last village before O’Cebreiro - and before finally leaving the autonomous community of Castillo y León and entering that of Galicia, the northwestern-most region of Spain. This region has Celtic roots that trace back for centuries if not millennia. There is a huge influence of Gaelic culture, cooking and even some of the language, as this one of many ancient Celtic outposts and where many Irish immigrants have come over the centuries.

Many of the houses in Laguna de Castillo were built right above the stables for the horses and cows. The people here literally live with their animals, as they are a source of their livelihood. (They must get used to the smell.) We saw several “pallozas” tucked into the hills near houses or farms. Pallozas are ancient dwellings made of brick or stone with conical thatched roofs. They are like giant yurts that would house entire families (multiple generations), with separate rooms for sleeping, cooking and animals. The fires for cooking kept the whole structure warm for all the creatures inside, especially during the frigid winters here in these mountains. They were commonly used up until the late 20th century! And some are even still used today.

The last stretch was fairly easy, and we got to O’Cebreiro around 12:30, feeling strong! We stopped into the church and lit a candle, then headed to the Main square for a well-deserved beer to celebrate our accomplishment. There seemed to be a lot of tourists here, not just pilgrims; then we realized it is Mothers Day in Spain so that may be why there were many non pilgrims out for a drive in the mountains.

We called for a ride to our lodging for the night because it was out of town. Turns out we were booked at a little town called Fonfria which is 12km further along the Camino. (They will bring us back to O’Cebreiro in the morning so we can resume walking where we left off.) It is a tiny hamlet comprised only of a couple of albergues and local ranchers, where cows, chickens and dogs pretty much intermingle with all the people. Our dinner tonight was actually in a pallozo adjacent to the hotel. It was very roomy inside, and we sat at a huge table with all the other pilgrims. The meal was delicious. First course was “caldo galicia” which is a hearty local soup with beans, potatoes and kale. Second course was stewed meat, peas, mushrooms and peppers over rice. I was so excited to have rice instead of French fries! It was all simple and fresh. (I tried not to think about the fact that there were several cows grazing in the field right outside.)