Celebratng in O Cebreiro

The Camino gave us a gift today.

Last night the clouds moved away, Hurricane Leslie now finished rampaging through Portugal, Spain and France. We saw the most wonderful array of stars from our attic room, and then clear skies at day break.

view from our room in Las Herrerias

It was cold - we could see our breaths for the first time - but still as we started the steep climb into Galicia. Many pilgrims attach this to the end of the walk done yesterday, but we are in no rush and want to take our time, and it's a wonderful surprise to be able to do it in sunshine and nor rain.

It's a lovely walk along an old cart road, with large rocks and mud, and one must avoid stepping in horse poop and dodge chestnuts and acorns that fall from the sunlit canopy of trees. Old rock walls divide us from cows, their bells rasping as they graze. There are even calves at this time of year - four of them gambol about in the sun.

We are following the steep valley of the Valcarce river, and we hear it bubbling along cold and clear beside us. My head cold has moved into my chest and this adds a little bit of drama to the exertion of climbing about 650 metres in 9 km. My muscles are in good form, but my breath is laboured and every exhalation it sounds like a small animal is trying to escape my chest. A phlegmy cough rumbles though my body and I stop to let it through, but that allows me to look around as we climb.

Four km up and we pass charming hamlet La Faba, where we drink water while sitting on a bench in the sun watching the mist swirling around now that the sun has moved through the cold air.

Next is even tinier hamlet Laguna de Castilla, the last habitation before the Galician border. Kittens and old dogs actually run up to be stroked and played with.

Up, up, wheeze, wheeze. The view back down the valley is stunning. The track suddenly changes to good gravel and before long we are in O Cebreiro (pronounced O-Ceb-bray-air-oh).

Velvety folds on the hills across the valley, with the sun shining. An absolutely beautiful climb.

And then we are there, on the top, with the valley sprawled out below.

Everyone is lounging and we lounge too with our ritual arrival beer, which I do not need at all. I am exhausted. Hurrah, there is a bathtub! And I am going to do something I never do after my hot bath, and that is climb into bed for an afternoon nap. Thank you Camino for a wonderful, memorable day!