After last search for my socks and bandanna, I headed out about 6:30 AM just as the sky was lightning up. I went through three towns before I found a place open for breakfast in La Faba.
When I came up to the city of O’Cebreiro, I could hear a bagpiper playing as I came up the steep path to the cute little town that apparently has Celtic roots, which explains the “O” in the town’s name and the bagpiper. Other towns in the area have similar “O” prefixing their names. There are lots of shops and I stopped in one and had some hot chocolate and orange juice.
While I was there, Lena, who I had hiked with the day before, rushed in because she had left her wallet there and they gave it to her. She was so relieved.
She then told me what she experienced as she came up and heard the bagpiper. It was overwhelming for her because the last time she heard a bagpiper was at her husband’s funeral. He was Scottish. She said she just cried and stopped and sat by the statue, listening to the bagpiper greeting other pilgrims as they entered the town.
Today was a real slog. I went from 2,200 feet to 4,400 feet on a trail that was wet and muddy and filled with rocks. It also rained all day, It was just 4°C, and got real foggy right before I got to this beautiful Albergue A Reboleira in Fonfria. The lodging cost was €13 and dinner was €14.
Many towns along the Camino Santiago have these drinking water fountains for pilgrims and locals.
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Here’s a sample of the Camino Santiago markers, and they also use yellow painted arrows on the streets and walls.
After 18 miles, I finally reached the Albergue A Reboleira in Fonfria in the rain, fog, and several hill climbs in 4°C weather at an elevation of 4,400 feet.
Mariano from Argentina, who I first met in Leon, just showed up as did Haec from Denmark—nicknamed Gandalf because of his long hair and the shepherd staff he was carrying.
The showers were hot and the rooms were warm, just what I needed in this cold place where it’s supposed to get down to 36° tonight—and was a high of 47° today with some wind and rain – lots of rain. Good thing my poncho held up.
A large number of people went to the Pilgrim dinner where we had rice and stew and some delicious soup and then the typical Galician dessert.
The pilgrims were happy to share this hardy beef stew meal, and then enjoyed some dancing at the end, led by Lola, our enthusiastic host.
It was a good way to finish up a tough hike.
I again met up with Nathan and his daughter Amber, who were hiking the Camino. Nathan is from the UK, but lived in the US for many years. His daughter was born in the US, but is now living in Manchester, UK. What is amazing, is that Nathan is hiking with two bionic knees and has experienced no knee pain compared to the pain he went through during rehabilitation with his physical therapist.
It’s only 149 km to Santiago of a total of 779 km. I’m coming near the end of the Camino Santiago. It was also one of the prettiest hiking days since I’ve started with bubbling, creeks, crashing down beside the trail and beautiful forests that we walked through.
This is cow country, and you can occasionally hear cowbells in the distance. Throughout the several days walk through these farmlands, the smell of cow manure and piss permeate the air, and the path was littered with cow manure.
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