After a very cold and rainy night in O’Cebreiro, I was so pleased to see sunshine and the promise of some warmer weather today. I’ve become such a SoCal girl that I slept in my fleece jacket last night! Karen, Kim and Aussie Chris met for breakfast, which these days is really tea and toast, and set off about 8:30 for a gentle up and down and then finally serious downhill into Triacastela.
It was a glorious day and beautiful landscape. The mist had settled in the hills providing what looked like floating islands of hilltops in the distance. And the moon (just past full) was with us for several hours this morning. We walked through rolling hills and farmland and small villages with more dogs and cats than people.
There’s a large statue of a pilgrim at 1,270 m that we had some fun with and we had two stops along the way for snacks and conversations with other pilgrims. We ran into Chris (grandson of Neville the Anglican priest from NZ) last night and today. Neville had to be hospitalized for an infection in Ponferrada and has since been sent back home, but Chris is continuing on. It was sad to hear about Neville; Kim and I had so enjoyed talking with him weeks ago, but it was good to see Chris continuing on for the both of them.
There were several lovely moments walking through these small villages today. In one, a small older woman stopped us to offer pilgrims crepes with sugar. In another, a home had set out raspberries and currants in a small dish for 1 euro. So many of these towns rely on the pilgrim trade, and we are the near the end of the season. Soon there will be a lull until the weather improves. Already the chill in the morning air proves that autumn in Northern Spain has arrived, and the likelihood of rain every several days tells us that we are in the Galicia region, nearing the ocean. There’s nothing between this region for 5,000 miles, so the wind off the Atlantic dictates our wardrobe for walking.
I only have 6 more days of walking before arriving in Santiago. Hard to believe since starting out over a month ago that this day would arrive so soon. Every day requires just 2 things — getting my luggage to the lobby of the place I’m staying by 8AM, and walking. It’s lovely to have so little to “have” to do. And the wonder of meeting interesting people and enjoying such a beautiful part of the world has not yet gotten old. I’m off tonight to re-connect with the cousins from Canada that I rode the horses with — it’s really quite a small Camino.
floating islands
Lorrie as a pilgrim
Moon leading the way
Bucolic hillsides
Can you see the hiking boot at the “altar” of flowers?
Berries left for pilgrims
Early morning, late in the Camino bad humor: “I see dead people”
The walkers today, minus Kim!
I love the floating islands photo! All of your photos today are magnificent! Once again, I am struck by the natural lighting that you have captured in your photos; absolutely breathtaking!