Day 21, September 14: Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro (28 km; 7:30)
My leg was sore and swollen when I woke up but was nowhere as bad as the previous morning. Despite the upcoming, lengthy climb to O Cebreiro, I was confident that I would make it since I had noticed it was less painful to walk uphill.
The first few kilometres were mostly a gentle uphill but my lower left leg was getting more sore with every step – so much for my theory. I finally realized the elastic ankle support I was wearing was cutting off the circulation. After removing it, the pain subsided, although the ankle and shin remained badly swollen.
Photo 731: Ouch!
The first half of the trek was beautiful. We walked through small villages where people obviously took great pride in their homes. Colourful flowers were everywhere – in window boxes, pots, and along property borders.
Photo 651: Beautiful garden near La Portela.
Photo 652: I did not stop to smell the flowers, though the bench was inviting.
At one point we passed a large group of young school children ambling along the side of the road with their teachers. Many of them were wearing backpacks making them look like little peregrinos.
Photo 654: Little peregrinos neasr Vega de Valcarce.
Many consider this stage to be the most difficult on the Camino and the last 12 kilometres proved them correct. It was brutally steep and the ever-hotter sun and poor footing made walking even more difficult; however, the incredible vistas looking back to the east rewarded our efforts.
Photo 660: Rocky climb to O Cebreiro.
Photo 668: The view from whence I came. If you double-click on the photo to enlarge it, you'll see Markus on the trail.
O Cebreiro is a stone settlement with a history that predates the Romans. The most striking feature of the village is the pallozas, a traditional Gallic round hut with stone walls and conical straw and broom-thatched roofs which aerodynamically deflect the mountain winds. I was fortunate to arrive while local craftsmen were in the process of installing a roof.
Photo 686: Assembling bundles of straw thatch for the roofs.
Photo 697: Traditional stone building used for residences and also for storage.
The views from the ridge looking west toward the province of Galicia were even more spectacular. I could see for at least 50 kilometres. I was really fortunate, since the weather at O Cebreiro is usually awful, with summer snowstorms and frequent days filled with dense fog.
Photo 673: Yikes! The view to where we were heading tomorrow.
Photo 680: We're going down, way, way down.
Later in the evening Markus and I went to a local restaurant where we celebrated his 33rd birthday. He doesn’t drink alcohol, so I was forced to drink the whole bottle of wine.
The first few kilometres were mostly a gentle uphill but my lower left leg was getting more sore with every step – so much for my theory. I finally realized the elastic ankle support I was wearing was cutting off the circulation. After removing it, the pain subsided, although the ankle and shin remained badly swollen.
Photo 731: Ouch!The first half of the trek was beautiful. We walked through small villages where people obviously took great pride in their homes. Colourful flowers were everywhere – in window boxes, pots, and along property borders.
Photo 651: Beautiful garden near La Portela.
Photo 652: I did not stop to smell the flowers, though the bench was inviting.At one point we passed a large group of young school children ambling along the side of the road with their teachers. Many of them were wearing backpacks making them look like little peregrinos.
Photo 654: Little peregrinos neasr Vega de Valcarce.Many consider this stage to be the most difficult on the Camino and the last 12 kilometres proved them correct. It was brutally steep and the ever-hotter sun and poor footing made walking even more difficult; however, the incredible vistas looking back to the east rewarded our efforts.
Photo 660: Rocky climb to O Cebreiro.
Photo 668: The view from whence I came. If you double-click on the photo to enlarge it, you'll see Markus on the trail.O Cebreiro is a stone settlement with a history that predates the Romans. The most striking feature of the village is the pallozas, a traditional Gallic round hut with stone walls and conical straw and broom-thatched roofs which aerodynamically deflect the mountain winds. I was fortunate to arrive while local craftsmen were in the process of installing a roof.
Photo 686: Assembling bundles of straw thatch for the roofs.
Photo 697: Traditional stone building used for residences and also for storage. The views from the ridge looking west toward the province of Galicia were even more spectacular. I could see for at least 50 kilometres. I was really fortunate, since the weather at O Cebreiro is usually awful, with summer snowstorms and frequent days filled with dense fog.
Photo 673: Yikes! The view to where we were heading tomorrow.
Photo 680: We're going down, way, way down.Later in the evening Markus and I went to a local restaurant where we celebrated his 33rd birthday. He doesn’t drink alcohol, so I was forced to drink the whole bottle of wine.
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