Nothing like a scarecrow doing double duty!
The way to O' Cebreiro is the steepest part of the road to Santiago. In fact, many people ride a horse up the mountain. Allison, a British teacher I keep talking to decided to rent a horse. She said she wasn't sure in hind sight that it was a good idea because she hadn't been on a horse in twenty years and she had some new sore places.
This wall was for sale. I assume they meant the property that went with it otherwise I wasn't sure why anyone would buy an old crumbling wall.
Now here is a sign I can follow.
I stopped at this little bar for a coca-cola zero and the owner was playing fifties music loud enough for people to be dancing a block away.
Check the fifth item down...a Kevin Bacon.
The view from the bar.
That's not fog...those are fluffy-puffy clouds that I was about to walk through. We were pretty high up and about to go higher.
Beautiful views as we climbed and climbed..onward and upward.
A peregrina (it's a girl dog) who posed for my photo. Notice that she has her own shell.
Although the grueling route today was only about six miles it was chocked full of scenery. Three years ago, I started this arduous 6 mile climb on a day that I had already hiked almost 15 mountainous miles. I remember it as the day from hell. Today, only having the climb...it was a cake walk. It is all relative.
I took my hat off in spite of the lovely hat hair!
Up and up, we climbed. It was quite cold until you were working hard and then I took my jacket off and the second I stopped I was freezing.
The Inglesia de Santa Maria Real, dating from the 9th century is the oldest church on the Camino associated directly with the pilgrimage.
It was a very simple church but ever so important on the pilgrim's journey. It was shelter on top of a mountain known for unpredictable weather.
For lunch I had the famous Galacian Soup...full of vitamins and iron. Piping hot and good to knock the chill off. It is darn cool up here on top of the mountain.
The view from O'Cebreiro...magnificient.
Sooo...last time I was here I practically caused an international incident. I ordered pork and instead they gave me this heaping platter of pulpo (stewed octopus). I wasn't that hungry to start with...had been eating tapas all afternoon. I wasn't so enthusiastic about the pulpo but I ate some of it...trying to be polite. I couldn't have finished this off if I hadn't eaten in three days and loved it. Well, they were majorly offended and from that day forward, I have carried a baggie in my purse. There have been some happy Spanish cats along the way! I did notice that I am not booked into the same hotel,
Looking down on the town grocery!
Today was my birthday and what a glorious thing to be doing on one's birthday. I had dinner with two Aussies and a Brit and we had copious amounts of wine in my honor! One thing about those Aussies and those Brits...any excuse for a toast will do.
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