Day 22: Villafranca del Bierzo to O'Cebreiro...We're in Galicia!

Once again, to beat the heat we arose early and were on the road by 5:30 am.  Today's walk involved not only distance (28.9 kilometers), but also height (a rise of 900 meters, which is 2,700 feet--or 270 flights of stairs!).

Predictably, the first village we passed about an hour into our walk, Pereje, was still fast asleep early Saturday morning.  We had better luck an hour later in a beautiful mill town called Trabadelo.  We sat and had coffee and breakfast at the first cafe we found.  Fifteen minutes later, many more pilgrims started joining the party.  By the time we left, every table was full and more pilgrims kept coming across the mountains.

We walked uphill all day, passing many beautiful sights, new and old.

Meet Mr. Donkey Outside a Village Home

Check out this house, with windows almost at curbside.

Home in the Countryside

Kale grows really well in this cool climate.

Kale in a garden along the way.

One of the cool things about our travels throughout the Castilla & Leon region has been the very clear water in public lakes and streams.  Everywhere we walked, you could see to the bottom of the stream.  People were actively fishing and bathing in the crystal clear waters.  It wasn't just in rural areas--the same was true in large cities and intermediate towns as well.  Take a look at the clear water at a random stream we passed along the way:

Crystal-clear stream waters in Castilla & Leon

We divided our day into thirds:  we walked the first third of the way, then had our coffee break.  We walked another third of the way--about 10 kilometers, and had our Coca Cola break in the town of Las Herrerias.  It was about 10:15 when we stopped in there, having already walked 20.7 kilometers.  We felt like such troopers!

Las Herrerias is a small village high in the mountains that serves as a launching point for pilgrims traversing the steep climb up to O'Cebreiro.  The town has a collection of albergues, shops, cafes and bars to allow folks to stock up on supplies before attempting the 2,000 foot ascent.

There's even a vendor offering horse-rides up the mountain!  The guide will take you and your bags on a two-hour easy climb to the top.  (More on this later).

Las Herrerias.  Check Out the Horses.

We started our climb around 10:45 am.  The weather was beautifully cool and clear--until we started up the mountains.  It's amazing how hot it feels climbing steep hills, carrying a heavy back-pack, in the noon-day sun.  Suddenly, 80-degree blissful weather starts feeling really, really, hot.

The initial part of the climb was very steep and very rocky.  Here's a look at what 2,000 feet "up" looks like from here:

2,000 feet upward to go from here...

Of course, the views were amazing.  We passed livestock, rolling hillside, and even mountaintop castles!

Castle Ruins in the Mountains

One of the worst parts of the climb was the horse droppings.  Yes, those lovely animals that take pilgrims up the 2,000-foot climb leave droppings all along the way.  Not only are we struggling up the mountain in mid-day heat, but we're playing dodge-the-doo-doo with the horses.  Not fair!  (Sorry, no photo!)

Mountaintop Countryside...and Paco, of course!

In the last kilometer of our journey today, we crossed over into the province of Galicia.  That's the province in which Santiago de Compostela resides.  It was a very special and moving moment.

The Province Marker for Galicia

We're staying in the small Galician village of O'Cebreiro.  It's tiny.  It's beautiful.

Downtown O'Cebreiro

We went to Mass at the Iglesia de Santa Maria Real.  The church dates back to the 9th century and is the oldest existing church associated directly with the pilgrim way.

Iglesia de Santa Maria Real in O'Cebreiro

Alongside the church is the resting place of an amazing parish priest, Don Elias Valina Sampedro (1929-1989), who pioneered the idea of using the yellow arrow symbol to mark the path of the Camino for pilgrims.  Thanks to his simple but brilliant idea, the Camino has grown and flourished.

The Camino Symbol: Yellow Arrow. The priest gave these to all the pilgrims at the mass.