Vega de Valcarce to Sarria
Trip Start
May 14, 2008
1
7
14
Trip End
May 30, 2008
Sarria,
Galicia,
Spain
Thursday, May 22, 2008
We met in the breakfast room at 8:30 for a continental-type breakfast and started hiking at 9:15. This was the toughest leg of the Camino - 8 km uphill (sort of like doing the Grouse Grind two and a half times) to the tiny village of O'Cebreiro. However, the absolutely incredible scenery more than made up for the uphill climb. We meandered along a sometimes rocky, sometimes muddy, sometimes dirt path past farmer's fields, babbling brooks, acres of purple heather, and by the time we got to the top at 1300 meters above sea level, we had a panoramic view overlooking the valley below. It was breathtaking, despite already being out of breath! I walked with Lynne most of the way while the rest of our group forged on ahead. Lynne and I are both avid picture-takers and stopped often to take photos. After two and a half hours of hiking, we arrived at the high Celtic village of O'Cebreiro. We had crossed the border from Castilla y Leon into Galicia and the Ancares Mountain Range. At O'Cebreiro, we visited pre-Roman style dwellings with thatched roofs, a restored pre-Romanesque chapel that claims to house the chalice used by Jesus at the Last Supper, and a pilgrim hospice dating back to the 9th century. We also went inside one of the thatched, round dwellings which was built 1500 years ago. A small doorway separated the living area from the area where the animals were kept - close by, for warmth! We saw the implements used to cook with, the wooden bed that converted to a table, and the hanging racks used to dry meat on. It was amazing!
We had our passports stamped and Judy told us the story about the yellow arrows that line the Camino. About 35 years ago, the grandson of the founder of O'Cebreiro wanted to help guide the pilgrims but wasn't sure how to go about it. One day he saw some men drawing yellow lines on the highway, so he asked if he could have a can of paint. With that, he began painting yellow arrows on the trail, which have now helped millions of pilgrims find their way.
Julia organized us into a group picture, sitting on a stone wall overlooking the valley below, and then we got in the mini-bus for a 20 minute drive "to save our knees on the downhill journey". We got out in Renche (I think that's what my journal says - I can't read my chicken scratch!) and walked for another 4 km to Samos, where we stopped for a picnic lunch in a park. Lunch was sooooo welcome - salad with red peppers, corn, white asparagus, tomatoes, lettuce and olives, two types of cheeses (goat and sheep), three types of meat (prosciutto, salami and ham), and thick chunks of bread with apple slices and cookies for dessert. And wine. Vino tinto, as it's known here. In this idyllic setting, and while enjoying our picnic, we witnessed two 'interesting' people. First was a woman who walked up to a nearby tree and hugged it for all she was worth. She practically wrapped her legs around it, she was hugging it so hard! Then she turned around and hugged it backwards, so her back was against the tree. We figured it must be a tree of some importance that transfers energy, or something....
The second 'interesting' person was a man who Julia nicknamed "The Manipulator". He was standing on the slope of the grassy hill about 50' away from us with his pants around his knees and his bare bottom facing us, and his hands were.....not visible. He pulled up his underwear, then his pants, carefully tucking everything in, then grabbed his walking stick and strode towards us. Those of us who saw what he had been doing quickly looked away, and he said "Hola" (hello) as he walked by. As luck would have it, we saw him repeatedly over the next few days...but fortunately he was zipped up from then on!
We had our passports stamped at the albergue (pronounced albergay) and all of us are SO glad that we didn't choose that type of holiday. Pilgrims were pouring in and being assigned a bed in a room full of about 50 bunk beds, placed no more than 6' apart. Now that's roughing it!
We then had the option of walking another 10 km or going to our home for the next three days, "Torre do Barrio", near Sarria. Brad and John decided to walk, while the rest of us opted for relaxation.
This casa rurales is a large, converted 15th century farmhouse in a hamlet called Louseiro. It has huge bedrooms and is on acreage with chickens, sheep and a huge vegetable garden. There's a courtyard in the centre of the house which is used as a smoking area, but fortunately Pepe is the only one who smokes. And Tina, although she's trying to quit. It's a peaceful place to unwind.
After showering and changing, Pepe drove the rest of us (minus Nancy, who wanted some quiet time) into Sarria to the Internet Cafe. That's where I updated my blog but, upon pressing "send", lost the whole thing. John and Brad got caught in a downpour after a morning of solid sunshine, so the rest of us were pleased that we hadn't joined them!
We had a lively time around the dinner table with our hostess, Aurora, keeping us in stitches. She bent over backwards serving us, and every time somebody said "Gracias" she would shake her finger at them and say "No gracias en esta casa!" meaning "No thank-you's in this house!". We realized just how often we're ingrained to say it, and had to bite our tongue not to say thank-you! The red wine flowed, followed by the homemade grappa (we're convinced that there were a couple of ants at the bottom of the bottle). Dinner consisted of Galacian soup (broth, chard and white beans - yes mom, I ate the chard!), a plate of lettuce and tomatoes from the garden, home grown roast lamb and square fried potatoes, followed by "torta" which is like creme caramel. Despite the grand 'ol time we were having, we said goodnight at 11:00.
Brad & John walked 22 km today....the rest of us walked 12..
Linda starting the Camino, Vega de Valcarce
