Today has been grey with bits of rain. I thought I might paint, but I didn't. And after revamping some of my garden irrigation system I decided to take a bit of a rain day and basically goof off. No walking, no bike riding, no training in the basement. I decided to listen to some good music, read the press online and watch the space launch. A nice way to spend a poor weather Saturday afternoon. During the past two months I've done very little hanging around, except in the evenings. Feeling guilty? OK, maybe a little, but after having walked 800 kms since we started this process, Annemarie and I are ok with this decision.
Annemarie made us some excellent mushroom soup from scratch and has been working on her various projects. Now she's making a rhubarb and strawberry pie for tonight. Hmmm. Maybe I should have at least trained. Oh well. I can work it all off tomorrow, and on Monday my pal Dennis has figured out a nice 50-60 km bike ride for us to do together. Looking forward to that!
Today maybe I'll come back here and post a couple of photos from my garden instead of walking photos before I post.
Back on our virtual camino, in 2018 I think I'd have been quite happy to relax with a zero day. The wind was howling as I reached O'Cebreiro, and walking into that type of wind can be pretty uncomfortable. Trees were down along the trail in many places and the sun didn’t show itself until I was finishing in Tricastela. The good news is that after about 9 kms of additional uphill the trail drops gravity blessedly takes over.
In 2013 our bar accommodation with Ken. Ken was feeling pretty tired and because it was a shorter 22 km day he slept in, took a slow morning and left late. A nice thing to do sometimes!
Early morning 2013. While it was a cool start and I wore my gloves, once the clouds lifted it was a much better day than the day before.
Annemarie caught me in the act,
and this is the photo I was taking.
We were soon approaching Liñares. A kind of neat experience as the clouds slowly lifted to allow us to see the hamlet.
In 2018 it was all I could do to hold the camera steady. Having started at the foot of the climb I began to catch those who had started their day from O'Cebreiro.
The country side is pure Galicia. I've been able to walk in different parts of this province many times and I've always liked it's look and feel...at least when it's warm. Much like Scotland and Ireland in so many ways, and yet also very Spanish. I'm sure someone has written a book about this?
Though you think that this sign would mark the top of the pass, it was only in place for the cars as we would climb a bit more.
The pass is marked by the statue of a wind battered pilgrim. I knew exactly how he felt!
Annemarie photographed me in 2013. Note the gloves with shorts. Cool at the start, the sun soon came out and warmed up to about 24 when we eventually reached lower elevations. It was one of our favourite walking days that year. In contrast, by this point in 2018 I was bundled up in my Gortex wet gear, the dry warmer clothes I'd pulled on at the church in O'Cebreiro and my warm vest that about 20 minutes earlier I'd stopped by the side of the road and managed to pull on. The wind chill was well below zero.
I have a photo a bit like this on my wall taken in mid October, 2013.
By mid November 2018 its didn't look quite as nice. I'd been looking forward to finding this place again with a better camera, but the weather wasn't cooperating and besides, the tree was stripped bare, leaves, berries and all!
So for the majority of this post I'll stay in 2013. Warmer, kinder and a much more pleasant day. A day of days!
On the final climb to Alto do Poio the clouds swept over us and i remember how much I enjoyed that sensation.
Outside the village church in 2018. It was locked as I passed.
Inside in 2013.
In 2013 this really was one of those wonderful walking days! So good to relive this experience again.
It's just about here as we entered Fonfria that gravity really takes over in a most positive way. The drop from here is steady, but not difficult.
Back into cattle country!
The first view of Tricastela.
2018...no sun yet.
Ken's journal notes just arrived as I was finishing this blog post!
The pilgrims seem exhausted except a very few. There were some people here before--an American, two Brits--complaining about the flies. It’s a rural place; there are always lot of flies in the fall. Is that really a reason to complain?
There weren't many places open in 2018, but fortunately this place was and it was ok. Warm.
Annemarie's poem written that evening caught exactly how we had both been feeling on that beautiful October day!
Today
A while back I wrote a verse indicating that it just gets better
That was about a great experience we had when the weather was wetter
There have been days when we were just trying to get from A to B
This was particularly true when my toe was bothering me
But today I again felt this experience just keeps improving
This feeling came to me repeatedly as along mountain tracks we were moving
The weather cleared, and the sun shone throughout the day
The temperature was perfect, neither hot nor cold all the way
But it was the vistas that left their mark
As around each bend we would again remark
Many pictures were taken to attempt to capture the beauty
Even my camera came out of it's case quite frequently
Days like this lift the spirit, even when the terrain is strenuous
There were climbs and descents, quite numerous
The pictures we took may or may not match those in our minds eye
We will look back on this day and the joy it brought; the memory will probably elicit a sigh
I'm done and the pie is out of the oven! Yummmm!
Buen Camino!
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