Fonfria to Triacastela

Last night I had a long chat with the Senora via Google Translate. She and her husband had been farmers till they retired. This was cattle country, she said, and that’s what everyone did. Then they decided to do something different. Their son-in-law knew an architect in Coruna and he designed the hostel for them, one which was perfectly fitting for the locality, yet modern inside to the 9th degree. Just as it was finished COVID hit and tourism more or less closed down. Now lots of pilgrims are going through and they are getting back on their feet.

A perfect day dawned this morning: warm, sunny and a clear blue sky. Days like these are why we do the Camino (and they certainly make up for all the wet ones!)

A very contented family of cows.

I kept having to stop to admire the views and to take photos as the cloud in the valleys ahead slowly lifted:

Time for a coffee break:

And another one:

This was the first sighting of the traditional grain storage things, designed to prevent rats getting in.

Nearing Triacastela is a 100-year old chestnut tree…

… and a giant ad for the favourite local beer.

Casa Galego in Fonfria

If there is an award for the best accommodation on the Camino, this place would win it hands down!

These photos speak louder than words:

At last I can give my clothes a good wash!

What a fantastic place!

A perfect day on the Camino: the best ever.

Then I read about the Texas shooting.

O’Cebreiro to Fonfria

Last night was pretty cold and miserable as the low cloud descended over the little town and stayed there. I ventured out only as far as the church, which was a bit warmer inside because of all the candles lit by pilgrims:

This is what the rest of the place looked like!

Inside Casa Anton was a welcoming fire and I enjoyed a plate of octopus and a glass of red:

I sat warming my feet for a long time: just what was needed on a cold night.

Next morning, the Casa Anton staff were having the day off, so breakfast was in the hotel. It was a bit of a mad house getting served. There was a Danish TV crew doing interviews in the middle of it all. I took a photo of the cameraman with his heavy equipment as he was trying to get some shots in the street outside:

I don’t suppose he could walk very far carrying all that gear.

BTW there is a permanent webcam set up near the albergue as you leave town. Google O’Cebreiro webcam and you will find it (remember to do it in daylight!)

Lots of wildflowers today as the cloud lifted and the sun started to break through.

Interesting buildings en route:

The high spot is the Alto de San Roque, with its famous statue of a pilgrim leaning into the prevailing west wind:

No wind today, though!

Perfect conditions for pilgrims, with amazing views in all directions:

Finally, here are two pics specially for this blog’s most dedicated follower:

Las Herrerias to O’Cebreiro

A cold and drizzley day was forecast and I knew it would be a steep climb up to O’Cebreiro (which it was!). It was 2 degrees when I ventured outside. The first thing I saw were the horses. An American woman I’d spoken to before had booked a ride and she was waiting for the start at 9.00 am. She said there were another 2 horses available and it cost €40. The only snag was you had to know how to ride a horse. I would like to have done it, just for the experience, but it’s so long since I rode on horseback, I might be a liability.

The first opportunity for a coffee and a rest was at La Faba. The place I remembered from a previous trip seemed to have burned down. A brand new bar had replaced it nearby, into which lots of tired pilgrims arrived, cold and dripping wet.

The view when the low cloud drifted away.

Wet cobwebs.

Orchid.

Bracket fungus on a log.

Queuing up to order a drink at La Laguna, only 2.5 kms to go now!

Just after this, I saw the horses coming back.

A significant spot: the border into Galicia.

My attic room at Casa Anton in O’Cebreiro.

Trabadelo to Las Herrerias

We had a jolly evening at Casa Susi’s. She cooked us a delicious meal: the starter was Greek salad and a mini quiche, followed by risoni and she even provided the recipe, in case we want to make it at home. Dessert  was pears in red wine, something I actually do make myself.

The meal ended with a little glass of Patxaran, a traditional Spanish liquor.

After that they sang the Camino song (in French for some reason!). There is a video on my Instagram.

Susi and Fermin grow most of their own vegetables: they have a very productive garden round the back:

On the road again, with quite a lot of cloud cover this morning, the trail was easy alongside the old road. A few beasts were spotted, like this huge cow munching on the long grass beside the river:

… and these geese who thought I had come to feed them:

Every hamlet has its own small church with the same style of bell tower.


The flyovers get higher. This is an amazing feat of engineering, to get a motorway over the mountain.

Flowers of the day:

Las Herrerias, where I’m staying tonight, is where you can hire a horse to take you up the steepest and most difficult part of the mountain. Pity the poor horses! I haven’t set eyes on them yet.

After a couple of hours of rain, it’s now turned into a beautiful evening. This is the view from my window: