O'Cebreiro to Triacastela

Today was a very different sort of day due to the weather!
For the first time bar 1 afternoon at the beginning of the Camino we had rain!
Not only did we have rain but we had tremendous wind. The trusty group of 4 just carried on regardless and it was actually so nice to not contend with the heat! According to Victor our horseman Spain has had the hottest Autumn in 60 years and don't we know it!
The actual route today was very scenic with views over rolling hills and walking through numerous little villages, some very delapidated.
We had breakfast before we left in the quaint village of O'Cebreiro which over the last 20 years has had a complete make over , with beautiful stone buildings including the church. We are certainly noticing a more " touristy " feel now and not so many waiters from the school of no charm.
I thinks when we set off today we acknowledged a bit of rain falling but then had no idea how stormy the weather would be.
Brian and I had bought ponchos from mountain warehouse before we left NZ being assured they would be fine. Maybe fine at a music concert but not in today's Galician wind! Brian's poncho was completely shredded.
I thought at one stage I was going to take off in my Tilley hat and poncho like the flying nun!
We loved stopping into cosy little cafes on the way and had coffees and delicious cream of vegetable soup. Lee is a definite soup fan and after loving the garlic soup now is loving the Galician soup..cabbage and potatoes . Have yet to try it.
Our walk today took us through groves of huge oaks and chestnuts all turning colours. We walked through the back of cow sheds with cow pats all over the path and the smell of silage so it was certainly a very rural feel! A lot of the places have big alsatians tied up to ward the pilgrims off.
Finally the wind died down and the rain stopped and had a great walk in to Triacastela passing a 100 year old chestnut tree.
We are staying in a big hostel which also has dormitories so a bit of a reunion seeing some we hadn't seen for awhile including Guy the Welshman who greeted us with hugs . Tonight we will have a pilgrim meal for 13 euro.
Only 5 more days of walking and then team of eights bubble will dissolve.
The boys are already working out where we can watch the rugby tomorrow night and we have a sweepstake going. Funny enough all the Irish we met early on have disappeared and the Aussies are out, the Americans the Koreans and the Hungarians ( our latest friends) don't care so not much talk of the rugby. Maybe that's a good thing.
Voting day tomorrow so hope the government of your choice gets in!Read more