Day 54 - Oseira & The Monastery - 9.4 km

Weather: 8 - 18. Rain in the afternoon
Clothes: Same as yesterday

Breakfast
I have definitely become the older more self indulgent pilgrim. While others are saving money and having breakfast at the albergue, I have found out what time the local Bars are open so I can sit quietly and have my morning coffee and toast (with banana).
This morning I was in what can only be called a cute and funky cafe with two (literally) stuffed people at the door. I keep thinking they are real. My grandé coffee is huge and as well as toast I got two pieces of the best yummy cake.
With only 8.5 km to walk this morning I started slow and relaxed. I notice that while the 20+ km days are totally doable now, they do take it out of me and the body wants to take it easy the next day.

The walk
What can I say? Another beautiful sunny morning in beautiful Galicia. Walking along forest pathways covered in autumn leaves, walking up what seem like small creeks at times (What happens in the rain?) past villages and up to the tops of the hills which give a more open and rocky outlook.
I looked back and saw distant high mountains - hard to believe I came from way over the other side of these.
And ahead the road cresting a hill to the unknown - but these days a happily anticipated other side.
I stopped for a hot chocolate at the 6 km mark and had a lovely stroll into Oseira.

The destination
The first view of the monastery was impressive - it just appeared from behind the trees, huge and significant.
The albergue is stunning - completed this year and imbued with the peace of the monastery and this little town in general. The design of the albergue is superb - spacious, elegant, warm and welcoming. Apart from the bunk beds it could be a simple boutique hotel.
So much has changed since my first Camino in 2007. Then I had a very tiny mobile phone for texts and calls, a guide book, unreliable showers, only occasional washing machines, and virtually completely reliance on the yellow arrows to find the way.

The afternoon
I arrived around 11.30 am so it’s virtually another day off. But not as busy as my day on Ourense 😮‍💨
Time for self care, grooming, washing and drying, relaxing, snoozing, eating, until we can tour the monastery at 4.00 pm.
Lunch at the local cafe - expensive but I understand in this tiny town it would be - and I am told the chef is really good.
I ordered a cod fish omelette- it sounds better in Spanish - Tortilla Bacalou. The chef asked if I want it medium or rare. I remembered that lovely soft scrambled egg and tortilla I had a few days ago. I told him to choose - he was the chef. The omelette was huge and filling and delicious. Enough to set me up for my afternoon nap.

I’ll put the actual Monastery tour in a separate post.

Buen CaminoRead more