Camino Frances, Day 24

 Day 24, May 13th, 05:57am, 45degrees. Have my head lamp on and my buff pulled up over my face, cold morning. Away we go!!

Getting an early start this morning for this big climb that I have in front of me today. My reason for leaving this early because I don’t have any reservations to stay the night at O Cebreiro. I was trying to get some last night but was not making any progress, so hopefully I will be able to find an open bed when I get there. If worst comes to worst, I can always take a taxi back to Villafranca, plenty of places to stay here, and take a taxi back up to O Cebreiro in the morning, and continue on from there.

Leaving Villafranca, walking on the frontage road. I can hear the trucks on the Highway above me, also walking along the Valcarse river. There is another pilgrim in front of me, so I am not out here by myself in the dark.

6:49am, crossed over the frontage road and heading up a single lane asphalt road. Entering the village of Pereje, if you can even call it a village. Soon the road goes back to the frontage road again. That was kind of dumb, but I guess they want pilgrims to go through Pereje. But I didn’t even see any type of pilgrim services, oh well. 

7:00am, 45° 3 miles, 1hr 2min. Still continuing to walk along the frontage road, luckily they have installed a 4 foot K rail, keeping me safe from the trucks that are just wheezing by. It’s just been a steady gradual climb up to this point. Still following the Valcarse River.

7:30am, crossing the frontage road once again. This time I am heading to Trabadelo. just passing Camino mileage marker 179 km= 111 miles to go.

Leaving the town of Trabadelo, it’s 8:00am, 6 miles in 2hs down. This little village had three or four cafes, but unfortunately nothing was open, so I’ll just keep on pushing forward till the next little village or town I come across to get my coffee. I have plenty of snacks and water so that’s not a big deal.

8:12am, I’m back to walking on the frontage road. This road is snaking its way up the canyon, crisscrossing over the Valcarce River. The Highway is just off to my left

8:40am, stopped at the Valcarce Hotel cafe, for what I hope is 1st morning coffee.

9:10am, leaving Valcarce Hotel. That was perfect timing. I really needed my cafe con Leche.!! Besides this place  a hotel & restaurant, it is also a rather large truck stop.

9:15am, entering a Portella. Just past a Camino mileage marker, 174 km= 108miles to go.

9:22am now entering the village of Ambasmestas, and crossing over the Balboa river, which feeds into the Valcarce River. I think, I may have finally left that frontage road that I’ve been walking on for the past 3 1/2 hours for the most part. 

10:00 am, 49° mostly sunny now 10.7 miles, 3hrs 51min. Currently walking on a nice newly paved asphalt road, thank you, just what the Dr. ordered. Enjoying the lush green forest and the sounds of the Balbo River flowing next to me. Sill it’s been just a mild uphill grade with a few sprinkled in downhill sections. I have shredded my rain jacket for the first time, without the threat of rain. My sunglasses are back on, it’s been a minute since I’ve done that. 

10:11am, entering Ruitelan, looks like a very cute little village. This is the town where you can rent the horses to take you to the top of the hill.

10:37am, earbuds in, 90’s-2000’s heavy alternative music is called for. Now it starts to get real, up we go!!!!!. Also leaving the confines of the road, back to the dirt trails.

11:23am, 50°, heart rate 154 bpm just went up one hellacious climb. I’m sure glad it wasn’t raining because that was a muddy quagmire just going up. I can’t even image what this would be like when it was raining. I’ve reached the village of La Faba.

12 o’clock 16.4 Miles. 6hrs 4min, hr- 146, currently at La Laguna de Castilla. Stopped to rest and grab a coke zero. Met up w/ pilgrim Miguel, we have been bumping into each, as far back as day 3. So far it has been what I expected, very tuff but due-able. The trail has been a mixture of rocky to very muddy. Did pass a couple horses on my way up, but they had no pilgrims on them.

12:45pm, made it to O Cebreiro. 18.1 miles 7hrs. Temp 52° sun with clouds. Have officially entered the Galicia region of Spain. I was greeted by an official Galician bagpipe player as I entered O Cebreiro. I am currently waiting in line at the municipal albergue, opens @ 1, for hopefully a bed. All the other accommodations here in O Cebreiro are full.

14:00pm, I got a bed in the municipal Albergue, Cost me a whopping €10. This is my first time staying in a municipal Albergue, on this Camino walk. The difference between a municipal and a private Albergue, 1st is the price, much cheaper, 2nd, they don’t take any pre-reservations, 3rd, they usually have many beds. I am currently in a room w/ 10 beds, but no bunk beds. It’s kind of like Motel 6 vs Holiday Inn. They are close, but you get a little more at a holiday Inn. 

After I got settled, went to Taberna Moreno (Restaurant), for pilgrim lunch. Mixed Salad, Eggs w/ bacon & fries, vanilla custard for desert, followed that up with a nice warm cup of cafe con Leche. After lunch, I walked around town a bit, took some pics, and went to the souvenir store and got me 3 more collective pins. Now just waiting for the church to open up at 4pm. 

Okay I found another difference between municipal vs private Albergues. The shower water is cold🥶 and shower stalls are open🤣🤣. 

Any hoot, it was a good walk today. Stretches were hard but overall I think I did okay for an old fart. I was passing people w/ no backpacks and they were younger than me. I have now started booking in advance. The next two days are pre-booked, and I am waiting for a response on another day. Looking at my remaking days, I only have 1 18mile day. Everything else is in the low teens. No reason to have to get out the door so early now, epically if everything is pre-booked in advanced. This may also be my last night sleeping in a dorm style room. I think I’ll just pay the little extra and get  my own room. I’ve experienced the Camino Albergue dorm life enough🤣🤣.

Okay folks, let’s take a look at today’s stats. Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro (on top of the Mtn), Stage 24

Miles- 18.3

Duration- 6hrs58 min

Elevation- 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 4,114ft, 🫨🫨

Steps- 38,920, but that does take into account the little bit I walked around here.

Temp- 44- 56 degrees, mostly sunny

Song- “Toxicity” by System of A Down 🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻

So tomorrow should be a fairly good day. I still have some more climbing to do but nothing even close to today. I head to Samos, about 15 miles.

Thanks as always for reading. Getting close to the end!