Over The Last Big Mountain

My walk up to O’Cebreiro marks my last day in the mountains. Tomorrow, I head downhill and then a pretty flat, easy five days into Santiago. Once again, my Adirondack legs propelled me past most of the hikers climbing up to O’Cebreiro. Five miles uphill was just an easy walk in the park! The hard days are now over!

I entered Galicia this morning, the last Spanish province I will go through on my way to Santiago. On top of the mountain here is is really quite windy and chilly. However, I just finished a hot, rich vegetable soup known as a caldo gallego. Tonight, I try another regional specialty – pulpo (octopus).

Tonight, I have a bed in the municipal albergue or xunta. No reservations possible, so it’s first come first served for the 100 beds. I was number 8 in line. Just an hour and a half after opening, it’s almost full as are the hotels here in O’Cebreiro. Apparently, the early bird gets the worm.