The Way of St. James

It is dark and quiet up here on the hill and life appears to be quite simple. O’ Cabreio was restored by a former monk so our rooms were once the monastery then a hospital for pilgrims. The streets are paved with stone, the houses are stone and the roofs are slate – all from the surrounding land. There are a lot of ambient cats and dogs about…would love to feed each one…especially one sweet little brown pup with huge ringed eyes…a real actor. There were a lot of other pilgrims in the restaurant..we had big chunks of bread, local wine, and lettuce that was so green and actually had taste. We dragged off to our cells thru the chilling dark and realized quickly that even the sound of a sneeze is heard by everyone in a monastery…no clocks. No tv or radio and lighting too dim. To read by…we are starting to get the idea…

Day six coming down the first mountain…O’Cabreio to Tricastela
Please excuse our break in news, but there was no wifi so we compiled notes, but were unable to broadcast…now 12 miles or 21 Kms…we were up early, too early I think, to find a cold, foggy morning..we dressed in layers, packed again, then off to get some breakfast…more big chunks of bread..toasted.., cereal with cream or yogurt, strong coffee, and perfect strawberries. Came out to find the same little brown dog and gave him a bit of something. As we left he stood with ears in defeat and eyes miserable as we marched off to Tricastela or three castles 12 miles away. When the fog cleared we started to shed layers, but the climb up to the alto de Poio, the highest spot on the camino – 1313 meters. Our couple from Namibia seemed fascinated by the waterways and said that aside from the Rivera that border the country, there are no viable waterways within the country which is slowly turning to desert. The last bit up to the Alto was really steep and we literally pulled our bodies and wheezing lungs over the edge only to find lots of nicely rested pilgrims. After our lungs recovered we were bringing up the rear of our group and ended up behind a group of four Italian couples. Suddenly one of the women started back up the hill with her exasperated husband yelling, “mamma Mia, mamma Mia, mama Mia” after her. We all laughed and call out, “mama Mia” every time we see him.
Downhill can be worse than uphill on the body…toenail he’ll..the titanium, tri-fold, cork topped walking stick actually comes in very handy. We pass clusters of houses and farms and ancient walls alive with plants and ferns?.lichen coats many tree trunks and as we descend pines turn to chestnuts and poplars. Occasionally we plod thru muck left by recent rains, but today we are blessed with gentle sunshine. The section of Spain we are in is called the Ireland of Spain- who came first is arguable, but the countryside is emerald and lush…occupied at one time by. Celts..pagans and Druids.
Finally arrive in Tricastela..but no castles. We enter an ancient church to get another stamp for our starched new passport..actually a paper foldout, but nice. Once inside what appeared to be a ruin turns out to be a sacred space preserved for untold generations and centuries with incredible carvings and art…it has stood for centuries before our country was even formed and has seen families long forgotten thru every notable life event..
Off now to the Alphonse IX hotel in Sarria for two nights. it sits right on the camino and next to a lovely gurgling river. We are very tired but no one wants to miss a meal…