O Cebreiro!

The last big climb had been looming in front of me for days, the great hike to O Cebrereiro. I’d considered horses to get to the top. There’s actually a horse ranch that does this. The peak is a mile up. I’d saved phone numbers for taxis. My guide book said “..the path is rocky and steep and slick with mud and horse shit.” I started out very early before sunrise, definitely not looking forward to this. The weather was cold, perfect, and promising to be a nice day. No rain clouds. The path was steep, but not that steep and I didn’t see much horse shit. A Spanish couple were ahead of me carrying some plastic bags. They were just casually walking up the path. They’d stop periodically, digging around in the leaves at the side of the road. As I passed them I asked what he was doing. (I’ve added a few words to my Spanish vocabulary now!) He showed me his bag. It was full of all sorts of mushrooms. Near the top they stopped to rest and I asked for pictures. Even their dog posed. It was absolutely the favorite part of my hike. There I was fussing about my ‘big hike’ for days and I’m passed by a couple who casually walk by picking mushrooms. I felt like the whole mountain was laughing. It was worth a giggle at least! A little further on there was a sort of a food stand and a bunch of us sat and drank their homemade herbal tea or soup. There was also a tray of jewelry to buy. It was all for donation only. (I’ve seen 3 of these on the Camino. It looks like they have to only take donations if they’re not licensed.) After the break it was just a bit further to the town of O Cebreiro. It was a tourist destination full of shops, restaurants, cars and a few hostales and hostels and a church. There’s always a church. I went on to my hostal a few miles ahead. 

So, as with most things, my worry and anxiety were totally pointless. The hike up to O Cebreiro was beautiful. It was one of my favorite days on the Camino.