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Links: to Spain, by way of Windsor: 02 Rally Finish Onto Spain: 05 onto Leon 06 Astorga 08 to El Acebo 12 O'Cebreiro
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El Acebo, Spain 17 May Saturday - 17km 5 hrs walking, 2.5 hours stopped... Today was a tough one. The Camino guide said it would test "determination and perseverance". That's putting it mildly. My plan to lessen the pain of the big climb out of town from Rabanal failed - no taxi. Understandable, since it was really a small village. They could have called a taxi from Astorga, but we put on a brave face and fell back on Plan B - walking the whole way.instead of cheating on the really tough bit. Check out the angle of the climb - and the subsequent descent, from Dave's GPS data: |
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I thought the downhill bit would be a breeze after the climb up
to 1500 metres, but it was tough. Enough whingeing! Today we crossed what I think is the highest point of the Camino, marked by an Iron Cross, surrounded by stones left by pilgrims. The idea is said to be that pilgrims should leave a stone from their home here, but since we didn't bring even a pebble. we couldn't do that. The spectacular scenery almost made up for the hard slog. We were walking/climbing mostly along alpine ridges decorated with wildflowers, and when I took my eyes off the path in front of me, it was stunning to look around the mountains with their ribbons of snow.. Unfortunately, the path was often so rough that to not pay attention to where you were putting your feet could easily mean a fall. For most of the way, the track was rugged, with a surface of broken rocks and slate. |
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When we finally crested a ridge and saw the village of El Acebo
below us, it was an indescribable relief. I stumbled down the
hill, into the guest house, and somehow made it upstairs into
our room and the bliss of a (later): We've been told by the young man who appears to be the manager here that this village normally has only seven residents in winter - and that it snowed here two weeks ago. Hard to believe, even though it's at 1500 metres. Right now, it's full of peregrinos (which is what the locals call the walking pilgrims), happy to be have made the difficult climb and descent over the mountains... I'm hoping tomorrow is less strenuous We shall see. |
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My leg muscles didn't turn to jelly - they liquified
shower. and halleleluh! -it was a proper shower!