City in the Clouds

October 14

Today is an ambitious day: 30.1 km.  We make it less so by choosing the “low" route of the three options.  Even so, we start the day at about 575 m in altitude and will climb to 1,300 m by the end of the day.  However, our path is often a pedestrian walkway following the mountain road.

It's already raining when we leave.  The combination of wet weather and climbing terrain means we often pass on taking photos--too much trouble getting the camera in and out, and you can't be sure of the visibility.

Even in the rain, the scenery is beautiful--rolling hills, farmland, and rock walls along the road, which twists and turns and climbs much like the western end of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The path crosses and recrosses the road as we get diverted into small towns.  Perhaps because it is Sunday, we find quite a few open churches, all with sellos.  I'm not sure why the churches are not open more; providing sellos for pilgrims could be a great fundraiser.  When you get a sello from a church, you leave a pilgrim offering (usually in a donation box; larger churches have several boxes so you can choose which charity/organization you wish to support).  More often than not, this is done on the honor system, though, and maybe too many pilgrims leave nothing.  Or it could be the time of year--far fewer pilgrims passing by.

Anyway, it seems we make good progress.  We reach Herrerías (two-thirds up the page) around lunchtime.  It is a rather small town but it's the last chance for food before the big climb indicated at the top of the page.  So we stop at the first restaurant we see.  It turns out to be rather posh and, in our wet, disheveled condition, we are clearly underdressed.  Yet, we get the same courteous, impeccable service as any other patron.  It's nice to take more than fuel back out on the trail.  Another person's positive attitude goes a long way in sustaining one's spirits.

After lunch, we discover that our guidebook has lied to us.  In describing the 600-meter ascent, it tells us that 1.1 km of the route is very rocky and slippery when wet.  The truth is that we have to painstakingly pick our way up through rocks most of the time, and certainly a lot farther that 1.1 km.  It feels like the climb goes on forever.  Indeed, when we read the book again it says the 8.1 km distance from Herrerías to O'Cebreiro is adjusted an additional 6 km for the ascent.

Brierley did get one thing right, though:  the views back down the valley are spectacular.  There are some gaps in the rain when we take a moment to appreciate the view and how far we've come.  It may be hard to tell in this photo, but the wind is billowing up inside my poncho.  There are times we expect a Flying Nun effect--Karen will just lift off and blow away in the wind.

Finally, when we think we will keep climbing forever because there is nothing manmade in sight, we turn a bend and suddenly a pilgrim village worthy of Disney is in front of us.  It's a shame it is raining hard enough again--and we are exhausted--that I choose not to take out my camera.  I have the impression of quaint, rustic buildings, souvenir shops, and tourists.  There's even a monk.  (I realize he's not in costume; it's just the fact that he's an actual monk rather than the volunteers we've seen elsewhere.  It's as if he's here because people expect to see the real thing.)  Many of the people milling about are definitely not dressed in Camino wear and are way too peppy.

Like I said, I wish I had photos to back up these impressions, because I'm taking it all in through rain and fatigue, while watching for signs in the crowd for our albergue.  Fog is rolling in now, too, and the whole thing has a surreal feel, like some city in the clouds that my imagination has conjured.