One of the three restraunts (by far the lowest rated one) in Pedrafita do Cebreiro opened at 7:30pm and I staggered over after having partied with the old people. The elderly waitress was shuffling around between three tables and also seemed to be babysitting. The food was decent but for the first time in my life I sent something back to the kitchen. The pork ribs had good flavor but they were bright red under the surface. They came back cooked and tasted very good.
My place was dark and looked empty when I got back. I may have been the only one in the building that night. In the morning the bar was manned and I had a coffee and paid. Old school Spanish places collect in the morning which is a little odd to me and my early morning getaways.
To get up to O Cebreiro I had a steep climb on a dirt road in the dark. It was a little creepy and very hard. I imagine this is what the Camino path was all the way for 8km; I did about 2km. After most of the climbing was done I joined the main road and soon came to the town. I was back on the Camino. Actually, I had been on the bike Camino the entire detour and had yellow arrows directing me.
I picked a random albergue bar and went in for a quick coffee. Robert was there and we walked together for an hour or so.
The sun was coming up as we left and it only rained very lightly sometimes. I was hurting and moving slower and slower. I plodded along and took my shoes off often. The last climb to the peak was incredibly steep. I rewarded myself with coffee and an excellent tortilla. The really good ones are moist and the yellow yolk runs slowly out of the center.
Afterward I felt good walking along a flat at the top for a few kilometers. Unfortunately, I was at quite an altitude and had to descend about 1000 meters in about 10km. Going downhill really hurts and I was going slower down than up. All I could do is plod along. Oddly I was walking faster than a guy from Bend, OR who I passed today about 5 times. He didn't take breaks and passed me when I did. I would overtake him a little later.
When I finally got into Triacastla I was limping and hurting pretty bad. The downhill hurts my right knee for some reason. I was also raising some blisters. Not sure if my shoes are breaking down or my socks are thinning and bunching or what, but it is new the last few days. Maybe the wetness?
When I got to town I had a nice menu del dia and came back to life in a nice hot shower at my hotel. Writing this up in the place I had lunch and I'm not sure if my waiter, who answers me in English, would rather I stopped butchering his language and just ask for things in English.
The menu del dia at Parrillada Xacobeo Restaurante had desert and I tried a O Cebreiro cheese with quince. It was excellent. A really nice combination of soft cheese and fruit.
Suddenly, it feels like the home stretch. Tomorrow is Sarria which is where all the pilgrims start to do the minimum 100km walk. I feel like if I blow my feet off I could do that in 3-4 days instead of the scheduled 5. Two nights in Santiago might be nicer
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