Day 30 (to Tricastella): … over the mountain …

This morning I started off a bit …

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”30″ gal_title=”2014-Day 30″]

… later, around 8:00, and at a slightly slower pace, to give my feet a chance to recuperate. The path continues uphill but this looks to be the last uphill climb on this mountain (not quite).

Next to the large stone slab marking the border of Galicia, I manage to surprise a pair of Slovenians with a “good morning” in Croatian (which is the same in Slovenian). Natasa and Zrinka heard from some French pilgrims that there is a Croatian pilgrim on the Camino. They are both slightly sad because this is the last serious mountain on the Camino … I on the other hand am practically giddy with joy at that fact.

Next up, O’ Cebreiro … a charming mountain village with a lovely church, that should be located close to the top. Another downhill slope leads to a small bar/store where I take a break. Father and daughter from Rhode Island pass me by, together with a few Koreans.
The Way continues to a small village that looks deserted, where I spot another group of Koreans taking a break, including a birthday girl from Burgos. I stop for my “feet breathing” exercise. A grandfather pushes a baby carriage taking his grandchild and his dog for a stroll. The dog seems to be interested in my socks (left on the wall to dry) … oh no you don’t … bad doggie … I won that one.

Another uphill climb … thankfully a short one … with a bar on top. Its brunch time. The path continues to a large statue of the pilgrim gazing onwards, where I bump into Bepi from Holland, bandaging her blistered foot.

The path ahead follows a series of small villages … each with an intensive smell of “eau de cow” … with traces of same all over the road. I can’t resist a bar in one of the villages where I’m soon joined by Natasa and Zrinka who stop by here for a lunch.
My “Camino diet” is usually sandwiches, fruit and energy bars during my walking time and a “Menu peregrino” when I park myself for the day.

The path continues downhill … steeply at that … then through the forest. After yet another village, I reached Tricastella around 16:50.

At the entrance to the town the Aussie family is having a beer. There are quite a few albergues here, and I manage to grab the last bed at a small one, in the middle of the town.
I am just finishing my laundry when I bump into Keith … his glasses frame was damaged, so he is forced to use shades as a backup. We stroll down to the Aussies and continue on to the restaurant.
A lot of new faces there …. Ernesto from Mexico with his wife Annie, who just joined him on the Camino and replenished his supply of Cuban cigars. Ernesto likes both kinds of football (the American version and the “rest of the world” version) and helps me explain some differences between Spanish version of Spanish and the Latin American version of Spanish.
There is also Jae from Texas and Terje from Norway.
The Aussies soon join us for dinner.
Very interesting company of great people.

That was day no. 30.