Not your normal hike in the park, today. By the time we reached our destination in Alto do Polo this afternoon, we had walked 13 miles and climbed over 3,300 feet! And to culminate our ‘fun day’, as we were strolling the last 1.7 miles on relatively modest hills, the last .3 of a mile climbed at between a 15 – 18 degree angle!! We have seen nothing that steep since the Pyrenees.
For the most part the entire day was pretty consistent – WALKING UP HILL. The highlight was reaching the top of the mountain and entering the town of O Cebreiro. A beautiful mountaintop village with spectacular 360 degree views, and numerous shops, restaurants, inns, and the Iglesia de Santa Maria, a church built on the 9th century remains of a Romanesque-style church. Small, but very special and spiritual inside.
Some of the trails we walked today were technically a little difficult, as they were steep, rocky, and very muddy. And I must admit, while we were all kind proud of what we had accomplished by midday, we were knocked down a few notches (while at the same time inspired) when we ran across an 85 year old lady from Belgium, walking in sandals and socks, who was on her SIXTH Camino and walking alone!!
We continue to run across ‘Camino friends’ some of which we have not seen for a weeks. The Camino is very unique in that you are continually finding people you have previously met, despite everyone walking at different paces, staying in different towns, some taking days off, etc. I really can’t overstate how important this is to the overall Camino experience!
Tomorrow is all downhill, sometimes very steep. Wonderful for the knees! Buen Camino.