Camino 2013 - Day 24 - 17 December 2013

This is the day I dreaded. This morning up to a freezing bedroom and no hot water. The girls and I left at. 08:00 because Kristina had another medical appointment for her bites while Lilli and I had breakfast in a local bar. We then walked 10km to Trabadelo for our first coffee. The day started with light rain that continued all day. We donned our ponchos to keep out the rain but of course the sweat inside creates just as much dampness. The first 20km is alongside the old highway but there is almost no traffic, then we started the 16km continues uphill walk to O'Cebreiro which almost killed me. This is the stage of the Camino which is always the toughest for me! After La Faba we walked 5km on dirt track which started on a steep climb on broken rock covered in fallen leaves, this changed to mud and rocks and continued to climb. Just when I thought that it couldn't get worse it did, there was now running water with the rocks and mud and a liberal supply of horse and cow manure, we then arrived at a small village and I thought we had arrived at O'Cebreiro, but it was not and the sign said 2km more. The track continued to climb steeply and my muscles in legs, hips and back protested mightely as the rain increased and fog closed in, and mud, manure and rocks became worse. Eventually the three ladies, Jennifer from Germany had joined us, and a Brazilian man and I dragged ourselves into O'Cebreiro after 36km. We can be thankful that forecast snow didn't come. Thank goodness that the albergue in O'Cebreiro is warm and comfortable.