Stage 25 from Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo is about 25 kms. By the time you slog through the outskirts of Ponferrada and the village of Camponaraya you’re half way but the last half is the best, walking through the manicured vineyards of the Bierzo region.
It was my last day on foot so I visited with a number of pilgrims along the way. I walked an hour or so with a policewoman from the Faroe Islands, met a group of 4 men from St Louis who were making the Camino together, a couple from Peru, a pilgrim from Singapore and several from Mexico.
I walked into Villafranca with a young woman who had just gotten her MBA from MIT. She had decided to walk the Camino at the last minute and hadn’t yet bought her ticket home.
In Villafranca, I had dinner with Rafa, Felipe (his cousin and assistant) and the other riders and we made plans to meet and “mount up” for Ocebreiro at 8:00 in the morning.
Stage 26 is a strenuous one, the last part ascending up to Ocebreiro is the steepest ascent of the whole Camino Frances but offers stunning views of the Valcarce valley.
I’ve done it twice on foot, first by myself in 2017 and with Hannah in 2018. This time, I’m letting Lucera do the work while I sit and enjoy the ride.
Just before you get to Ocebreiro there’s a marker advising that you are leaving Castillo y Leon and entering Galicia. Rafa is from Galicia. I jokingly asked him if he was going to dismount and kiss the ground when we got to that point and sure enough that’s just what he did. It was hilarious. Wish I had my camera at the ready!
Although the village only has 20 full time residents, the several albergues and hostals in Ocebreiro can house over 300 pilgrims with up to a 1000 or more passing daily through the village during the season.
One of the permanent residents is Father Rico the priest at the church who personally stamps and dates your Pilgrims Passport. The church dating to the 9th Century is the oldest existing church specifically associated with the Camino.
The whole town is adorable. No bigger than a postage stamp, I think it has the same footprint it had 1000 years ago. But every structure has been completely and authentically restored including several round buildings with thatch roofs of Celtic origin.
After a nice dinner, I got to bed early preparing for the next morning’s ride. Over the next two days we’re going to cover 3 stages, 27, 28 and 29. Tomorrow it’s Stage 27 to Triacastela and half of Stage 28 to Samos about 35 kilometers.
The day going to start out cold and wet. Westerly winds coming from the Atlantic often bring rain showers, thunderstorms, cold and thick fog to the Galician mountains. And that’s just what’s predicted for our morning ride out of Ocebreiro, 9 degrees centigrade (high 40’s), rain and thick fog.
But hopefully I’m prepared, my final last minute pre-trip purchase for this Camino was a slick, and I think stylish, full length riding slicker. And I think I’m going to be very glad to have it with me in the morning.
Buen Camino!
Looks like an awesome day!!