O Cebriero

We are here in O Cebreiro!  This is the last "high place" on the Camino -- there are small patches of snow around us here, though the weather is quite mild.  We walked, more or less, into the clouds here; the sun has occasionally poked through, it has rained a little today, but we are lacking the cold and wind of the last "high place," the Cruz de Ferro, where we were perpetually cold.

It is beautiful here, as you can see.  There are views like the above on three sides of the town of O Cebreiro, which is at the edge of Galicia, the province of which Santiago is the capital.

O Cebriero is notable for a couple of things.  It has the oldest church on the Camino, dating from the ninth century.  It is a lovely church -- here is a view down the main aisle, and one picture of the baptistry.  The font is also ninth century.

The other thing about O Cebreiro is that a longtime priest here was really one of the very first and most important promoters of this Camino.  He did some study about pilgrimage and its advantages, spoke about it throughout Europe, and in 1984, went through the Camino Frances (the one we are on) and painted the yellow arrows that we all have been following ever since.  The priest is buried in the church here in O Cebreiro.

So... it was a hard climb up today.  Now we are enjoying something of a rest.  There is a kind of "Banff-like" atmosphere to this place; it is a real tourist spot.  But like Banff, it is beautiful.  About 150 km left to Santiago, so we are in the home stretch now.

Blessings to you all at home!  There are still several stories I'd like to share, and time and technology are proving to be challenges.  But as able, I'd like to tell you about the fellow who stopped his bike to talk with us one day, about the economy here and what it is about our world that creates collapses like what has happened here, about walking in the rain, about the Cruz de Ferro...

Another time!
Dave