Galicia

When Buen Camino subscriber Greg Latimer suggested we were in the Misty Mountains he knew what he was talking about. I’ve seen that Tolkien reference used elsewhere to describe the mountains of Galicia. The sun rose this morning to the same strange scene to which it set last night, we were in a cloud.

All we could get for 1st breakfast was a big pile of bread, don’t they know pilgrims need protein! We washed it down with coffee and out into the clouds we went. After our massive climb yesterday, we had a relatively easy day planned, 20.7 km (12.9 miles) across the mountain tops and then a plunge of 2,300’ back down to about 2,000’ elevation.

Northwest backpackers will take a liking to the mountains of Galicia. The trees and trails and cool damp air remind us of our backyard. This is a fresh, green, often damp climate that most wouldn’t associate with Spain. The region is known as “o pais dos mil rios” (the country of a thousand rivers). Located in the northwest corner of the country with Portugal on its southern border, the Atlantic Ocean and Cantabrian Sea on the west and north, and the mountains we’re in to the east, it gets the most rainfall in all of Spain.

Sounds familiar to me! They should call this place the Great Atlantic Northwest.

Galicia is the last autonomous community we will walk through, after Navarre, La Rioja, and Castilla y Leon. The name comes from the Gallaeci, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area over the last millennium BC. As such the Celtic influence in culture and cuisine here is strong, something that surprised me the last time I was here.

That Celtic history included a fierce independence that resisted foreign rule over the years. Invasions of the Iberian Peninsula never seemed to make it to Galicia. The Roman and Muslim conquests never succeeded here. Or maybe they just didn’t want to move here because it rains all the time. That works for us in Seattle too. The pride and independence remain with 90% of locals still speaking the native language of Galego. (By comparison, 30% of Basques speak Euskara.) Ben pointed out to me the many highway signs, in Spanish, that have been painted over in Galego.

The first 10k of our walk stayed at elevation in the mist. Up and down through the forests and fog we went, arriving at 2nd breakfast in Hospital de la Condesa. All we could get there was more bread and coffee, so with a hunger we crossed the mountain tops to an early lunch in Fonfria.

I had been a little worried about the 2,300’ plunge. As we discussed many days ago the steep downhill parts of this walk, often in mud or on large stones, are some of the roughest stretches of walking on the trail. The similar descent after Cruz Ferro to Ponferrada had taken out two of our fellow pilgrims. That’s where we first saw our Italian friend struggling with leg ailments, culminating in last night’s drama. Sue, of “Lou & Sue from Atlanta” also was taken out with a knee problem there.

I had nothing to worry about. The trail down to Tricastela was some of the best maintained on the Camino. The short distance and the gentle terrain made this one of the easiest days of the journey. Tricastela is an uninteresting pilgrim stop, surprising given its reputation. The only restaurant in town was overrun with Replacements when we out for 2nd dinner, the bartender telling us to expect a 40 minute wait.

A 40 minute wait? Everyone get out their pilgrim credencials! We get seated by number of stamps!

We did not wait. We were pleased that we had already had 1st dinner. Tomorrow we pass through Sarria, the last town of size (and a bus stop?) outside the 100 km qualifying distance for a Compostela.

This is about to get interesting. Buen Camino.

Windswept Pilgrim atop Alto de San Roque, between Linares and Hospital de la Condesa

Into the Misty Mountains, leaving O Cebreiro

The Great Atlantic Northwest

2nd breakfast in Hospital de la Condesa

Trekking across the mountain tops, before descent

Lunch in Fonfria

Traffic jam leaving Fonfria

Leaving Biduedo

Galicia countryside

Descending to Tricastela

Entering Tricastela

Iglesia de Santiago