TCamino 2016: Via de La Plata Day 30 - Fonfría to San Mamede

Wednesday April 27, 2016
Having spent the night in a very nice albergue along the ridge at about the same height as O'Cebreiro, today was the descent. It was a long way up for my leg muscles and my knees were very unhappy on the way down.
The day started with a very pretty sky, with tinges of red, perhaps to foreshadow the possibility of showers which the weather forecast said were a possibility.

The valley I was about to head down into was still covered by low clouds, I hoped the sun would clear them soon.

The path down not too steep to start with but it very steep and rocky further down. No photos of that I am afraid to say.

As I got further down I was soon at cloud level. An interesting experience.

More flowers by the spring. They seem to like the wet soil.
I know I am tall, but this is ridiculous. When I was a plant manager my nickname on the factory floor was "Long Legs". The sun is still low in the sky.

Soon I was down in a small forest of chestnut trees. Many of them looked very old.

One in particular was said to be 800 years old

By now I was down in the little villages with small farms. Here the cows are lying down. My grandmother used to say that meant that it would rain. I think it is just because they are tired, at least I hope so.

After we were down from O'Cebreiro in Triacastela there were two routes to choose from. Last time I walked the Camino we chose the route through Samos where there is a Benedictine monastery that can trace its roots back to the 5th/6th century, one of the oldest in the western world. This time I decided to take the other route which is slightly shorter but goes first up hill again to the little village of San Xil and then along a stretch with views over the surrounding mountains before descending again to the town of Sarria.
I found the day very strenuous, especially my knees on the long descent and then the up and down and was glad to sit in the sun and take a rest while I had a snack from my backpack. It is now 125km (77 miles) to Santiago according to the distance marker beside me.

The views across the valleys were very pretty but it looks as if the clouds are moving in.

Finally, after stopping for a bowl of soup and a beer at a little local bar I arrived at the albergue I had chosen after about 24 tough km today. It was later than usual but no problem with getting a bed in a room with 4 bunks (8 beds) but although at 5:30pm when I wrote the first draft of the blog all the other beds in my room were empty, by dinner time they were all filled when a Spanish group arrived
The albergue is very nice with a garden, and a nice common room/ dining room with a wood burning fireplace,where we we will eat dinner together tonight. The sleeping rooms also have heating- very seldom in albergues. Usually when it is cold they just offer heavy blanks to use with the sleeping bags we all carry

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