The Way is Up, Up Up : Fonsagrada to O Cadavo

Our albergue was amazing, but it was right on the main street, so we were woken up by the first traffic that went through at 5:30 am, and soon the sounds of others getting ready for the day made further sleep futile.  We got up and were soon heading out through a town shrouded in a thick layer of fog. 

 

 

 

The warm lights and delicious smells coming from the O Pan de Iria panaderia beckoned to us, and we stepped inside.  We enjoyed a café con leche and a truly delicious croissant that was still warm from the oven.  We were soon joined by a mix of other pilgrims, some whom we have been walking with since Oviedo, and others who showed the cleanliness, eagerness, and uncertainty of pilgrims on their first day.  

 

At the edge of town we headed out into the fields on a dirt track.  We had a sense of rolling hills stretching out around us, but we were shrouded in a thick layer of fog.  I love the mystery and sense of quiet solitude and isolation foggy days provide.  I also enjoy watching shapes slowly emerge, taking on definite outlines, then colours, and finally textures. 

 

 

At the first highway crossing we came across an inviting rest area created by a group of stone tables and benches tucked under a stand of tall pine trees. We had a moment of confusion when we saw arrows pointing in both directions, until we realized there was a pedestrian tunnel leading under the paved highway.  We could see other pilgrims walking off into the fog in both directions, and we didn't realize until it was too late that the one group had simply missed the turn back under the road.  I guess they must have figured it out eventually, but we felt guilty about not being able to warn them sooner. 

 

 

After crossing the highway we found ourselves walking through a pine forest, and then out into a heavily logged area in which the trees has been cut, and all the woody debris had been removed, including the tree stumps.  In Europe forestry practices are much more efficient and intensive than in North America. 

 

 

In the next section of trail we came across something we've been looking forward to for a while.  We follow Nadine Walks on YouTube, and she has spoken about one of her favourite trees on this Camino.  It stands like a lone sentinel in a pasture beside the path, which is bordered by wire fences on both sides.  As we walked through the quiet, still morning we recognized her tree through the fog like an old friend.  It is quite a magnificent tree. 

 

 

Although the morning was incredibly beautiful, since leaving town we had been maintaining a relatively brisk pace, hoping to pull ahead of a group of about 15 other pilgrims.  We have walked with some of these same hikers previously, and they tend to progress slowly, stopping often to check if they are going the right way, and taking many breaks to adjust their packs and check their gear.  We prefer to hike on our own, moving pretty fast but stopping frequently to take photos.  No matter how fast we sped up they kept pace, making us feel like prey being pursed by a horde.  For 6 km we kept ahead of them, climbing hills at uncomfortable speeds, before we finally decided to stop missing photo opportunities and let them get ahead.  Uncharacteristically, once they'd passed us they kept going, disappearing into the mist ahead.  Thank heavens. 

 

 

After walking among pastures we found ourselves in a tunnel of lush green Eucalyptus trees, English ivy, and moss covered stone walls.  Delicate ferns were just beginning to unfurl along the edges of the trail, while prickly gorse bushes were already blooming bright yellow along the trail.  The smell of pine trees and eucalyptus filled the cool damp air, and the sound of bird song filled our ears. 

 

We climbed gently until out of the thick mist appeared a small stone chapel.  When we peered through the metal grate we spotted a small statue of Santiago inside a simple interior.  Apparently every July 25th it is a destination for the Romaria from Fonsagrada in honour of Santiago. Somewhere near this site were the ruins of the old Hospital de Montouto, which was built in the 1357, but we didn't see them in the mist. 

 

 

We had a steep but incredibly magical climb on a forested track through tall pine forests.  The trail was sunk deep below the earth, with tall mossy walls covered in ferns, delicate wildflowers and English ivy reaching higher than our heads.  Tall trees towered above, creating a lush green tunnel under which we huffed and puffed up and then down our first hill. 

 

 

When we finished the decent into Paradavella we were very pleased to find a lovely bar, café, and albergue with a small patio lined with pots of flowers.  An apple tree covered in white blossoms provided shade, and a low stone wall separated the picnic tables on the patio from the surrounding forest. Of course we had to stop for a café con leche. 

 

 

As we sat there we were joined by many pilgrims that we recognized from previous stages.  There were also many new faces, and we noticed a definite shift in tone.  The price for two coffees was approximately twice what it had been in the first stages of the Camino, and it felt like the café existed solely for pilgrims.  

 

 

It was a good thing we stopped for the break, because after this point we began a climb that seemed to go on forever. It was a pleasant hike, with a mix of forested tracks and stretches that had been heavily logged.  The path was nice, but in many places it was very steep. 

 

When we emerged onto the highway for a short stretch and passed a bar we stopped in for a glass of ice cold lemonade.  Most of the fog had burned off by this point, but we were very grateful for the overcast skies, because we were very warm climbing the steep hills.  A group of others also stopped for a short break and a cold drink before resuming the climb, which continued up, and up, and up. 

 

 

The rest of the afternoon passed in a kind of blur. This stage has been labelled in some of the guidebooks as one of the most difficult of this Camino.  It isn't technically difficult, and the scenery is beautiful, but there is a lot of almost constant climbing up and down steep slopes, which made it one of the most tiring stages, at least for me. 

 

As we climbed into the hills we had fantastic views over the rolling hills and mountains of Galicia. We walked through several small communities, with their slate roofed stone buildings.  We also walked through Eucalyptus forests, cow pastures, and quite intensively logged areas.  Galicia is a lush and beautiful area, and it was a privilege to enjoy it from a lovely trail. 

 

 

We reached O Cadavo Beleira around 1:30 pm.  It turned out to be a very small town, tucked into a river valley among the hills.  It has several large albergues and hotel, and it feels like the Camino is a large part of the economy.  Many of the shops sold pilgrim souvenirs and knickknacks, and several of the bars had pilgrim related decorations and arrows.  We managed to find the local bar, where the bartender was singing and having a friendly argument with the locals.  As we sat there enjoying a cerveza we watched as one taxi after another dropped off loads of pilgrims, and luggage transport vans dropped off late arrivals.  We realized with a sinking feeling that the nature of the Camino has changed.

 

 

Our sense that things are changing came not just from our surroundings, but also from within.  We have been looking ahead a few days and discovered that everything in the coming towns is booked solid.  The group we've hiked with since Oviedo has essentially split up no.  Linten is returning home due to health issues, Mike and Mik have walked on ahead, about half the others continued to Castroverde to make tomorrow shorter, and a few are still here tonight. We had hoped for a final night together, but it seems that although we don't official cross the 100 km marker until tomorrow, the end has already come.  This is always a bittersweet moment. 

 

 

As we sat there sharing dinner and a drink with Tom from Chicago we realized how grateful we are for the people we've met and the connections we've made.  We'd like to walk into Santiago with the group we began this Camino with, and we don't want to leave this group behind, but we can see it is time to go our own way.  We realize how lucky we were when we walked our first Camino in 2016, to finish with a group of friends, to have a final celebration, and to see the botafumiero swing.  It is time to trust that we will meet the people we need to meet again, and that whatever the ending to this journey is, it will be the right one.  Tom seems to have become the social hub for this group, and perhaps we will have one last night together in Lugo.  For us there are four more days of walking left to reach Santiago de Compostela.

 

Distance: 24.2 km

Accommodations: Albergue-Pension Porta Santa