The day started in sunshine as we walked with our fellow pilgrims along a path that ran parallel with the road and at times crossed a large freeway. Fortunately it was generally protected from the road so we didn't need to spend too much time competing with cars, though bikes were starting to become a problem as they seemed to prefer the walking trail to the road much of the time, but made little effort to slow down when they passed walkers.
K still had some lingering foot trouble so after about 16km when we reached the town of Vega de Valcarce she arranged for a taxi while M pressed on. From there the way diverged from the larger roads and turned into a very pleasant trail through some green and hilly countryside. Just past the town of Las Herrerias the path started heading upwards - this was the beginning of the 8km climb to O Cebreiro.
The scenery was the best so far on the Camino, going past farmland, over bridges and along streams, via narrow and shady paths. As the path entered O Cebreiro at the top of the climb there were some great views over the surrounding countryside.
The small town of O Cebreiro was very busy, as it was an attraction for general tourists as well as Camino pilgrims. It is also one of the busiest stops on the Camino and mainly had just shared accommodation, so we had booked a stay off the mountain, which included transportation between the room and O Cebreiro. As a result we waited a while and had some drinks and dinner on O Cebreiro before contacting out hosts.
There was a slight mixup with the spot where we had to meet the car, which meant we got to our room a bit later than we'd hoped, and while waiting we saw police and found out that someone had been reported lost along the way, apparently it was an Italian man or woman whose partner had reported them missing.
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