Perfect timing

Is what Fran had today when she met us at the top of the mountains of O´Cebreiro. Liz and I walked up the mountains today (day 25 on the site with the pictures). Tomorrow we´ll be in day 26 (OCebreiro to Sarria). Fran had a delightful time visiting with a couple from Germany who is spending their honeymoon doing the Camino. But Fran thinks their Camino is ended because of the girl´s blisters and the fact the guy is carrying all the packs(Fran figures 40#). We still can´t post our own pictures. I took 86 just today. Boy was it a great day. The trail was just full of pilgrims walking, but 75% of them just had light or no packs. Fran´s walking the rest of the way, but opted out today because of the steepness of the climb. We had a wonderful meal with their special cheese for dessert that they pour honey over. It´s like a rouqfort cheese. It´s regional. It´s called Cebreiro cheese. A very soft, fresh sweet cheese that you eat for dessert. The Galicia soup was the best to date....potato, great northern beans and a spinach like leaf.

A couple of days ago we were in a restaurant and the owner who was remarkable young woman named Pilar gave us paella with an assortment of ham appetizers. And this rustic bread that she´d grilled with a spicy rub on it. Best meal to date. She told us of her Camino travels. She has gone thru the more northern route that is more primitive and you see the sea. It was great but remote with no one around for days. She just opened up her restaurant in July. ´We wished her the best. She was so kind to us and really loved to cook and serve it to appreciative customers.

The reason Liz and I walked such a long way the other day was because Fran had said we need to walk 18 miles or take a taxi some of the way. Of course we said we´d walk. Well, when we started looking at the map the miles were actually 23 miles and Fran said if we didn´t get to the pre-determined VillaFranca it would mess up the rest of the days. Soooo, it´s all Fran´s doings. Tee hee.

Fran´s being a great sport. She has a little swelling in her knee but her knee braces help alot so she´s great as long as it´s not mountains and today was the last of the mountains.

Oh the views. We just could not get enough of them. Just had sprinkles today so the rain did not effect our views at all. But the word is tomorrow it´s rain. Finally a day of rain. Boy have we lucked out.

We miss each and every one of you. We´ll be home soon...just a little over a week. Today is Sunday and O´Cebreiro is full of Sunday tourists and lots of pilgrims because this starts the last 100 miles to Santiago and you have to walk that to be able to get your credentials stamped at the cathedral.

Bye for now....sleeping in the clouds. We´re in heaven.