48. Ourense to Osiera

Last night’s wild storm eventually abated and I was able to return to the albergue to sleep. This morning, I met up with Fernando in a cafe just over the road from where he was staying. The good thing about bigger towns is that you can usually find a cafe open when pilgrims are ready to eat! We had a quick breakfast and began the walk out of Ourense, across the Roman bridge and the rio Miṉo, out through residential districts and up! Up, up, up to the plateau on the northern side of the city. It was a steep and exhausting climb. 

Once on the plateau, the path flattened and meandered through numerous little villages all the way to Cea. There was a light drizzle much of the morning and the humidity was high. It must be about 98%, which means everything feels damp and clingy but in other ways it was perfect weather for walking in this landscape.

One hundred kilometres to Santiago.

Some locals out for a stroll in the mist. I imagine this is pretty normal for them.

A beautiful old Roman bridge.

Water on the road!

I reached Cea, and waited in a café for Fernando to arrive. Shall we press on to the Monasterio de Osiera. Three issues - will we find food, do we have the energy and can we avoid a drenching? Decision: have a bite to eat and press on. 

It was a beautiful path.

Again, there was a slight drizzle for the first hour of walking, and, then, to our amazement the cloud lifted and the sun came out. More storms are forecast, but for now we’ll take what sunshine we can get.

The Monasterio de Osiera is an amazing complex of old buildings, and the albergue, which feels very modern, is tucked away behind it. It was a relief to have a shower and to feel dry after another day of feeling clammy. Although, as I type, the clouds are building again. 

Here comes the rain!

Buen Camino 

Neil 💙👣