We left at 7:18 this morning out of Rabanal. We wee very much in the dark, with a quiet sky full of stars, quite beautiful and quite cold. . We were the only ones on the road with only the light of Sara’s headlamp to guide our way. We did not even realize that we were slowly climbing up hill. With the mist and he sunrise over the mountains, Sara found lots of photo opportunities. There is really something special about the colors of the sunrise over these mountains. Today we are walking to the “Cruz de Farro,” (Iron Cross) erected at one of the highest points on the Camino (1505 meters above sea level).
As we climb higher, it gets more windy and colder. We both feel fantastic, so what would have been a challenging day seems hard but quite do-able. It’s beautiful and the light on the mountain landscape keeps shifting from cloudy mist to bright sunshine. And we keep climbing.
We reached the Cruz de Farro, but so did lots of others, so we never quite had it to ourselves, and everyone wants a picture of themselves at this site. We took our turn, and then headed on.
Now we’re heading down the mountain. Hoping for another rest stop, we anticipated Monjarin, but it was rather a disappointment. The town has a population of ONE, so we walked right on, crossing another high point on the mountain before really heading down. When the track is difficult and very rocky, as it is today, we’re both very slow and careful. It was a spectacular day for walking along the ridge, surrounded by mountains with the quality of light shifting from moment to moment.
Arrived in Acebo around 1 o’clock, stopped at the first café to have a beer with Gwen and Bill. Then we went in search of our albergue, initially missed the sign and had to climb back up into town to find it. At any rate, La Trucha Del Arco Iris – a bed & breakfast — was just great. We had a lovely private room, with our own bath. And no corners – even the door to our room was nicely rounded. We enjoyed a beautiful view of the mountains from our the window.
Our first order of business was to get lunch. Anna recommended a restaurant around the corner where Sara tried the local dish, the botilla. We especially loved the local wine with dinner.
Although it was a hard day, it was one of Sara’s favorites. It helped us realize how strong we have become over the last four weeks. Now we’re better able to handle these climbs, and yes, even the downhills. Tomorrow includes long stretches of steep, rocky and difficult downhills. Evan dreads it a little, but we will both survive.
