Day 23: Crossing into Galicia

La Laguna to Triacastela / 15.4 miles

7:15am departure, tackling the final 150 meters / 2 km ascent to O Cebreiro while bathed in moonlight (no need for headlamps!)
Entering Galicia, the westernmost Comunidad Autonoma I’ll pass through on my hike
Watching the sun rise over the mountains behind me from the vista point in O Cebreiro
A made-to-order personal-sized tortilla de patata, con cebolla, and a cafe con leche for breakfast
Seeing the pallozas in O Cebreiro, which are replicas from the thatched roof homes built by the Celts in pre-Roman times
Watching the clouds fill in the valleys below me
Taking two “alternative” paths that took me up above the roadside to see more complete panoramas of the mountains and valleys crossing into Galicia
An entire quarter of a bundt coffee cake with fresh squeezed OJ for second breakfast
Meeting a lovely couple from Gainsville, GA who took my photo with a pilgrim statue
An ensalada mixta with a Kas Naranja (the salad was 10/10 but the Kas Naranja was 6/10, gotta stick with the limón next time)
Finding a pumpkin patch along the trail
Hearing people speak and seeing signs written in Gallego
No knee pain on a long downhill stretch
Finding a new favorite soup, caldo gallego
Seeing so many happy looking kitties climbing over farm equipment and underneath dinner tables in Triacastela
Hanging my laundry in what I’m only 87% sure was the hostel’s garden and not the private home of a neighbor