Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Cacabelos to Ambasmestas (the elevation maps cover the walks for July 8 and July 9. Ambasmestas is not marked on the maps, but is between Portela and Vega de Valcarce on the map)

Today we passed the old pretty town of Villafranca, a small town founded by French monks in the 15th century. The town boasts a 15th century castle, 3 churches, a monastery, a convent and a bustling main square. We relaxed for a while in the main square with a drink and then continued on the camino. The rest of today's walk was straightforward. We passed several one street hamlets that seemed isolated from the outside world. The sound of the river, the rustling of leaves and the birds kept us company the whole day. We arrived at Ambasmestas, a small hamlet where the river Balboa joins the river Valcarce. We stayed at the CTR Ambasmestas, a clean and modern hotel/restaurant. Our room had a large balcony that overlooked the mountains. After a decent dinner at the restaurant, we turned in early as the next day was a big day – all uphill to O’Cebreiro