This was by far the most challenging as well as the most rewarding day on the camino. As we climbed higher and higher, we had spectacular views of the Spanish Plateau. There weren't too many places to make a stop and there was a sense of isolation. So when we spotted this albergue in Foncebadon, in the middle of nowhere, we were surprised to find a sign that advertised 'Indian Chai’! I thought I was hallucinating from the heat and pain in my legs! Of course, as soon as we walked in we had an ice cold beer. We learned the owner had spent several years in northern India and on the mantelpiece above the fireplace, there was a display of memorabilia from his Indian sojourns! Soon we were at the highest point of the whole camino – 1517m. On our way we passed the Cruz de Ferro, a place where pilgrims usually leave a stone that they bring from home. Guess what we had when we reached the top? Another cold beer! There was an entrepreneurial guy who had set up a mobile beer stall in his truck and his beer was going fast!!
As they say, it was all downhill from there! My leg problems were manageable till now as we were climbing and therefore using a different set of muscles. But once the descent started from El Acebo to Molinaseca, I was in agony. Temperatures had climbed to high thirties and above. I hobbled down as did several other pilgrims. We were close to dehydration, had no water left and were exhausted! As we cleared the last downhill stretch and glimpsed the 18th century chapel and the Romanesque bridge across the river Meruelo, it felt like we were in heaven! We were in the picturesque town of Molinaseca!
Miraculously our aches and pains disappeared after a shower and some diligent stretches. Any leftover pain vanished with the bottle of wine we drank with our dinner! Our server was kind enough to provide us with homemade orujo to wash down the delicious meal of Galician broth, veal, oxtail stew and almond cake! After dinner we went for a stroll and enjoyed the beautiful and stunning scenery. We slept really well that night.
We had crossed the camino ‘bump’ – we felt we were ready for any challenges ahead.