Bar/Meeting place O Cebreiro

[design4life]

Quick question. A friend is joining me in O'Cebreiro tomorrow so that we can walk the last week to Santiago together. (We walked St J to Burgos together in 2013.) I walk up from La Faba in the morning and need a place to hang out in O'C for a few hours, eat some lunch, read my book. She comes up from Pedrafita by taxi around 4. So i also need a place to tell her to meet me. Could be same place or different.
Reminder: It's Sunday.
We aren't sleeping in O'C. Gonna take in the view and a beer and then a taxi to Fonfría.
Gracias, peregrinos.

 

[peregrina2000]

Quick question. A friend is joining me in O Cebreiro tomorrow so that we can walk the last week to Santiago together. (We walked St J to Burgos together in 2013.) I walk up from La Faba in the morning and need a place to hang out in O'C for a few hours, eat some lunch, read my book. She comes up from Pedrafita by taxi around 4. So i also need a place to tell her to meet me. Could be same place or different.
Reminder: It's Sunday.
We aren't sleeping in O'C. Gonna take in the view and a beer and then a taxi to Fonfría.
Gracias, peregrinos.

Venta Celta has a little restaurant, with fireplace if the weather is bad. It's a nice little place, though they have changed over the years. In 2000, they offered only one menú -- ensalada mixta, caldo verde, and tortilla española, topped off with honey dripped over O Cebreiro cheese. Everyone LOVED it. I was so disappointed the last time I was there to find that they now have a very varied menú, with the more commercial atmosphere that this entails. But they told me pilgrims demanded it -- hey, I thought pilgrims weren't supposed to demand anything!

Venta Celta is closer to the end of town near the albergue rather than closer to the church.

 

[scruffy1]

For the life of me I can't remember. We arrived in O'Cebreiro about 1100 along with a group of horsemen out for the day. After stopping at the church and paying respects to Elías Valiña., we went on to find the horsemen bellied up to the bar consuming huge amounts of pulpo to keep their strength up. I am not a great fan of pulpo but was offered a toothpick and dug in to the best pulpo on the entire Camino - Ezekiel included. Into the center of the village close by the souvenir shop, big round wooden bar, a fireplace but the name escapes me. Thank you for the memory! Maybe you will be lucky and other horsemen will show you the way!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Here's a photo of where we ate in O'Cebreiro. I think it's the one Laurie mentioned as it has a really nice fireplace and the ambiance is indicative of the region.

 

[Purky]

Here's a photo of where we ate in O'Cebreiro. I think it's the one Laurie mentioned as it has a really nice fireplace and the ambiance is indicative of the region.View attachment 43010

Yep, that's the place! I arrived there during rainy conditions. Well, rain and sleet and a mean cutting wind driving the rain horizontal into your face. Being Dutch it felt like coming home. I walked in, took my wet gear off and put it out of the way in a corner and settled in at the bar. As I saw the lady behind the bar, I felt the same vibe I got dealing with ladies behind the bar in Ireland: handle with care, respect and go easy on the humor in the beginning or you'll get your ass handed to you.

Just after my first coffee, I wasn't in a hurry on account of the weather outside, a busload of spandex-clad people arrived. Visibly cold, wet and uncomfortable, and obviously severely underdressed for the occasion. The lady behind the bar took one look at them, crossed her arms over her chest and proclaimed loudly, in English and to no one in particular: "Snow, mist, rain, cold. This is Galicia!" She then snorted with just a hint of derision and proceeded to serve the spandex brigade Caldo Gallego, to get them warmed up. I was glad I had trusted my gut feeling. A Celtic heart was beating in that woman's chest, and don't ever joke around with that.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

@Purky, we had stepped in the restaurant early to look around first and they were not yet serving (probably siesta time). We saw the owners/staff eating and passing around wonderful looking plates of fried calamarie. When we came back later to eat I didn't find the calamarie listed on the menu so asked the woman waiting on us. She made it very clear in no uncertain terms that they were not available to the patrons, much to my disappointment. I'm sure that I probably enjoyed the meal I had, but only the forbidden calamarie is what I recall. Lol.

I love how we all have varying stories of our many experiences along the Camino and I enjoy having my memories triggered on this forum and the opportunity to relive and share them with others..the good and not so good!

 

[Turga]

I came in there too on a sunny but very cold late afternoon, and I remember well this alert and firm lady behind the bar. I was hungry and asked (in Spanish) for something to eat, and she replied in English with a funny accent, that what I could get at this hour was a plate with sausage and cheese, and I said OK. She then prepared the plate in a way and with using utensils that you may not have liked if too ‘germs-scared’. But there was enough to feed half an army and it went down with no ill effects –except feeling a bit overfed.

 

[peregrina2000]

I enjoy having my memories triggered on this forum and the opportunity to relive and share them with others..the good and not so good!

Totally agree. I have good friends, a married couple, both with horrible illnesses. I have seen that one of the best ways to help them lighten their load is to just ask a few questions about trips I know they took in the past. Inevitably that leads to a sharing of many memories from happier times, and it’s a nice substitute for nervous chatter to cover up the fear we all have inside.

And yes, your picture is of the Venta Celta!!!