O Cebreiro accommodation

[foxlm]

I am returning to the Camino this spring to walk from Leon to Santiago. Once again, I am planning to say in small hotels, hosteles and pensions, rather than albergues. I have been booking accommodation in advance. I am wondering about private accommodation in O'Cebreiro.
I received an email from a small hotel, located in Pedrafita do Cebreiro. Is
Pedrafita do Cebreiro another name for O' Cebreiro? is it the same place? if these are two separate places, how close or how are they from one another?

thanks

 

[Deleted member 3000]

They are different towns, but just a short 4.4 km taxi ride between them.

 

[Jochen-Schmidtke]

Re: O Cebreiro plenty of (expensibe) accommodations

Hello foxml.
Look at the links to (expensive) accomodations at O´Cebreiro. Keep in mind: it is an extreme Tourist spot!
Buen Camino
Jochen

 

[katarob]

Hello,

This past June we stayed in O'Cebreiro at San Giraldo de Aurillac , which used to be a monastery from IX century. The rooms were basic but very clean and with private bathroom. Its located right next to the Church Santa Maria La Real. Yes, O'Cebreiro is "touristy" but its charming nonetheless. We paid 60 Euros per room, but this was in high season. I believe at other times its cheaper.

O'Cebreiro was our starting point in the Camino. I loved spending the afternoon and evening there.

 

[fortview]

Four of us stayed at Casa Rural Frade , tel 982 367 104 . On 4th October, we just walked in, no need to book. It was fine. Large rooms, and private bathrooms. I can't remember the cost, but would have been around 40 euros.
It was very cold up there. My journal entry reads " O Cebreiro, a place of swirling mists, surly waitresses , and sulky fires "
Dont forget to get a sello from the church - one of the prettiest ones around.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

And just past the surly service, some real camino moments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbZU8OPv ... e=youtu.be

Excellent cheese and honey dessert, too.

 

[peregrina2000]

falcon, This youtube was surely taken in the Venta Celta. I remember the fireplace so well, we were freezing.

I have also spent a very warm night here, and I highly recommend it. Since falcon mentions the cheese (quiexo o cebreiro) served with local honey (talk about simple delights!), I'm wondering whether the meal set-up is still the same. We sat down at one of those long tables with other peregrinos and were served a bottomless pot of Caldo Gallego; fresh and crisp ensalada con tomate; and tortilla espanola (rivaling, in my mind, the tortilla espanola in the truck stop in VIllafranca de Montes de Oca).

When I was last there, so many years ago, the basque owner was looking for buyers. She was having a rough time. Any update on the owner and the business, I'm assuming they are still in full swing.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I think the same faces have been operating it for the last five years I have been there. The service can vary from indifferent to rude, but sometimes is great. I never know why. At busy times pilgrims seem to be ignored in favor of locals, but that may be because they know the ordering system and I don't. I actually walked out once after being ignored for about twenty minutes. Perhaps they were waiting for me to go to the bar and order, or maybe it was between serving hours, which are never listed anywhere at any time.

I have never found a standard policy for being seated in Spain. Rarely is there a maitre d' to guide someone to a table, and at times I feel pushy if I seat myself. I don't blame others, but I often interpret rude service when it is just the normal mode of doing business. I have found that baristos are excellent at knowing who is next, so being insistent when ordering a cafe will do no good until it is one's turn. Sharp elbows rarely prevail as is the standard in U.S. big box stores.

As with all things camino, patience and courtesy are the best way to react.

 

[peregrina2000]

I've been in that situation a lot, too. Sometimes it may just be indifference, and usually I think there is some of that going on, but it also has to do with whether the establishment has "servicio a mesa" o "servicio a barra." In my experience, many if not most of the straightforward bars only provide service at the bar -- you place your order, pay, and take your food/drink wherever you want.

Some places have a sign to indicate "servicio a barra" so you'll know. But if in doubt, just ask a Spanish patron or the barman/woman whether you should sit and wait or stand and order and then sit.

If you just ask "?Hay servicio a mesa?" the answer will be clear to anyone with or without Spanish language ability.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

just ask a Spanish patron or the barman/woman

You underestimate my lack of communication skills in Spanish! It took me a week to memorize the word for "100."

If it not si, no, cafe con leche, and now "one hundred," I am pretty much incommunicado. Hopelessly monolingual is an understatement, I know...

 

[fortview]

Why on earth did you need to know the word for 100 falcon ?? I'm fascinated...

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It is handy for getting grams of cheese...

 

[fortview]

:lol:

 

[peregrina2000]

Ok, falcon,
I estimate that the number of times you will buy cheese is lower than the number of times you will walk into a bar and wonder if anyone will serve you.

Repeat after me:

?Hay servicio de mesa? ("h" is silent, hay rhymes with my)

If they say "si", sit down and wait. If they say "no", go to the bar and order your 100 cafes con leche.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

go to the bar and order your 100 cafes con leche.

That will be good for the morning, but I suppose that I will have to do it again in the afternoon to keep my energy up...

 

[Ceci]

falcon, This youtube was surely taken in the Venta Celta. I remember the fireplace so well, we were freezing.

I have also spent a very warm night here, and I highly recommend it. Since falcon mentions the cheese (quiexo o cebreiro) served with local honey (talk about simple delights!), I'm wondering whether the meal set-up is still the same. We sat down at one of those long tables with other peregrinos and were served a bottomless pot of Caldo Gallego; fresh and crisp ensalada con tomate; and tortilla espanola (rivaling, in my mind, the tortilla espanola in the truck stop in VIllafranca de Montes de Oca).

When I was last there, so many years ago, the basque owner was looking for buyers. She was having a rough time. Any update on the owner and the business, I'm assuming they are still in full swing.

------------------------------------------------
We will be doing a family pilgrimage in October 2014 from O Cebreiro to Santiago. I am doing all the planning. We are staying at casas rurales. (A bit decaf, I know, but I'll have a young girl with me, and I'm not as young as I used to be.)

I have been trying to contact Venta Celta by phone and by a link someone on the Forum gave me, with no luck.

Does anyone know if the Venta Celta is still operating?

I am anxious to book accommodation for our first night before we set out on the Camino. I'd hate to come from the States, travel to O Cebreiro, only to find that we have to look around for somewhere to stay. There will be 5 of us. We'd be looking for 3 rooms, so I'd like to get this sorted.

Has anyone been to O Cebreiro recently enough to know if Venta Celta is operating?

If not, any other suggestions as to accommodations (casas rurales) would be very much appreciated.

Thank you so much.

Buen Camino to all!

 

[Dutch]

O cebreiro...brrr... Next time i'm there, i'm gonna walk a little faster without even stopping or looking back. Maybe i'll even run trough it. Ugh, what a tourist trap. Just don't get what just about everybody likes about this village.

Yes yes, opinions vary

 

[mspath]

Ceci,

Check out the tourist accommodation, not pilgrim albergues, listed at the bottom of this Mundicamino page.

Also look at this list from HotelSearch.com. Some are at O Cebreiro others at Pedrafita do Cebreiro 4 k to the east

MM

 

[Ceci]

Ceci,

Check out the tourist accommodation, not pilgrim albergues, listed at the bottom of this Mundicamino page.

Also look at this list from HotelSearch.com. Some are at O Cebreiro others at Pedrafita do Cebreiro 4 k to the east

MM

----------------------

MM - Thank you so much once again. Your experience on the Camino is a great help. Quite a few of the places are all booked up already. I'm still wondering about Venta Celta. It would be a shame if it closed, since many seem to have fond memories of it, but I can't seem to reach them at all. Perhaps I can find something in the area, if not right in town.

This part is not for you at all, MM:

I don't feel that I should have to explain why I want to go to O Cebreiro, but I will, for the benefit of those who look at what others do and assume they know what the other's life experiences and motivation are because they know their own. I want to start in O Cebreiro (or someplace close to it) because it is the entrance to Galicia on the Camino Frances. My deceased husband was a Gallego from near La Coruna. We walked our first Camino together - The Portuguese from Valenca do Minho. Not tough enough for you? How about my husband having done it just one year after having gone through chemotherapy, radiation and a major life-and-death cancer operation removing most of his stomach and much of his esophagus. Later that night, he lost almost all the blood in his body. It was only the skill and speed of the surgeon (and perhaps my fervent prayers to Santiago) that saved his life a second time in one 24-hour period. Yet my husband lead the way all the way to Santiago. The look on his face when he got his Compostela and when he saw the botafumeiro flying through the Cathedral, knowing that he had earned the right to be there at the Pilgrim mass - something someone from his humble beginnings normally could never have dreamed of being able to do, not to mention doing it with the death sentence he was looking at - was amazing. I was so happy we were able to give that to him. He was one tough Gallego, fighting so hard to live, but it wasn't to be. Now that he is gone, I am walking the Caminos within Galicia - from the South, the North and now from the East. I love my husband's homeland, and I'd like to see all of it close up, by walking it. I'm not just looking for a Spanish-Gallego-Celtic theme park! I just don't want to miss any part of Galicia.

 

[annakappa]

----------------------

MM - Thank you so much once again. Your experience on the Camino is a great help. Quite a few of the places are all booked up already. I'm still wondering about Venta Celta. It would be a shame if it closed, since many seem to have fond memories of it, but I can't seem to reach them at all. Perhaps I can find something in the area, if not right in town.

This part is not for you at all, MM:

I don't feel that I should have to explain why I want to go to O Cebreiro, but I will, for the benefit of those who look at what others do and assume they know what the other's life experiences and motivation are because they know their own. I want to start in O Cebreiro (or someplace close to it) because it is the entrance to Galicia on the Camino Frances. My deceased husband was a Gallego from near La Coruna. We walked our first Camino together - The Portuguese from Valenca do Minho. Not tough enough for you? How about my husband having done it just one year after having gone through chemotherapy, radiation and a major life-and-death cancer operation removing most of his stomach and much of his esophagus. Later that night, he lost almost all the blood in his body. It was only the skill and speed of the surgeon (and perhaps my fervent prayers to Santiago) that saved his life a second time in one 24-hour period. Yet my husband lead the way all the way to Santiago. The look on his face when he got his Compostela and when he saw the botafumeiro flying through the Cathedral, knowing that he had earned the right to be there at the Pilgrim mass - something someone from his humble beginnings normally could never have dreamed of being able to do, not to mention doing it with the death sentence he was looking at - was amazing. I was so happy we were able to give that to him. He was one tough Gallego, fighting so hard to live, but it wasn't to be. Now that he is gone, I am walking the Caminos within Galicia - from the South, the North and now from the East. I love my husband's homeland, and I'd like to see all of it close up, by walking it. I'm not just looking for a Spanish-Gallego-Celtic theme park! I just don't want to miss any part of Galicia.

What beautiful words Ceci. I feel humble.
This is the true essence of what a Pilgrimage should be. What a difference from some postings I could mention asking "you guys or folks" how to organize their "trek" across Spain.
Ceci your posting puts everything back into perspective. Thank you. Anne

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Venta Celta has a huge local clientele, so I suspect it has been in operation for generations. Watching a woman who seemed to be in charge, perhaps the owner, peel potatoes for the caldo gallego gave me the impression that she had done it before, perhaps her entire life, and did not delegate the boring chores. Pilgrims are pretty much ignored as the staff caters to the loyal, local customers first. The food and atmosphere are first rate, however.

So I am certain they are still around, and probably will be for several more generations. They may not pay much attention to the internet (there are machines to peel potatoes, so if they are doing it by hand, they may not be "into" technology), but it is curious they do not answer the phone. The phone numbers I find for them are:
Parish : O Cebreiro (Santa María)
Place : O Cebreiro
27671 Pedrafita do Cebreiro - Lugo

• +34 982367137
• +34 667553006
• +34 982224005fax

You may want to keep calling. Good luck, and buen camino.

 

[Ceci]

What beautiful words Ceci. I feel humble.
This is the true essence of what a Pilgrimage should be. What a difference from some postings I could mention asking "you guys or folks" how to organize their "trek" across Spain.
Ceci your posting puts everything back into perspective. Thank you. Anne[/QUOuuuu


w

What beautiful words Ceci. I feel humble.
This is the true essence of what a Pilgrimage should be. What a difference from some postings I could mention asking "you guys or folks" how to organize their "trek" across Spain.
Ceci your posting puts everything back into perspective. Thank you. Anne

---------------
Thank you for your kindness. It is the Camino that is both humbling and inspiring. My husband's courage and faith were also both humbling and inspiring to me and to many on the Camino to whom he told his story. We did the Camino in thanksgiving for my husband having survived the surgery and its aftermath.

To me the Camino is a spiritual journey. To others, it may be a cheap vacation or a challenging trek. We should not judge them, however, just as we would not want to be judged. It may be that they end up getting much more out of the Camino than they anticipated, which would be great. I believe many think they are going for one reason at the beginning and realize at the end that the Camino has become something else altogether for them. In the end, as in life, what you get out of the Camino may depend on what you put into it.

I am really looking forward to walking the Camino Frances inside Galicia with my family. I hope that we will find peace and togetherness [as well as a place to stay on the night before we start : ) ]

Any information about casas rurales type accomodation around O Cebreiro would be much appreciated.

Buen Camino to all!

Ceci

 

[Bajaracer]

http://casapolin.es/

How about this one? Less than 2 miles away and still close enough to O'Cebreiro.

 

[peregrina2000]

---------------
Thank you for your kindness. It is the Camino that is both humbling and inspiring. My husband's courage and faith were also both humbling and inspiring to me and to many on the Camino to whom he told his story. We did the Camino in thanksgiving for my husband having survived the surgery and its aftermath.

To me the Camino is a spiritual journey. To others, it may be a cheap vacation or a challenging trek. We should not judge them, however, just as we would not want to be judged. It may be that they end up getting much more out of the Camino than they anticipated, which would be great. I believe many think they are going for one reason at the beginning and realize at the end that the Camino has become something else altogether for them. In the end, as in life, what you get out of the Camino may depend on what you put into it.

I am really looking forward to walking the Camino Frances inside Galicia with my family. I hope that we will find peace and togetherness [as well as a place to stay on the night before we start : ) ]

Any information about casas rurales type accomodation around O Cebreiro would be much appreciated.

Buen Camino to all!

Ceci

Success! I called the cell phone number falcon noted and the señora answered. She said the 982 number is no longer in service. From the US call

011 34 667 553 006

Buen camino, Ceci. Laurie

 

[Ceci]

http://casapolin.es/

How about this one? Less than 2 miles away and still close enough to O'Cebreiro.

----------------------------
Thanks! It looks interesting. I'll check it out to see if it can work for us. Very kind of you.

Buen Camino!

Ceci

 

[Ceci]

Success! I called the cell phone number falcon noted and the señora answered. She said the 982 number is no longer in service. From the US call

011 34 667 553 006

Buen camino, Ceci. Laurie

Wow! Its on all the websites, etc. They must be losing a lot of business (at least room rental) because of this.

Thank y0u so much! Now, let's hope this works for us.

Buen Camino, Laurie

Ceci

 

[mspath]

http://casapolin.es/

How about this one? Less than 2 miles away and still close enough to O'Cebreiro.

Ceci,

Looks good! Have you seen their info here? Casa Polin is located in the village of Las Herrerias. How will you get there? By taxi?

MM

 

[Ceci]

Ceci,

Looks good! Have you seen their info here? Casa Polin is located in the village of Las Herrerias. How will you get there? By taxi?

MM

Hello again!

We will be getting a ride from near La Coruna, where my husband is buried, to wherever we stay the first night, so I think it should not be a problem. Thanks!

 

[Ceci]

Success! I called the cell phone number falcon noted and the señora answered. She said the 982 number is no longer in service. From the US call

011 34 667 553 006

Buen camino, Ceci. Laurie

Can you believe it? I still get no answer. I called 3 times already today. Perhaps they don't answer calls from the US (too expensive, perhaps)?

 

[peregrina2000]

Can you believe it? I still get no answer. I called 3 times already today. Perhaps they don't answer calls from the US (too expensive, perhaps)?

Well, I spoke to her yesterday, calling from the US. I would give it a few more tries. (Spanish cell phone service, at least Movistar, doesn't charge for incoming calls from anywhere in the world, so long as you are in Spain when you get the call). Keep trying! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Ceci]

Success! I called the cell phone number falcon noted and the señora answered. She said the 982 number is no longer in service. From the US call

011 34 667 553 006

Buen camino, Ceci. Laurie

Thank you SO much! I finally got in touch and was able to reserve rooms. I called and called and called, and finally, the señora called me back! In a very brief conversation she gave me an e-mail address. Here it is: ventacelta@hotmail.com
The phone number was the one given above. Thanks again for helping me with getting this night before the start of our Camino sorted. It's such a relief!

Buen Camino to all

Ceci

 

[Ceci]

Ceci,

Looks good! Have you seen their info here? Casa Polin is located in the village of Las Herrerias. How will you get there? By taxi?

MM

Thank you SO much! I finally got in touch with Venta Celta and was able to reserve rooms. I called and called and called, and finally, the señora called me back! In a very brief conversation she gave me an e-mail address. Here it is: ventacelta@hotmail.com

The phone number was the one given above. Thanks again for helping me with getting this night before the start of our Camino sorted. It's such a relief!

What would I do without you?
Buen Camino to all
Ceci

 

[Ceci]

----------------------------
Thanks! It looks interesting. I'll check it out to see if it can work for us. Very kind of you.

Buen Camino!

Ceci

Thank you SO much! I finally got in touch and was able to reserve rooms at Venta Celta. I called many times, and finally, the señora called me back! In a very brief conversation she gave me an e-mail address.

Here it is: ventacelta@hotmail.com

The phone number was 011 34 667 553 006.

Thanks again for helping me with getting this night before the start of our Camino sorted. It's such a relief!

Buen Camino to all
Ceci

http://casapolin.es/

How about this one? Less than 2 miles away and still close enough to O'Cebreiro.

 

[peregrina2000]

Great news! Hope they still have the same great meal -- Caldo Gallego, salad, tortilla española, and the crown jewel, queixo o cebreiro with local honey. I remember that meal like it was yesterday, sitting near a fireplace with a good bunch of people, it was wonderful. Buen camino, Ceci. Laurie

 

[Ceci]

Venta Celta has a huge local clientele, so I suspect it has been in operation for generations. Watching a woman who seemed to be in charge, perhaps the owner, peel potatoes for the caldo gallego gave me the impression that she had done it before, perhaps her entire life, and did not delegate the boring chores. Pilgrims are pretty much ignored as the staff caters to the loyal, local customers first. The food and atmosphere are first rate, however.

So I am certain they are still around, and probably will be for several more generations. They may not pay much attention to the internet (there are machines to peel potatoes, so if they are doing it by hand, they may not be "into" technology), but it is curious they do not answer the phone. The phone numbers I find for them are:
Parish : O Cebreiro (Santa María)
Place : O Cebreiro
27671 Pedrafita do Cebreiro - Lugo

• +34 982367137
• +34 667553006
• +34 982224005fax

You may want to keep calling. Good luck, and buen camino.

011 34 667 553 006

I love your posts, Falcon. You seem to have a great sense of humor!

Thank you SO much! I finally got in touch and was able to reserve rooms at Venta Celta. I called many times, and finally, the señora called me back! In a very brief conversation she gave me an e-mail address.

Here it is: ventacelta@hotmail.com

The phone number was 011 34 667 553 006.

Thanks again to ALL for helping me with getting this night before the start of our Camino sorted. It's such a relief!

Buen Camino to all
Ceci

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I love your posts, Falcon. You seem to have a great sense of humor!

The Spanish business model is "have it my way." Customers are welcome as long as they understand that the business is run the way the owner wants, not the way the customer wants. You will be served when the time is right, and not a minute earlier. Push to the front of a line, and you will be rebuffed. Bartenders are very good at knowing who is next. Local customers sometimes are automatically next. They come back, you do not! It is much better to have a sense of humor about it than to fight it!

 

[christer1]

Can you believe it? I still get no answer. I called 3 times already today. Perhaps they don't answer calls from the US (too expensive, perhaps)?

The receiving mobile phone in its resident country or area doesn't pay anything to receive calls. This, as far as I know is the same in all developed countries at least.

 

[christer1]

----------------------

MM - Thank you so much once again. Your experience on the Camino is a great help. Quite a few of the places are all booked up already. I'm still wondering about Venta Celta. It would be a shame if it closed, since many seem to have fond memories of it, but I can't seem to reach them at all. Perhaps I can find something in the area, if not right in town.

This part is not for you at all, MM:

I don't feel that I should have to explain why I want to go to O Cebreiro, but I will, for the benefit of those who look at what others do and assume they know what the other's life experiences and motivation are because they know their own. I want to start in O Cebreiro (or someplace close to it) because it is the entrance to Galicia on the Camino Frances. My deceased husband was a Gallego from near La Coruna. We walked our first Camino together - The Portuguese from Valenca do Minho. Not tough enough for you? How about my husband having done it just one year after having gone through chemotherapy, radiation and a major life-and-death cancer operation removing most of his stomach and much of his esophagus. Later that night, he lost almost all the blood in his body. It was only the skill and speed of the surgeon (and perhaps my fervent prayers to Santiago) that saved his life a second time in one 24-hour period. Yet my husband lead the way all the way to Santiago. The look on his face when he got his Compostela and when he saw the botafumeiro flying through the Cathedral, knowing that he had earned the right to be there at the Pilgrim mass - something someone from his humble beginnings normally could never have dreamed of being able to do, not to mention doing it with the death sentence he was looking at - was amazing. I was so happy we were able to give that to him. He was one tough Gallego, fighting so hard to live, but it wasn't to be. Now that he is gone, I am walking the Caminos within Galicia - from the South, the North and now from the East. I love my husband's homeland, and I'd like to see all of it close up, by walking it. I'm not just looking for a Spanish-Gallego-Celtic theme park! I just don't want to miss any part of Galicia.

By the way, I should say that I have the utmost respect for your post and the obvious love therein. I can feel your pain from here.

I must say though that I feel it unfair to inflict such a tirade on a poster who could not possibly know your situation. Even if he/she did he would be entitled to that opinion because it does not relate to you or what has happened in your life. I understand that you felt the need but to me that was cruel

Buen Camino! I hope you find peace.

 

[Ceci]

By the way, I should say that I have the utmost respect for your post and the obvious love therein. I can feel your pain from here.

I must say though that I feel it unfair to inflict such a tirade on a poster who could not possibly know your situation. Even if he/she did he would be entitled to that opinion because it does not relate to you or what has happened in your life. I understand that you felt the need but to me that was cruel

Buen Camino! I hope you find peace.

I wanted to make that point that no one really knows why others may doing something, so they should not condemn a decision when they don't know why it was made. It was not about me at all. If it were just about me, I wouldn't have bothered to respond. There are many who choose to start the Camino or pause in O Cebreiro, including many others here who were either seeking or giving useful advice. It would have been sufficient for a poster to say he felt O Cebreiro was touristy and/or pricey, which might have been useful information. This is for useful information on accommodation at O Cebreiro. His comment was negative without really being helpful and probably made without thinking and not wishing to offend, but not appropriate here. My comments were meant to be general, were not a tirade, were not cruel, nor meant to be. We should not judge others if we do not wish to be judged. I'm sorry you took my post in a way I never intended. Back to accommodation in O Cebreiro...

 

[peregrina2000]

Back to accommodation in O Cebreiro...

Amen to that. And Ceci, I hope you will give lots of details about the menu at the Venta Celta. I will be very sad if its changed. If nothing else, make sure they serve you queixo do cebreiro with local honey. It is out of this world!

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Ceci]

Amen to that. And Ceci, I hope you will give lots of details about the menu at the Venta Celta. I will be very sad if its changed. If nothing else, make sure they serve you queixo do cebreiro with local honey. It is out of this world!

Buen camino, Laurie

i agree with you that the menu described soounds perfect. i ll let you know, but not until october. i ll be sure to try the local cheese in any case. thanks to all. buen camino.