Samos and onto ????

[MomtoKatenRose]

Finally we make will make it to our piece of the Camino next week. Walking from Vega de Valcarce to our first night in O'Cebreiro.
It is our hope to make it from O'Cebreiro to Samos the following day. Given the terrain, weather and time of year is this reasonable for two "intermediate" hikers? We would love to make it to evening Mass at the Monastery but I would appreciate the voices of experience on this.

If that works, we won't leave Samos til noon the next day. Where would you choose to lay your head the next night.......or any other night....as a December pilgrim in Galicia? I will confess --- a private room with a bath would be lovely.

Thank you for all the stories, recommendations, cautions, and photos. It has been wonderful and so inviting. Marianne

 

[scruffy1]

Shalom and Greetings from Jerusalem!
O'Cebreiro to Samos is a good 30k, do-able, but this time of the year it will be approaching dark as you walk the best part of this section, Tricastela to Samos. The monastery albergue is freezing even in warm weather, but you are awakened by music. Across the street you will find the Victoria Hotel, a lovely facade recalling bygone years, mediocre food, but I have never stopped there. On the opposite side by the entrance to the monastery are two modern private albergues, nice enough and heated. The tour of the monastery is only in Spanish at set hours, the church is fine, the relics treasury is glittering, and the modern frescos on the second floor (done by the monks after their great fire) quite naive. Not much reason to stop in Sarria, do get your credencial stamped there the cathedral has a sello at the entrance, last 100k and important. Leaving Sarria, to the right is a small lovely lovely church, do pop in. Next stop Portomarin? Another 30k-remember the dark as its a steepish decent. It’s all modern except for the fortress-like church, all the amenities but lacking in spirit. There is a small private albergue just before Portomarin, "La Bodeguina" lovely garden in the springtime, good food, quite busy until 1400 then very quiet. It may not be open in December so check as you go by. A rule of thumb-the cities on the Camino in Galicia are nothing to write home about, stop just before or just after. BuennCamino

 

[Tincatinker]

@MomtoKatenRose Cebreiro to Samos is iro 32 kilometres which might be a challenge. Although the route is mostly descent or flat there is the climb to Alto de Poio and, the long descent from there to Triacastela can be challenging to the knees. I've walked it in a day and loved every moment but, I had been walking for several weeks and was "match fit". You will know your own capabilities. Seek and enjoy the river-side path that will take you to Samos, you will pick it up a little before San Christobo.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, MomtoKatenRose,
Cebreiro to Samos might be a challenge, but it's definitely within the range of what an "average" pilgrim can do, at least one with several weeks walking under his or her belt. I don't know how much flexibility you have, but one thing to consider when you get to O Cebreiro is whether to walk on some more kms to a place like Fonfria, which would then cut down on the next day's walk to Samos. If you can, just wait to see how you feel, and whether you feel the urge to stay in O Cebreiro. Many members of this forum dislike its touristy perfection, others love it.

As far as walking from Samos, I think the best thing is to wait and see how you feel when you get to Sarria. There are lots of options there, ranging from a hotel to private albergues. If you decide to continue, my absolute favorite place between Sarria and Portomarin is the Casa Morgade. It is a family run operation, whose foundations were at one time a pilgrims hospital. It is right on the Camino, serves very good food, and has both an albergue and a private room option. I was there this past summer, having last stayed there in 2006, I think, and the changes were dramatic, but I recognized the woman and we had a long chat about how the Camino has been good to them. I think they have preserved their love of what they do, though it's challenging some days when there are hundreds and hundreds of pilgrims walking by. Off season, you will probably get the same care and attention we got so many years ago when all they had was a little room with 6 beds and a bar. Buen camino, enjoy your walk. Laurie

 

[MomtoKatenRose]

Shalom Scruffy in Jerusalem, Tincatinker, and Laurie, Thank you for sharing your voices of experience ---

The music is very much part of our call to Samos and it is also a shared truth that we don't want to set ourselves up to miss the beauty of the Camino....or the signs that will keep us on the Camino! Any specific visual marker that we can trust to direct us to the River-Side Path to Samos? One of our closest friends is a pilgrim who had quite the adventure trying to follow this part of the path....

On the delicate matter of "can we walk the walk?..." I hear the gentle caution.....we are just staring our Camino versus those "with several weeks walking under our belts" and there is greater probability that our knees and feet may not vote with our brain....disturbing our chances for a "matchfit."

I so very much appreciate the recommendations for where to stay. There is an end date to our travels, so like a bucket list , I am trying to get it all in...but do not want to discover we missed the Camino because we were not present to the moment. Of course, when quiet, it is easier to consider that the Camino, like life, will happen. Planning without predicting....flexing, and much graced by the kindness of others Thank you! Marianne

 

[Tincatinker]

From Brierley and my notes turn left at option point in Triacastela (the San Xil route goes right at this point) along the main road to Samos. After 3.6k take the access road to San Cristobo and cross over the river onto the track. The road, the river and the track all go to Samos. Some are more pleasant walking than others ;0)

Buen camino

 

[Richo]

Shalom and Greetings from Jerusalem!
O'Cebreiro to Samos is a good 30k, do-able, but this time of the year it will be approaching dark as you walk the best part of this section, Tricastela to Samos. The monastery albergue is freezing even in warm weather, but you are awakened by music. Across the street you will find the Victoria Hotel, a lovely facade recalling bygone years, mediocre food, but I have never stopped there. On the opposite side by the entrance to the monastery are two modern private albergues, nice enough and heated. The tour of the monastery is only in Spanish at set hours, the church is fine, the relics treasury is glittering, and the modern frescos on the second floor (done by the monks after their great fire) quite naive. Not much reason to stop in Sarria, do get your credencial stamped there the cathedral has a sello at the entrance, last 100k and important. Leaving Sarria, to the right is a small lovely lovely church, do pop in. Next stop Portomarin? Another 30k-remember the dark as its a steepish decent. It’s all modern except for the fortress-like church, all the amenities but lacking in spirit. There is a small private albergue just before Portomarin, "La Bodeguina" lovely garden in the springtime, good food, quite busy until 1400 then very quiet. It may not be open in December so check as you go by. A rule of thumb-the cities on the Camino in Galicia are nothing to write home about, stop just before or just after. BuennCamino

I stayed at the Victoria hotel last month - no hot water and the shower leaked into the bedroom, extensively. Nobody in reception seemed surprised. And yes, the food is mediocre at best, also expensive

 

[amancio]

Actually, I was going to suggest the same as Laurie, keep going towards Fonfría and you will have two more balanced stages. And Fonfría is an amazing place, not so tourist oriented as Cebreiro, great albergue too.

In Samos, at the other end of town there is the hotel A Veiga with a magnificent daily menu, great food, and lots of it, absolutely recommendable.

From Samos, instead of following the road to Sarria, try to take the detour to the right via Perros, it is a lot nicer and quieter landscape. From there on, you can make it to Ferreiros/Vilachá/Portomarín the following day, for example.

 

[Olivares]

I remembered well the section O'Cebreiro to Samos (I did stopped at Triacastela, though). It is absolutely beautiful and one section I truly recommend people to "take it all in". I do recalled the trail goes by farming villages and has the potential to get extremely muddy if persistent rain. Another thing to consider is less daylight hours; you will have an estimate of 8 hours good, safe day ligth. That means that you need to plan to maintain a pace of about 4kms/hr for 8 hours straight, no breaks. This pace is certainly comfortable, but may not be realistic to your walking plan.

Sarria was OK, the area by the river walk is certainly very pleasant. I left Triacastela and made the 10:30am tour in Samos. Very glad I did, definitely worth a stop and explore. I got some beautiful Christmas ornaments at the Samos Monastery gift shop; light to carry and great mementos.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I stayed at the Victoria hotel last month

I stayed there in Spring 2013, and it was great. Everything else was still closed except the monastery albergue. The restaurant set up a queimada on request, and the charge was quite modest. Things do change, but your only choice may be the Victoria or the cold, damp dormitory (with mice when I stayed there once).

 

[peregrina2000]

My experience at the Victoria in Samos last summer was somewhere between Richo's and Falcon's. The room was clean, and I had a bathroom out in the hallway that wasn't so great. I thought the people in charge were kind of the "wheeler dealer" type, telling me that they would give me a great deal, then sort of changing their tune, etc etc. I didn't eat in the restaurant, though, but that was mainly because I was put off by the attitude. I have also stayed in the Hotel a Veiga, which is on the end of town, on the Camino on the way out. I thought it was much nicer, more expensive, but I had an excellent meal there just like Amancio says.

I also saw that there is now a private albergue in Samos right across the street from the monastery. People I spoke with said it was very nice. http://www.albaroque.es/ Their website indicates that you can email for information and reservations. I'm not sure if it closes in the winter or not.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[MomtoKatenRose]

Actually, I was going to suggest the same as Laurie, keep going towards Fonfría and you will have two more balanced stages. And Fonfría is an amazing place, not so tourist oriented as Cebreiro, great albergue too.

In Samos, at the other end of town there is the hotel A Veiga with a magnificent daily menu, great food, and lots of it, absolutely recommendable.

From Samos, instead of following the road to Sarria, try to take the detour to the right via Perros, it is a lot nicer and quieter landscape. From there on, you can make it to Ferreiros/Vilachá/Portomarín the following day, for example.

I think we ill have to try O'Cebreio once....if for no other reason than to honor Don Elías Valiña Sampedro and his acts of faith and paintbrush. Samos, A Veiga, and Perros will be here in our midst very soon! Thank you Amancio

 

[MomtoKatenRose]

From Brierley and my notes turn left at option point in Triacastela (the San Xil route goes right at this point) along the main road to Samos. After 3.6k take the access road to San Cristobo and cross over the river onto the track. The road, the river and the track all go to Samos. Some are more pleasant walking than others ;0)

Buen camino

Thank you for the specifics Tincatinker ... I will be thinking good thoughts of you as we enter Samos!

 

[MomtoKatenRose]

I remembered well the section O'Cebreiro to Samos (I did stopped at Triacastela, though). It is absolutely beautiful and one section I truly recommend people to "take it all in". I do recalled the trail goes by farming villages and has the potential to get extremely muddy if persistent rain. Another thing to consider is less daylight hours; you will have an estimate of 8 hours good, safe day ligth. That means that you need to plan to maintain a pace of about 4kms/hr for 8 hours straight, no breaks. This pace is certainly comfortable, but may not be realistic to your walking plan.

Sarria was OK, the area by the river walk is certainly very pleasant. I left Triacastela and made the 10:30am tour in Samos. Very glad I did, definitely worth a stop and explore. I got some beautiful Christmas ornaments at the Samos Monastery gift shop; light to carry and great mementos.

Thanks Olivarres, We don't want to fight nature, ours or mother Appreciate the note on the Christmas ornaments as well!

 

[MomtoKatenRose]

I stayed there in Spring 2013, and it was great. Everything else was still closed except the monastery albergue. The restaurant set up a queimada on request, and the charge was quite modest. Things do change, but your only choice may be the Victoria or the cold, damp dormitory (with mice when I stayed there once).

Warning noted!!!

 

[gml]

Warning noted!!!

I stayed at the Victoria in October 2012 in a bright clean room overlooking the river. It happened to be my birthday, and a staff member noticed the date on my passport when I checked in. That evening, the caldo gallego (soup) was delicious, and to my surprise the barman, the waitress, and the cook all converged on my table after dinner to deliver an enormous piece of cake topped with a sparkler.

 

[david g]

Enjoy the walk to Samos. Whereas some sections of the Camino are nothing but a blur in my memory, the day of walking to Samos stands out as one of the most beautiful, peaceful and magical.

 

[MomtoKatenRose]

Just a note of thanks to those who posted on this thread. Our Camino was an incredible experience. We walked 10 days from La Portela de Valcarce to SdC - starting (Thanksgiving for us) 27th November and arriving in SdC on 7th December. My husband took over 2400 hundred pictures and we soaked (sometimes literally) in as much as we possibly could.

Thank you for encouraging us to take the Samos route in the morning from Triacastella, You were so right!....we witnessed a true Camino gift: morning light that opened like a spotlight through the clouds to light up the narrow corridor.