The bridge in Villafranca just before the Camino splits

The countryside leaving Cacabelos was beautiful! We walked past several vineyards, as we walked through the valley.

The Camino splits in Villafranca, so we had to make a decision on which route- the route uphill, which promised very steep inclines and descents, but much better views, or the road route in the valley. We had already decided on the valley route; our feet and bodies guided that decision. When we got to the split, we found out that if you were taking the upper route there was an hour wait to get on the trail due to a bike race. If we hadn’t made a decision already, that hour wait would have convinced us the valley route was the way to go. It turned out to be a very scenic and pleasant walk along the river and the road we walked alongside was a rarely used local road.

We had lunch in Villafranca at a cafe next to the castle, before ending our day in Trabadelo.
Today was a moderate walk; 13 miles and 86 flights of stairs.

Tomorrow we head to O Cebreiro- this will be another tough uphill climb!

We continue to meet interesting people on the way. We walked with a couple today, and found out he was born in Austin, MN- my hometown! He didn’t grow up in Austin, but had memories of visiting his grandparents who lived very close to where my family lived!