Day 42 Cea to Castro Dozon

This stage has an optional extra but it would be a poor pilgrim who didn't take the opportunity to see the famous monastery at Oseira. So, one gets to this sign and bears right.

More climbing today but the climb before the monastery is very gentle.

What was very interesting to me was the landscape as one approaches Oseira. It's pure Ireland - almost like the Burren. Rocky ground, terrible soil, and the clouds gathering and threatening rain.

Arriving at the monastery before lunch was of course important so one headed off at pace. The monastery was great. A brother came out to give us the tour but when he realised the party consisted of 4 Norwegians, 1 German and 1 Englishman he smiled and declined to do the tour, delegating the job to the young woman who sold tickets and ran the gift shop. She did a great job although the monastery was impressive without any introduction.

After that it was lunch at the little inn, A Casina d'Avoa outside the monastery and a climb over the mountain to get to Castr Dozon. There is a well-known albergue there but, and this sounds bad, the smell of the food being prepared there was a bit much. So it was taxi time again, this time to the nearby town of Lalin. It was a Monday again so spent ages walking around trying to find an open restaurant before going back to the hotel in defeat. And then realising that the hotel had a perfectly good restaurant that was open and serving hot food.