By six, people started moving in our room (Oscar was in a different one), so I got up and went to check the bikes were OK.
PonferradaWe got ready, ate the mediocre breakfast they served us and we left by 8:10. Temperature was 6 degrees, so we were well wrapped though our fingers could feel the cold. We soon arrived to Ponferrada, thankful that it was a Saturday morning, so traffic was very light.
Ponferrada 
Templar Castle, PonferradaWe visited downtown, saw the Templar Castle (from the outside, as it wasn't open yet) and we then continued to Cacabelos following the camino and from there, by the national road to Villafranca del Bierzo, where we looked around a little and we met again our Brazilian pilgrim friend (whom we saw riding in a car in Ponferrada). We had some fruit and yogurt before leaving.
Castillo de los Marqueses, Villafranca del Bierzo
Iglesia de Santiago, Villafranca del BierzoBy then, it was noon; we took the camino going beside the national road (which goes pretty much below a big highway for a good part of the way...) until we reached Vega de Valcarce (cruzamos varias veces el río Valcarce) and then Herrerías, a small village where we found the one and only place where we could have a bocadillo and coffee. As the afternoon was sunny and warm, we decided we better continue and climb O Cebreiro.
Camino, national road and highway
Vega de Valcarce
Herrerías
And we start the climb...Starting from a place called Hospital, following the road, the climb became harder and the two gentlemen went ahead of me. By the crossroad to Faba, Micael commented that it was was 32 degrees! Obviously we had already shed a couple of our clothes layers by then.
Were they trying to give me incentives??There, I had to stop to catch my breath and have some water. I pushed for a while, but it turned out to be harder than pedaling, so I managed to start again and slowly continue. I've read of cyclists who do this part by the camino, but I don't think I would have done it in two days!
On the left, the road, in center, the camino, no way I would have made it that way with the bike!Another stop and from there to Lagúa de Castela - Micael had enough energy to go back and forth and take pictures.
In Lagúa, Micael had an ice cream while I recovered. We started again, for the last kilometers and finally, we made it to O Cebreiro, a very satisfying feeling. At the summit there is a village, very picturesque and touristy and there were quite a few pilgrims arriving, so we decided to continue a little further to Alto do Poio.
Climbing, very slow...
O Cebreiro
We reached O Cebreiro, what a relief!So, again by the road, and still climbing a little more, we continued; now there was a chilly wind and my throat felt raw; we had to stop and dig in our bags for some Strepsil that did a good job. We stopped at Alto de San Roque, were we had our picture taken and also took one for a lone cyclist that arrived at that moment and planned to continue all the way to Samos that evening.
Alto de San Roque, Pilgrim monumentIn Alto do Poio, we stopped at the hostel of doña Remedios, which turned out to be very basic, but the lady and her family were adorable, especially Remedios, with whom we chatted and laughed a lot.
Our bicycles slept warm, with the pigs and chickens
With Remedios, hospitalera of Alto do PoioWe showered, saw the full moon rise over the mountains and had a delicious dinner of caldo gallego and veal and when leaving for bed, and as forecast, it was getting cloudy.
Full moon at Alto do Poio
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