{"id":880,"date":"2026-05-04T16:41:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T20:41:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?p=880"},"modified":"2026-06-16T09:59:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:59:51","slug":"may-3-o-cebreiro-crash-burn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?p=880","title":{"rendered":"May 3, 2026: O Cebreiro, Crash & Burn"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Leaving Villafranca del Bierzo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019d been anticipating the walk to O Cebreiro for months. It is an amazing, gorgeous city. The distance from Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro is 18.6 miles and I was ready.<\/p>\n

I only got 3 km and my body quit working. I started using my trekking poles just to balance myself, and all of a sudden I started leaning hard to the left. I couldn’t straighten up. Shuffling a few steps was all I could do before I had to find something to lean on.<\/p>\n

A lot of people passed and ask if I was ok and, of course, I said I was fine. No one could have helped me since there was no motor traffic, and they couldn’t carry me. It took me two hours to do less than two miles where there was a bar.<\/p>\n

I practically crawled into the bar. But instead of the proprietor calling a cab, he took me to my hotel the remainder of the way–24 kilometers.<\/p>\n

I recovered overnight but can walk around the village but have a hard time on steps and balance issues.<\/p>\n

So while my friend Jeff Johnson does the Camino, I will do the CABino between hotels.<\/p>\n

Church of Santa Mar\u00eda la Real (836 AD): Known as the oldest church on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago. It is a humble pre-Romanesque construction with thick stone walls that played a critical role in sheltering pilgrims.<\/p>\n


\n<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
This is the tomb for the unknown pilgrim. Many have died on the journey since the 10th Century, but are celebrated all along the Camino.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019d been anticipating the walk to O Cebreiro for months. It is an amazing, gorgeous city. The distance from Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro is 18.6 miles and I was ready. I only got 3 km and my body quit working. I started using my trekking poles just to balance myself, and all of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193664754,"featured_media":983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1393,1379,1380],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camino-2026","category-personal","category-writing"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgfYCB-ec","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":918,"url":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?p=918","url_meta":{"origin":880,"position":0},"title":"May 2, 2026: Villafranca del Bierzo","author":"Old Griffy","date":"May 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Villafranca del Bierzo, a key stop on the Camino de Santiago. Calle del Agua (Water Street): A historically important, narrow medieval street lined with palaces and noble houses. Convent of the Annunciation (16th Century): Located on the Calle del Agua. The Colegiata de Santa Mar\u00eda de Cluniaco (or Santa Mar\u00eda\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino 2026"","block_context":{"text":"Camino 2026","link":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?cat=1393"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2228-1-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2228-1-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2228-1-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2228-1-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":916,"url":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?p=916","url_meta":{"origin":880,"position":1},"title":"May 1, 2026: Ponferrada","author":"Old Griffy","date":"May 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The primary medieval structure in Ponferrada, Spain, is the Castillo de los Templarios (Templar Castle), a MASSIVE 12th-century fortress covering approximately 16,000 square meters. Situated on the Camino de Santiago, it was built by the Knights Templar to protect pilgrims, featuring a drawbridge, crenellated (battlement) towers, and, originally, twelve towers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino 2026"","block_context":{"text":"Camino 2026","link":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?cat=1393"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2200-1-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2200-1-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2200-1-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2200-1-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1084,"url":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?p=1084","url_meta":{"origin":880,"position":2},"title":"How the Camino Developed, Part 2","author":"Old Griffy","date":"July 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Towns Built for Pilgrims Walking the Camino Franc\u00e9s, it is easy to imagine that the road simply passed through towns that were already there. Often, however, the opposite was true: towns grew because the Camino passed through them. Some were founded specifically to serve pilgrims. Others were substantially reshaped around\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?cat=1376"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-e1784578805683.webp?fit=600%2C413&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-e1784578805683.webp?fit=600%2C413&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-e1784578805683.webp?fit=600%2C413&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1080,"url":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?p=1080","url_meta":{"origin":880,"position":3},"title":"Death on the Camino, Part One","author":"Old Griffy","date":"August 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"We prefer to imagine pilgrimage as movement: the setting out, the road unfolding beneath tired feet, the slow approach toward the towers of Santiago. The pilgrim advances. The pilgrim arrives. The pilgrim kneels before the Apostle and returns home transformed. But many pilgrims did not return home. Some never reached\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino 2026"","block_context":{"text":"Camino 2026","link":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?cat=1393"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2563.jpeg?fit=480%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":617,"url":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?p=617","url_meta":{"origin":880,"position":4},"title":"My Pilgrimage Experience in 2023","author":"Old Griffy","date":"April 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"(Part One) Stephen Griffith Stepping Out of the Boat I was working at my desk on a new project in the summer of 2023, having just come to the end of a three-year musical endeavor that, toward the end, had begun to bore me. I cannot even remember what I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Personal"","block_context":{"text":"Personal","link":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?cat=1379"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/img_7144.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/img_7144.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/img_7144.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/img_7144.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":861,"url":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?p=861","url_meta":{"origin":880,"position":5},"title":"April 30, 2026: Rabanal del Camino","author":"Old Griffy","date":"May 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The trail is getting harder and because I suffer from a variety of heart problems, I\u2019m getting slower and more in need of rest. But it has been amazing. My prior Camino was mainly about getting from place to place, but my intent this time is to seek out the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino 2026"","block_context":{"text":"Camino 2026","link":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/?cat=1393"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2190-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2190-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2190-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2190-rotated.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oldgriffy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/90adf189-1dbc-4719-9230-474f6dfaa4c0-1.jpeg?fit=5048%2C4284&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/193664754"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=880"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1230,"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880\/revisions\/1230"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oldgriffy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}