Day 35. Tuesday 29Th
Camponaraya to Villafranca de Bierzo
15.5 km some up some down.

A great day walking. Started in the rain but it only lasted an hour. Felt a lot better today. Not much sleeping over night the two Japanese men started to get ready at 5:20 but did not leave the room til after 7:00. We were pack had breakfast and left by 8:00. The people who ran the albergue were great.

Today was up and down through rolling countryside. Hugh you may remember the deserted town of Arriba with its overhanging wooden balconies. A diversion off the Camino but very few people and no services. We are staying in the San Nicholas Albergue part of the hostel we stayed in. 9E and five to our room with a bathroom. We went out to eat and I didn’t want the pilgrim menu. So I had a toasted sandwich some prawns and two small glasses of white wine 15E. So that was a mistake as pilgrim menu was 11E.

We need to do a bigger day tomorrow so hope the no rain forecast is accurate. We are sitting outside. It is 6:33 and too early for bed. Lou has just rewaterproofed our jackets so hopefully mine works now. We have to watch the washing in case it blows away or gets rained on. We are allowed to put our washing out the back I guess so that we don’t offend the sensibilities of the higher paying guests.

I just heard a stork clacking it’s beak. The it took off from the back field. They are so lovely.

Jean is back in NZ and we have under 200 to go. Amazing how quickly the time flies.