I woke up feeling like my old self – chirpy, energetic and ready to go. The temperatures have dropped now so we don’t have to leave early to avoid the heat of the day. So it was a leisurely breakfast and then a brisk walk downhill into Ponferrada, we hoped.
As I walked I thanked all the kind people who helped me over the last three days. Mary for electrolytes, Oxanna for nausea pills, and Alison P for Gastro Stop.👍
And then as we progressed, we rounded the trail and ran into Mary, struggling with a sore shin, sitting underneath a wasps’ nest.
So we exited the location with her planted between us and meandered slowly single-file down steep rubble to the next town, Monlinaseca, where she decided to stay and rest. They say, ‘the Camino provides’ which indeed it does, for all of us when we need it.
So after a coffee stop with Mary we then headed off to Ponferrada, a town known for its huge Knights Templar castle on the top of the hill. Sounds so romantic and exciting but all I wanted was a toilet. Amazing how quickly one’s curiosity fanishes when dignity is at stake. Never found the toilet but did do a rushed tour of the castle.
… And never did find the …. toilet but numerous trees sufficed (sorry trees) and a sneaky rose bush. It won.
We have now done 74%, 575kms in total, leaving only 197kms to go. What clever little vegemites.
We didn’t stop in Ponferrada. We pushed through to Camponaraya. This positioned us well to walk tomorrow to the albergue, Casa Susi which is owned by an Aussie. Looking forward to aussie-flavoured, Spanish hospitality.
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