DAY 26 Ponferrada

We are staying two nights at the Hotel El Castillo in downtown Ponferrada.  A great room with a tub. We are dining on Italian again and even found a Tex-Mex restaurant.  It's the most I ever paid for burritos, but ok.

As luck would have it, we arrived for a rest day and it is another holiday here. A regional one, but a holiday none the less.  Vic has threatened to hurt me if we arrive in Sarria on a Sunday when everything is closed.  My new mantra is walk slowly and do not arrive in Sarria until Monday.  They have a cool Templar Knight Castle here.  We are right next door, but it is closed for the holiday.  We did manage to find a laundrymat open and washed some clothes.  Not exactly newsworthy but a big moment for us in our circumstances.  Hand washing is overrated.

We found out that hay limonade is not lemonade.  It is similar to a sangria wine with lemon.  Vic liked it.  I was glad I had the Coke for lunch.

We will start out toward the mountains.  They've saved the steepest for last.  We are much stronger now than when we started and know we are up to it; even if we have to take it in pieces.

A pilgrim told us that children do ok because they don't know any better and people our age do ok because we know how to cope.  I think what he was implying is that Vic and I are old.  He said the 20 to 50 group struggles to cope.  I can't help but disagree with him.  Sometimes they over do it, ie too many miles in a day, but they are very hearty and driven from what I've seen.  And the majority are nice, even to the "old" pilgrims.

Finally, our animal shot today was of a Dalmation that refused to be quiet until I took his picture.
Enjoy the pictures: