Rise & Shine !

I was awoken at about 5 am by the early risers, they forget that they're in bunk beds and as they sit up you can hear the thud of their heads hitting the bunk above them closely followed by a curse in their own tongue, sometimes you can pick out the odd silhouette of someone frantically rubbing their head. Then it's on with their head torches so that they can pack their rucksacks without turning on the dormitory light. I got up at about 7am washed packed and went upstairs to find all the early risers sitting about waiting for daylight. Ponferrada is another pilgrim safe haven with its Templar castle. The streets still have ancient house that have been given the 21century makeover, graffiti, almost every building has been given this treatment apart from the castle. I made my way through the city and out into the countryside with it's rolling vineyards. I stopped in a small town called Cacabelos for paella and a coke. The road to villfranca del bierzos turned right and across the rolling vineyards along a dusty track. Every now and then a car or tractor would pass by kicking up a dust cloud covering In dust, after about the fifth time this happened it dawned on me that I had hung some washing on my backpack to dry as I walked. Minty wasn't going to happy. Dusty but not happy. The route through the vineyards added an extra 2 km to the walk I am now in  Villafranca del Bierzo were me and two other pilgrims decided to share the costs of a three bed hotel room in a small village hotel. I am about to have a bath and sleep in a bed without having to get out my sleeping bag for the first time since leaving home. Then it's food and a drink or two with my pilgrim friends. I did promise them that I would get up at five go make some rustling noises and shine my torch in their faces , so that they didn't miss the albergue morning madness. It wasn't well accepted. Any way my bath is calling.

Life is good.    Adios