Day 24 – Foncebadon to Ponferrada 

26.4kms today and all those muscles I thought I had found and lost again reared their ugly heads as I walked up and down mountains today.  Mainly downhill and very rough

My day started very early with breakfast included in the price so for the first time I had muesli for breakfast.  

The mad csubba that I partied with last night had a massive hangover this morning but we left to walk back up to the lookout to see the sun rise.  The trouble was that we got there at 7.10am and the sun doesn’t come up until 8.27am by 8.10am I was cold and itching to walk so I left but it was quite beautiful 

I left him with his go-pro, camera and iPhone and headed off.

Passed Le Cruz de Ferro which was the cross on the hill we visited last night and of course by this time it was packed with pilgrims taking photos.  The story behind the cross is that you carry a stone or something from your life and leave it at the cross and all your problems will go away.  

Today I am back into beautiful mountains and green.  Have missed that after the very dry flat meseta

I then headed up the hill to the highest part of the Camino at 1515 metres and then I had to walk down the other side and it was rocky, uneven, and extremely hard on the legs and it was all downhill and there was no respite for over 20kms. 

What I am loving about this walk is that in the middle of nowhere there will be a caravan with a person selling coffee fruit drinks snacks.  Very enterprising as there are tables and chairs for the pilgrims to sit down and rest at. 

As you can see at the side of the photo I ran into my German friends Oswin and Kian and we walked together for the rest of the day. 

Today was extremely hot again and the walk down hill was particularly trying.  

Lots and lots of lovely old villages to pass through

We eventually got down the hill and into Molinesca and I was thinking I should stop as I was extremely tired due to the downhill walk today but after a grande cerveza I was sufficiently rejuvenated to carry on.  

Big mistake as I said it was really hot and we had another 6kms to walk. By the time we had left town my feet were burning but only tired not blistered or anything bad. Sheer guts and determination got me up the hill and down the next one into Ponferrada and what an amazing town. 

In the middle is a heritage listed knights Templar medieval castle

It had a moat around it and was amazing

Today visiting the castle was free so off we went but it was so hot we couldn’t take to much of it.  Well over 30 today.   

It was time to sit down as my feet were really tired.  The boys and I found a bar in the plaza and before we knew it we were joined by 2 other pilgrims we had walked with today then Celia my danish friend and Anna and Cecile also from Denmark and we had dinner and it was just good fun to talk and laugh, talk about the day and enjoy all the new found friendships. 

No pilgrims menu for me tonight.  Most people did as all restaurants serve a pilgrim menu but I had paella washed down with a few rose’s and I was ready for my bed so I am sitting in the foyer of our albergue madly finishing this so I can go and rest my weary body.  

Buenos Noches me Amigos