July 11

The very nice family that so nicely fed us last night repeated the process with breakfast. Tea and coffee just add so much to a breakfast.

Out early today for the walk is to be long and hard. A 750 meter mountain to cross over and after yesterday's experience we just know that the going up will be primarily straight up.

No surprises here!! The route didn't even tease today. It started almost immediately upon exiting the town. All day the pathway climbed higher and higher up the mountain range. The dips into a valley were few and far between. Most of the time we were either traversing the side of the ridge or going straight up it. Once again the day was overcastted which actually plays in our favor. There is nothing worse than trying to put every inch of energy you have to push yourself up a steep trail only to have the sun drain it from your body.

The pathway most of the morning and into the early afternoon was off road which means gravel, dirt, occasional mud hole, and narrow footpath. The brambles were in rare form standing guard over the trail like sentries at their post. Each brush of them aside only made them swing back harder at a fast rate to try to hit the person in the rear.

Higher and higher we climbed with no sign of town or hamlet other than a name plaque placed along side the trail announcing that it is somewhere near. Far in the distance across the valley one could see little medieval looking villages nestled into the mountainside where they have been for hundreds of years. We can only assume that somewhere on ours side over that cliff's edge that we are on sits another hamlet very similar to the one we can see across the valley. The architecture of this region has changed somewhat. Most are made of slate that must be very prevalent here in the hillsides.

Four kilometers from our hotel the road finally takes a turn for the valley. We have crossed the last mountain range for today and now have a small clean hotel sitting in the valley waiting for us. One small problem, the hotel is listed as being in Abadin, but is actually 2 kilometers east of it on the highway and we don't know it. Somehow, however, Frankie had a divine intervention and saw a donkey standing in a field just above a building advertising food and room. She figured this must be the hotel and jumped into the field with the ass and headed down the slope. Now at this stage she had no idea the name of the hotel or exactly where it was located, but just "felt" this must be it!!! Fortunately for her -- and the rest of us -- she was right.

The Camino going up the mountain	On the Camino!
Mary and Frankie at a Rest Stop	Medival City across the Valley