I knew I had to walk just over 11km before I could sit and have a coffee with some food, even though I had eaten an orange and some nuts before I left I knew it was going to be a challenge. The first hour was dark and cold but I was flying along, and as the sun began to rise I stopped and sat on nearby rock and watched the most beautiful sunrise?? the next hour and half was torture, my knee was sore and I was starving and it felt like the closer I got to the town the further away it looked in distance, I wanted to cry!!!

Finally though I had arrived in Acebo, there was no one around, the place was so quite it was around 8am. I guess anyone that would have stayed there last night would have been up early and gone like myself. I ordered a big enough breakfast, it came to €7 the most expensive Iv paid since starting the Camino but god was it worth it every penny!! I sat for a half an hour which I would never do, and massaged some ibuprofen into my leg. I felt like I had a good rest and feed so I set off again down the mountain, I knew the worst part was over so it was all good. I said I wouldn't stop again until, I reached Molinaseca but when I got there I wasn't hungry so I just looked around the village and sat down by the river for a bit and tried to clear my mind.

As I stared the decent into Ponferrada I was quite surprised at how big it was looking, it wasn't one of the main stops in the book but was an expanding city with a population of 69,000 and it was the capital of El Bierzo. I decided to stop into a coffee shop that looked onto the Castillo de los Templarious( a 12th century Templar castle) it was just magnificent. While I was sat there I decided to fill up my water as it was running low, and I got chatting to three Italian guys ?? who were cycling the Camino, they had started in the same town as I did Saint Jean in France and it had only taken them 8days to get to where we were now(it's taken me 19days on foot, I know you cover more ground on a bike but God I'd rather stick hot needles into my eyes then cycle!)

I wished them a Buen Camino and went on my way! I still knew I had another 15.2km till I reached where I wanted to stay, Cacabelos! I was half thinking of stopping in the town before it (Camponaraya) which would have knocked 4.5km off the walk but as I reached Camponaraya I felt good so I decided I'd stop eat and change my socks so I'd be ready for the next little section. It did me the world of good I had a little Spog Bol and a glass of Vino Rosado( for medicinal purposes of course!) the legs were a little sore once I started walking again but it didn't take long till it all came right again.

It was no time before I had arrived into Cacableos and I was so glad as it was the hottest part of the day and I need to get in out of the sun and have a shower, I literally felt like the flys were following me everywhere coz I smelt so bad!!
I was shown where my bed was and I chucked the back pack off and jumped straight into the shower, I really thought I'd have about 20 new blisters but it was all good(all the praying must be paying off)

As it was Friday I had realised that I said I would FaceTime Flora and the kids as Iv been missing them so much and Poppy(my goddaughter) keeps asking when I'll be back from my holidays?? but as I didn't arrive in till a bit later them usual I couldn't call as it was to late Aussie time and they would have all been in bed! I went down and sat in the bar and had a juice just to unwind and relax, I ended up starting to write today's blog but then about 5:30 I went up to lay on the bed before dinner but ended up falling asleep and didn't wake till 8:30pm! At this stage I wasn't hungry and felt it was to late to eat but I forced myself to go down as I knew my body needed to be refuelled in order to get through tomorrow's walk.

In all it was a good day but I'm really feeling tired tonight as I was out in the hottest part of the day today. Back to bed I go now that I'm fed, honestly I just feel like all I do now is walk think and eat lol

*589.1km down * 200.9km till Santiago ??