After second breakfast we decided to take the more challenging path up the mountain to see the views we missed in the rain yesterday. The path was steep but the million dollar view of the valley and castle below made it worth every step. The tall snowy mountains that we walked toward for so long are now far behind. We only take a step at a time but somehow the world passes by and we make progress.

At the top of the mountain we stopped in a tiny town for a drink. We had to ring a bell to call the bartender to open up the bar for us. The path down the mountain was brutal and we were very tired at the end. The rest of the afternoon consisted of a lunch that we think might have been food at a truck stop and a long walk along a road. Not the prettiest part of the Camino but I did find this lovely stream toward the end.

We chose an Albergue with a good home cooked dinner.

The ancient stone building had been nicely renovated. The host took us up a narrow stairway— barely wider than my shoulders to an attic room with old ceiling beams and stone walls. My bunk was in the corner and I could hear baby birds chirping under the eves.

The dinner was wonderful, carrot soup, salad and pasta with pudding for dessert. The long table of pilgrims were so happy and at the end sang pilgrim songs to celebrate. Such fun after a long hard day walking.