Camponaraya is about 6k from ponferrade but as you negotiate the town…

Oops - this was for family and friends - fuck I'm stupid - ignore the first chunk then vat on

Camponaraya is about 6k from ponferrade but as you negotiate the town you then get fed via a long detour a picture opportunity at a ermita and then you walk the suburbs and a field. As you leave camponaraya you go off piste in Mencia land and it's great rolling vineyards, culminating in the many bodegas including the cooperative one. The town centre is old and new and has free WiFi, handy when you want to sit on a bench and ignore pilgrims. As you leave town it's over the Rio cua then 2km by the road before you slide of into the vineyards again.

On the bus it's even easier on the eye! I got off in the town centre and then tried the rubbish hotel. As I walked towards it I realised the posh one was full anyway. I'd set my sights realistically low as I had the Albergue or taxi out of town as the fall back. Hotel San Francisco was fully booked. You are having a laugh, this is the only time of the year, surely? I ran towards the Albergue only to take the wrong uphill out of town. Luckily there's a downhill and uphill again and I arrived looking like I'd walked 20k and smiled.

The badge of honour on the Camino.

Clearly turning up pissed after a few bevvies looks like your taking the piss. I'm an old hand so I know how to take the piss quietly, until the snoring starts.

My main reasons for not staying g in Albergue heaven is the looks in the morning. A Brazilian used his translator on me once. You sound like a chainsaw on a metal lamppost. That was in Relegipus in 2014. I've never forgotten what I can do to fellow pilgrims so I work on the one Albergue on and one Albergue off. Never sleep in the same place as a fellow pilgrim unless the options narrow. Tonight they narrowed, but that's ok, I'm new to these people and tomorrow I'll stay in los herrerios! Job done, or at least I think. I'll tell them all I'll be staying at casa polin. Hopefully nobody will pay good money to hear me through the walls.

I had a great chat with the woman from South Africa and had to explain the town was open and not closed as they thought. I wandered down and it's jumping. I think closed to traffic can often be misinterpreted as it's good Friday and all the bars and restaurants are closed. My mum always said, never let a good story get in the way of the truth.

When I arrived in the centre I was astonished to find there's not a seat to be had - which is fair enough - but they're all open!

I hit my favourite wee bar meson los ancares. A tiny place off the plaza but with a couple of chairs and tables there. The restaurant is like jinglin Geordie down a few steps but the owner runs up and down and could do O'CEBREIRO with his eyes shut.

I ran - then jogged, walked and stopped on my way back to the Albergue. Out of breath o realised I was better used as a blocker so tried my best to stop a mother pushing her prom one way while a father came down the track the other way. I kept them at a standstill for at least a minute while I told them my best Spanish joke. It's better than my worst Spanish joke but only because I use 4 words not 5! Don't use verbs, that's all I'm saying.

Having climbed the hill I had to then climb the stairs as they were both in bed hoping to escape the psycho. Unlucky- I found them and thought, fuck this get back to town! I've got my step count up what else matters!


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