Our day began with a leisurely breakfast at the hotel then a visit to a coin store for the guys and shopping for the ladies. Fr. Manuel and Fr. Moises slept in and had breakfast at the Madrid Steak and Shake. It is odd that in Spain they have a milkshake with their eggs, ham, and toast.

Our flight from Madrid to Florence was uneventful. The Florence airport is so small, it makes Chattanooga’s look like Atlanta’s.😳

Our guides (2) met us at the airport and took us to our motel. We are looking forward to them teaching us all about this city.

For dinner we had real Italian pizza, beer, and wine; it was delicious!

We are looking forward to a restful night!

Buonanotte! 😴

After a delightful breakfast at the Parador in Villafranca, we packed up the van and headed to Madrid to join our family and friends for the next phase of our adventure.

We arrived at The Westin Palace mid-afternoon, and after a quick lunch, spent time shopping and touring this beautiful city.

Our evening meal was at the Ferretería By Ego. This restaurant was formerly a hardware store built over a wine cellar that used to be part of a monastery.

We enjoyed our dinner in the basement (the wine cellar) in a very cozy setting.

Simon, our guide, provided us with stories and history of Madrid.

Our next stop was a Flamenco show at the Casa Patas. It was a wonderful, but made for a very late night.

Florence tomorrow!

Today we returned to the Camino in Cacabelos at the Parroquia de Santa Maria (Catholic Church). It was a beautiful day for walking; very cool and sunny. We walked 8.8 km (5.5 miles).

We had only made it a few blocks when we found the Santuario de Quinta Angustia and attended Mass as it was just starting.

We walked through rolling hills covered with vineyards; and watched as the grapes were harvested by the friendly locals.

We finished walking about 12:30 pm local time, and after a relaxing lunch we headed to O’Cebreiro to visit the Igrexa de Santa Maria A Real do Cebreiro (Catholic Church) and a historic site.

The historic site recalls the momentous event when Fr. Charlie walked the entire (width of) the Way of St. James.

We then returned to Villafranca to rest, and enjoy dinner. Tomorrow it is back to Madrid to meet with friends and family, and to continue our adventures.

Buen Camino!

With storms predicted on the Camino, and the difficulty of the pathway (steep, rocky terrain), we decided to spend the day taking in the local culture. So we visited the el Rosal Mall in Ponferrada.

The mountains were shrouded in clouds, and the rain fell gently on the vineyards surrounding our hotel. It was very tranquil.

After a restful day, we celebrated Mass in one of the meeting rooms.

After dinner we headed to our rooms for a restful nights sleep, and to prepare for tomorrow’s journey on the Camino.

Buen Camino!

The rolling cornfields and pastures of the last two days gave way to tree farms and scrub pine as we began our ascent of Mont Tileno. Our climb was moderate in the morning, but very aggressive in the afternoon. We ended our day at nearly the highest point on the Camino, walking 26.1 km (16.2 miles).

The weather is changing with the altitude and it much cooler. The clouds provide a stark background to the the small villages we passed through.

We ended our day at the Palacio De Canedo, having dinner with Manolo’s special friend Vicky!

Buen Camino!