Camino Day 21:

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Today was to be a fairly safe travel day, with no hurry, so we got up and on our way soon after 7am. We passed through Campo just before 8am, and then Ponferrada just after 8:30am. It was as usual a fairly long walk through town, since Ponferrada is a pretty big town. There was a roman bridge over a very scenic river, then the famous Castillo de los Templarios. Right across from the castle was a decent looking cafe/bar, so we stopped for breakfast. After breakfast, we walked through town, and reached there park. This one was like the last few, very long, but very scenic. After the park, and just as we were leaving Ponferrada, we found the only other place that you walk through a building on the Camino. The other one had a stamp, but not this one.

We entered Columbrianos around 10:30am and then arrived at Fuentes Nuevas about 11am. Here we stopped again at the Bar Ermita for a coffee break. After our break, we continued to Camponaraya, and stopped again for a break at the La Medina bar/cafe. On the way again, we reached Cacabelos around 1:30pm, Pieros an hour later, and after another hour or so, we finally saw our destination and albergue for the night, the Albergue Municipal de Peregrinos de Villafranca de Bierzo. This was a fairly decent albergue, with kitchen and lounge area with lots of books. When we checked in, since I'd noticed the nearest bar/cafe was downhill a ways, I bought two Cokes. We settled into our beds, took our showers, and lounged around a while before going back out for dinner around 7pm. The plaza mayor had several places to eat, so we chose one and ordered our dinner. Manoli had her usual salad and I had an asparagus and meat omelet that was quite good. After dinner we returned to the albergue and settled in for the night.

Tomorrow we head for Las Herrerias, just about the last town before climbing up to O Cebreiro.

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