Day 30 - Tuesday. May 27 from Acebo to Ponferrada - 11 miles

Day 30, Tues., May 27 from Acebo to Ponferrada - 11 miles from 7:20 am to noon with a one hour break. 

We had coffee and toast before leaving Acebo and we were on the road about 7:20 am. It was a beautiful morning and warmer than usual. The sun was coming up. I took a lot of pictures on my little Canon and some how managed to delete them in the transfer process from camera to iPad. I have been out here too long!

We had a lot more down hill today but it was a little less brutal. After 2 hrs. we stopped in Molinaseca for a break. A man seated at a table outside a cafe along with several women said to me "Do you recognize us?"  I thought for a few seconds and I remembered we met them outside the train station at Pau after visiting Lourdes. We shared a van ride. We were dropped off at St Jean Pied de Port and they were headed to Roncesvalles. Now 30 days down the Camino we visit over breakfast with Peter and Norelle from Australia and two of their friends who joined them in Leon. I took a pic but it's one that I erased. Darn. We really enjoyed the visit. It was THE LONGEST break we have ever taken -- 60 minutes. Stoney and Peter share a love of flying helicopters and small planes. 

Two young guys from California passed us today but we did not see many people during our walking time today. 

We walked by an orchard of cherry trees and I took a couple of pics. The cherries were close to being ready for picking. I thought about the times sissy and I helped pick cherries from the two trees in our back yard when we were little girls. Mom made the best cherry pies. To this day cherry pie is my favorite. 

We passed two young women on the outskirts of Ponferrada and said hello.  They were from Denmark and we enjoyed talking with them for several miles. They have taken time in between high school and college to work and travel and will begin college in the fall. Meet Amelie and Emilie (not sure if I have the correct spelling). This is the only pic that did not get erased today from my point and shoot camera. 

We checked into the hotel. Nick went to a store for sandwich fixings. I did our laundry. Then just down the street less than a block from the hotel was this grand place. It was closed from 2 pm to 5 pm like most things in Spain so we walked around the outside. 

We went inside when it opened. 

Of course there was a church. This one had a silver altar. 

Flowers were everywhere. Gorgeous. 

Enjoyed a great pizza for supper.