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Trabadelo

And this is where George and I part ways - at least for the present. He wants to be in Santiago by the 28th; I have Ben coming to join me walking as from the 28th, so I want to be about 70km from Santiago at that time. He needs to keep the pace up, and I need to slow down for a few days. It's been good walking with him (well, some walking: I'm faster than he is but he starts earlier!) since we met at Villamayor de Monjardin, and for almost all of that we've been in the same places overnight. We'll meet again in Santiago - and there are outline plans for George and his wife to visit England sometime!
Today's walk started early (for me) again. After leaving the urban outskirts the way crossed an area of woodland, almost eerie in the gathering daylight. Throughout the morning rain threatened and at times broke through - never enough to get out the waterproofs but enough to merity small light umbrella. Indeed getting out the umbrella seemed to stop the rain initially, though it returned in slightly more force later. But it dried up after a bit.
The walk then continued along a road for a while, then up among vines (this is the Bierzo valley which produces its own DOC wines) and woods.
At Villafrancia del Bierzo it rained again, so I stopped for a second coffee. Then on again, once more mainly next to a local road.  Meanwhile the rain anc cloud had given way to blue skies, and the temperature made its way back up to 30C.
I caught George up in a bar at Pereje and we walked together to Trabadelo. Tonight's Albergue is a parochial one, really small and basic. There are two showers and two toilets, all in the same room - not sure how that will work later when it fills up a bit, but I had a shower as soon as we arrived before anyone else did!

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