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This is the most relaxing day ever ! Beautiful sunshine bouncing of the surface of the hotel pool. The €25 we invested for massage was well worth it and I am now enjoying a chilled beer. By chance the Sky cycling team are staying at the same hotel and Mark Cavendish has just told me that the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders are staying on the third floor. Life is gooBEEPBEEEEEPBEEPBEEEEEPBEEPBEEEEPBEEEPBEEEEEEEEP
Bloody alarm clock wakes me up to reality. We are staying in a flea hole. There is no pool (there's not even a handle on the toilet flusher !). What's worse, after her day of rest Aliette wants to "walk, walk, walk".
Mega.
So after my Herculean effort yesterday I had plotted a relatively sedate 20km. Aliette wants to do 26km.
Well, at least there's not a bloody great mountain in the way - no, wait......
Revised aim of today is to walk to the mountain village of Foncebadon. It is situated 1,480 metres up a mountain that overlooks Astorga. No easy days on the tour as they say.
Astorga was a place I was looking forward to seeing. Beautiful cathedral, surrounded by mountains, 49 chocolate makers and apparently the birthplace of Pontius Pilate. Well, we will have to come back to enjoy it as we had the worst meal of the trip (microwaved judging by the temperature in the middle of the plate) at Hotel Mayor and stayed in a place that was last improved around the birth time of Queen Elisabeth II.
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The day gets off to a slow start and we do not make it out of Astorga until 6.30. We are now surrounded by heathers and small trees and underfoot is shale/slate. After about 13km we bump into Obelix and the brazilians. After a brief chat we head on as Aliette is (rightly) concerned that we will not be able to get a place in one of only three albergues in Foncebadon.
The days walking isn't as tough as I thought although the last 5km from Rabanal to Foncebadon ramps up. I somehow thought that at this height it would be cooler. I was wrong, it's blisteringly hot.
The albergue only has 18 places. Outside there are 14 people queuing. Result. And then the Italians arrive.
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Patxi AHHH!!! I Love your stories Nick!!! You guys are going a great job!!! you are almost there!!! Do not forget your Octopus when you get to Melide!!!