So the morning was quiet and peaceful apart from the snoring Madrileño and the German man in the corner. My earplugs succeeded in ensuring I had enough sleep that I could function enough to get out of bed and be first in the bathroom. I also managed to be early to the breakfast with only the German Architect beating me to the table.

When I went back to the dormitory the Italians were in full swing. No volume switch. Yelling across the room at each other while the french screamer lay tormented with sleeping bag over head.

I made my way up and down a couple of times and eventually left a bag with a kilogram or two downstairs for the luggage transfer as my knee had swollen yesterday for no apparent reason. I headed out to the Calle Mayor (Main Street) and spotted a a Panaderia owned by Jesus. Yes I know what you are thinking. The French girl came out behind me and she laughed when I said there should be an unlimited supply of bread there.

Two Americans were coming out the door of the bakery complaining that there was only bread. No coffee. I had assumed there would be mainly bread, after all it was Jesus’s Panaderia, I didnt care I just wanted something light to carry for some energy today. I bought a couple of biscuits. I’d already had bread at the albergue.

So off I went again heading to the other side of Belorado to catch up with Mrs Durham. The trouble was my knee actually wasn’t overly keen on catching up with anyone today. I made it through the next town and found the French sisters exiting a little cafe and stopped for a cafe con leche. My knee still wasn’t thrilled with the idea of another 20km day.

I kept walking through a couple of little villages until I arrived at the place where the fellow from chicken town had actually been born. I called the taxi number and waited half an hour for a ride into Belorado and a trip to the Farmacia. Everyone’s favourite shop on the Camino! I didnt feel a bit concerned that I was accepting a ride. I definitely don’t want to create a major injury after my foot surgery. Anyway finally made my way to Tosantos and settled in to the lovely Albergue Aracones. The lady even did my washing while I showered and rubbed voltaren in my leg.

Mrs Durham arrived and we had a peaceful afternoon in the garden and shared some lasagne for lunch. At 5pm the albergue owner told us to go up the hill as the church would be open. Don’t worry it wasn’t a very big hill and without my pack on my knee wasn’t very angry. It was a church I had seen from a distance on previous caminos but never imagined I would ever get to visit it. Apparently a hermit or two lived in the cave above it originally and eventually a church was built by the locals once they all started hanging out together. It seems there were a lot of hermits around spain in earlier centuries. All the people from Grañon were staying at the other donativo albergue across the road and were at the church as well. The local man who opened the church gave a great explanation in both spanish and English. Well worth the walk up the hill. I was a little concerned about a couple of the macabre statues above the altar as one women had her eyes removed and the other woman had her breasts removed – wtf!

The evening pilgrim meal followed which was albodingas (meat balls) with salad and chips for me. Way too much food after lasagne for lunch but very nice salad. It was a lovely albergue and they even provided shampoo and conditioner! Amazing the little luxuries you appreciate on the camino.

The French sisters arrived and two German guys and a couple from South Africa. In the end there were only two top bunks taken and it would’ve been a very comfortable night however the owner had turned the central heating on and none of us noticed. In the middle of the night I opened the windows in the bathroom cubicles and left the bathroom door open as the Germans had opened a window on the other side so it let the air through. It wasn’t until the french sister explained that she had turned herself around in the middle of the night as the radiator was at her head that I realised we were all cooking! Disappointing really as everything else was so nice. Oh well onwards and upwards!

Buenas noches.