Day 5 Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos – 21km

Apparently, a minute or two after I went to bed last night, Steve came to speak to me and found me already asleep. I slept really well, but as usual for me on the Camino, I woke up around 5 a.m. Gordon was already getting up, so I decided to follow suit. We made our way out of the dorm to the common room, where breakfast was waiting for us—toast, some fruit, and facilities to make a hot drink. I made myself some toast with jam and two cups of hot chocolate. I don’t drink coffee, and the tea here isn’t great. The fruit went into my rucksack for later.

The forecast today called for showers all day, so when we stepped outside at 5:50 a.m., we were surprised and delighted to find it wasn’t raining. My shoes were still waterlogged from the day before, but it didn’t matter too much. We had decided to walk on the road today due to the condition of the paths, so we set off down the N-630 for the 20km walk to Fuente de Cantos. We didn’t see much scenery apart from the sunrise, but at least we avoided getting covered in mud—one has to prioritize.

After climbing the first hill, we both felt too hot and had to remove some layers. We chatted as we walked along, making quick progress down the quiet road. About an hour and a half later, the rain began and didn’t stop until we reached the small country hotel I had booked. Since it was my birthday, I thought I’d appreciate a change from an albergue. 

Steve, who had also struggled to sleep, had already arrived at the hotel. He set out at around 3:30 a.m., got his room early, and was downstairs having coffee when we arrived. Gordon was considering staying as well, but after two coffees at the hotel, he decided to press on to the next town.

I also messaged Norwegian John to let him know where I was, and a couple of hours later, he turned up—soaked from the rain. Tonight, John, Steve, and I are planning to have dinner together at the hotel, which should be lovely.

The weather forecast looks fine, though still a little chilly, for at least the next 10 days. I’ll be relieved to walk in the dry tomorrow as I head to Zafra.

This was the dog belonging to the Albergue manager at Monesterio. She was lovely and her name in Spanish mean Highlight.