Cardeñuela Riopico, Day 17

We needed no alarm this morning. I awoke to the sound of early risers rustling through their bags. It was 5:00, forty-five minutes earlier than my watch was set to alarm, but there was no point in trying to go back to sleep.

I noticed Paisley had started moving around on the bunk above me, so I figured we should get moving.

We walked into a cold and dark morning, up the hill outside of our hostel, and through an enchanting entrance to the woods-- one that looked to be out of a fairytale.

Walking through the woods was a nice change of pace to start the day with. It was dark for the first thirty minutes or so, but soon after, the sky behind us ignited. A molten horizon lit the hills and valleys below us and was shimmering through the fog and morning dew.

Eventually we were passed by others and decided to take a water break. The views were not necessarily breathtaking, but sure pretty to look at.

We arrived at the next town after three hours and found a seat in a back room. It was a cozy place that smelled like coffee. I ordered an espresso and Paisley ordered a Cafe con leche. We ate and rested our feet.

We continued to walk through the forest and eventually arrived to a small town whose name I've forgotten. From there until we reached where we are staying, we walked on streets beside passing cars and trucks. This wasn't the most glamorous day along the Camino, but the weather has been spectacular.

We reached our albergue which has a pool that is not heated or otherwise maintained, it seems. We soaked our feet for about an hour in the cold water and then walked around the village.

We are waiting for dinner, and are excited about passing through a bigger city tomorrow. I lost my phone charging cable and I hope to find another one.

We are trying to upload more photos to our album, but have had terrible luck with wifi.

As I am writing this Paisley is planning how to orient the photos for the day, and we are sipping on Estrella Damm, looking out toward grassy hills that remind us of home.