Cacabelos, Castile-León, Spain and Canary Islands
Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Today's walk was very scenic and relaxing. We passed a few small villages, several vineyards, orchards and farms. There were no difficult ascents or descents. The big town we passed through today was Ponferrada, home of The Knights Templar’s Castle. We strolled around town for a while, stopped for a café, bumped into some familiar pilgrims and then continued on the camino. After a pleasant day and a couple of cold beers, we arrived at the beautiful town of Cacabelos, a town with several modern wineries, churches and architecture dating back to medieval times. Our stay at the Moncloa de San Lazaro (a 13th century hospital converted into a country-style hotel) was very comfortable. Dinner was exquisite – Galician broth, trout and custard with chestnuts. We met fellow pilgrims from Germany and had a robust discussion on the economic situation in Greece. After a leisurely stroll and a purchase of the mandatory bottles of water to fill our hydra packs, we called it a day. The next morning, we joined our fellow German pilgrims (did I mention that this was their fifth time at the camino?) for breakfast and then were soon on our way to Ambasmestas.

Where I stayed
Hotel La Moncloa - Calle Cimadevilla 97, Cacabelos, Spain
I rated this place 5/5 - Unique!
Boutique hotel, central location, welcoming staff, great food!