After a great nights sleep the 30 km (18 miles for others) was much more bearable. I awoke at 5 AM to a thunderstorm out my window and started to frantically dig out my rain gear and repack all. I was pleased to learn that the storm was passing past quickly and the sun came up to a clear blue sky.

Today’s disappointment ( and there is always at least one) is that the last 3 km of the day were all uphill. We climbed over 600 feet on a country road of twists and turns seemed never ending.

One of the most fun about the people of the Camino is how groups and deep friendships form wax and wane. Today our group of Dan, my classmate, Michael, a German Army Officer, and I were blessed with the company of a charming Irish woman who is between jobs and taking the time to walk her second Camino. We also passed a nice group of Germans several times today and Miriam from Constant, Germany and Jenny from Hamburg. They will spend the night in our room at the albergue. They on the top bunk and Dan and I on the bottom. Tomorrow we will do another 25 km to Ponte de Lima.