To Linares

Good sleep marred by selfish people having noisy conversations and packing noisily at 6am. Sadly confirmed the stereotypes associated with their nationality. I got up and went to the kitchen, when I got back sometime head turned on the light - despite Sal still being asleep. They said they didn't notice her - in other words they didn't look - but did not apologise.
Lovely walk up the valley alongside a busy stream and lush green meadows bordered by mature trees then up through the mountains through forest and well made though sometimes steep tracks. Stops in various places for coffee/ food - croissants, choc croissants, empanadas. At one stop - Las Herrerias - as we walked in we met two seemingly stray white horses grazing by the roadside. As we approached they suddenly took off , trotting away down the end of the village. Once we got there - after coffee - we found them being saddled up , ready to carry pilgrims up the hill to O Cebreiro. The horseman whistled to get other horses to come to get saddled.
On the way up we met Heidi, a professor of biology and Joe, a pastor or priest can't remember which, from North Dakota and Montana respectively. Another coffee stop, at La Faba, because the place and the view were so pretty, and we didn't want to waste ay pretty: no pretty left behind.
In O Cebreiro we met up with Heidi and Joe again, the two Kiwi women we had met previously in Calzadilla de la Cueza (I think) and Rebecca from Chicago. Good to catch up with all and shared a yummy lunch of octopus (pulpo gallego) and chorizo bocadillo.
Easy walk a few k's down to our auberge in Linares.
In the 'couples' bunk room with Thomas and Anneka from Sweden. Thomas was brought to Sweden as a child, in the seventies, by his parents fleeing the military coup in Chile.Read more