Adjusting softly in Braga

I spent last night gleefully cosplaying Jury Villa after getting into the room at 10pm. My first privacy in over a month.

It had a king bed and a single and I strongly considered the latter, as the king seemed too much. I didn't want to sit on the bed in case I made it dirty. I had a good look at myself in a mirror. I wondered why my cupboards weren't full of Maltesers - the producers are slipping here. I had a very hot shower and slipped between crispy sheets, unobserved. I slept well.

Today is a day off. No walking, no buses, I'm staying still for a day for the first time since Burgos. I'd wanted a two-night stay at the same place so that I didn't need to check out this morning. For reasons my whinge file is well acquainted with, this didn't happen but I had until 11am to check out and there was a washing machine and dryer in the kitchen. Heyo! While that clanked (I later realised this was my coin purse in my pants pocket whoopsadaisy) I caught up on some admin, booking a bus and some accommodation for Porto etc.

It's a very small old town here so the place I was keen on for brunch (BRUNCH! we really aren't on Camino anymore) was a short walk away and I practically skipped there. After five weeks in rural Spain where there isn't much other language or cuisine, a waiter with great English bringing me this was g l o r i o u s.

Michel said the Portugese have much better english than the Spanish because they watch things subtitled rather than dubbed and I can see the logic in that. I feel lazy and uncool about it but I I'd just got ok in Spanish and my brain at this stage is a huge slow boat, I can't turn it in time.

I then dropped my bag at the next place and spent the rest of the day wandering happily (but efficiently, I'm a SEASONED pedestrian) around, doing whatever the hell I wanted before settling in for an evening on the couch (a TREAT) updating here, cooking dinner (a TREAT) and listening to music out loud (a TREAT).Read more