4th of April 2012

4th April 2012 Villafranca del Bierzo to Laguna de Castilla 40,109 steps on the stepometer. Today the muscles in my calfs are very stiff and It takes about half an hours walk for them to warm up,this with the many blisters I have covering my feet, and that i didn't get a good nights sleep last night in the albergie because it was proper rammed packed with pilgrims , makes for a lot of uncomfortable pain,I decide to take the recommended route out of Villafranca towards the mountain village of Pradela,the path is super steep and I seem to be the only one that takes this route it's very beautiful but extremely hard going because of the pain in my feet every time i take a step,the path up the mountain is awash with beautiful lavender and pink and white flowering heather all flouring in natural abundance all around me. It's only when I manage get to the village at the top on a plateau about three hours later, that the path heads very steeply down to Trabadelo I wish I hadn't taken this route,I arrive at the bottom with seriously shaking legs and have a rest but not for too long as my muscles lock up when I do and it takes them a good ten minutes of walking to warm back up,the path at this point heads up and up and up some more and eventually I reach Laguna de Castilla where I decide to rest for the night very tired and with extremely sore blistered feet. I honestly don't know where I found the energy for today's walk but tomorrow the thought of Santiago beckons and I will find somewhere the energy to cross over into Galicia.The albergie here came recommended by a group of Spaniards that i was walking the Camino and doing a bit of Yoga with for a few days.It was called La Escuela, it was run by a lovely family for 9 Euros, it was immaculate each room only having four beds in and each room having a pristine bathroom with plenty of hot water for a shower in.