Day Eight--Halfway Point

Once again we started with rain in the forecast, and as we climbed 13km non-stop, we climbed right up into it. It wasn't heavy rain, not worth putting on raingear. We just got soaked as we hiked. And it was just barely warm enough that if we kept moving we could stand it

Once over the top, we stopped in a tiny cafe littered with backpacks and peregrinos...all seeking food, coffee, and warmth. It was a lovely place. And the food was good and it was hot.

And from there, the kms ran along endlessly, sunny views, cloudy skies, a little up, little down, for 12 more km. And then the last km was a brutally steep climb up to Fonsagrada--sweating in the sun, happy to have drunk enough water, and suffering.

But we made it, found our delightful hotel, showered, and raced out to eat at Cantabrico restaurant before it closed. Delicious. Paella, a mixed salad, spaghetti with mushrooms, and roast lamb for me. Plus wine and dessert, $32 for two. Heaven.

Fonsagrada is a larger town. There's a bank, a supermarket, and pharmacy. So we'll do a little shopping this afternoon, after a siesta. We've earned it today. 27km, more than 3000 feet of climbing, and somewhere a few kms back, we passed the km160 marker. Halfway to Santiago.