Acebo to Molinaseca

Total distance today = 5.3 miles

No ascent today - it's all downhill

Cumulative distance = 353.6 miles

We expected to sleep in a little this morning, but a bunch of middle/high school kids gathering for a group hike made that impossible. About 50 kids gathered just across from our room to await orders to move out. Some of them arrived at least an hour early. Oh well, just that much more time to read the paper. 

We left Acebo mid-morning, looking forward to a downhill day. Way off in the distance is Ponferrada, a town we will pass through tomorrow. Our destination, Molinaseca, is a little closer. In the very center of this picture are the steam clouds coming off a power plant. 

This area of Spain is a major producer of electric power using hydroelectric, nuclear and wind. 

Today our path was marked sporadically with iron crosses. 

Unlike yesterday, today was sunny. Cold enough in Acebo to wear our fleece jackets, probably about 45 degrees, but we were down to short sleeves by the end of our hike. Many of mountains that we walked through yesterday and over the past few weeks still have pockets of snow, some of which are visible in blog pictures. 

It was downhill on rocky surfaces all the way today. That is actually much harder on our legs. We need to go slower so as to be sure of our footing and avoid falls or sprained ankles. 

The views were great all day. 

Dave saw this and said, "Great motorcycling road."

I said, "Keep walking."

The town of Molinaseca is reached via an old medieval bridge. It is quite picturesque  with the 17th century Church of San Nicolas on a rise near the bridge 

This town, unlike the ones higher up the mountain, exudes vitality. Lots of people enjoying lunch by the water. The walk through town showed ancient buildings that are well cared for, with lots of potted flowers on the balconies and windows. 

Molinaseca also has a pilgrim statue/fountain sponsored by Japan. 

Tomorrow we will hike through a bunch of towns and one city, Ponferrada, where there is an 11th century castle once occupied by the Knights Templar. Unfortunately it and all the museums are closed on Monday, so we may taxi backwards on Tuesday after our short hike on that day, in order to see what we will miss tomorrow.  

Santiago gets ever closer, and tomorrow it will be less than 200 kilometers away (about 120 miles). We also hope to take the added hike to the Atlantic Ocean at Finisterre, another 90 kilometers. There is only one more major mountain range to cross, but having climbed over the Pyrenees, Alto del Perdon (Sierra de Andia range), Monjardin, Alto de San Anton, La Rioja Alta, Montes de Oca, Sierra de Atapuerca (Matagrande mountain), Alto de Mostalares, and yesterday crossing over the Camino's highest point on Montes de Leon, we expect to be able to handle the legendary 2,300-ft. climb over O Cebreiro on July 3 without much trouble.  There will be climbs pretty much every day on the rest of the hike, but the one everyone on the Camino talks about is O Cebreiro.