Today I have been tired - after my first night in a dormitory, albeit a small and comfortable one, I am suffering the effects of very little sleep. I’m JUST managing to stay charitable about the snorers - I suspect I snore too sometimes and no-one really knows whether they are offenders or not! But the bright main lights being turned on before 7am and the loud conversations regardless of whether others were sleeping still were enough to try anyone’s patience!

But, enough sleep or not, the Way is still there to be walked; after a sketchy breakfast we were on our journey before 9 and straight up a very steep ascent from the valley of the River Mina. Yesterday, our late start meant that we could still imagine that we were among just a few intrepid souls - today, it was a little more like a human motorway! Large groups, including a one huge gaggle of about 50 teenage boys, were walking at a broadly similar pace, so it took until nearly lunchtime, the appearance of the first cafe and the onset of persistent heavy drizzle to start thinning crowds. Gradually, our lack of hurry has paid off and, by the afternoon, we were once again strung out enough to feel like we had stretches of path to ourselves.

And then in mid-afternoon we arrived ‘off-stage’ at our Pension for the night. The crowds are walking further on to the bigger stop of Palas de Rei, but we have stopped in the tiny hamlet of Eirexe, where the sun is out, the shower is hot and a cold drink is beckoning.

Prayers have been offered along the way today for all those whose names have been placed on my list.