We had a good evening in Grandas de Salime. We had dinner at Cafe Restrepo. This cafe/bar is a good place to spend the afternoon. It was different from the other cafes we had visited in other towns. It had good music and eclectic decoration, and the owners were very friendly. There were a good number of pilgrims here, and we had the opportunity to chat and meet new people. 

After a good night’s rest, we found that one hiker in our group could not walk today due to severe knee pain and tendonitis. We arranged for her to take a taxi to the next city and rest for the day. We were aware that today’s journey would be another 28 kilometers (17.5 miles)of descending and ascending hills. 

We left Grandas de Salime, which is in the Asturias region and started our journey toward A Fonsagrada, a town in the Galicia region. Most of the hike was good, but the last part leading into A Fonsagrada presented a challenging uphill climb, where we ascended 120 meters (400 feet). After hiking for six hours, it was cruel to finally see the town at the top of a hill.  As we were ascending the last hill, we heard someone shouting behind us. Of course, I wasn’t the only one who used the F word and cursed at the sight of that daunting hill.