Day 5 Molinaseca to Cacabelos

We again rose early but had a slow departure from our albergue - there is a large group from Brazil that must have 25+ members and all are dressed in team uniforms as they do the Camino.  As they depart each day they sing and pray as a group in their native tongue.  Beautiful to hear.  It is a long flat walk today per our guide book - but we have decided to break two days up into three - so today is 20km instead of 31km and we will do the same the next few days.   After the down hills my legs are happy for the flatish walk that takes us through Ponferrada and eventually to Cacabelos.  A pleasant breakfast stop across from the Castillo de los Templarios - a 12th century castle.  The order was started here in 1178 but outlawed by the Church by 1312 as they were fearful of their growing power.  We walk with a wide variety of new friends - a young couple from Germany, a UN lawyer from Australia, a group if 4 crazy Irish guys, a mother and daughter from NY, two sisters from the Czech Republic... and others that we have come to know and pass along the path.  It is one of the great parts of the Camino and we are enjoying each new person the Lord has put in our path.  We arrive by 1:00pm on this short day and grad a hostel vs an albergue - the three of us will have our own room and a chance to soak in the tub and relax.  We enjoy a big lunch and the kids go swimming while I catch up on my journal and this blog.  Tonight a bunch of the young folks are heading out - I will have a quiet meal and get ready for the climb ahead.  The next two days will have us eventually ascend to O'Cebreiro and my back needs some time to prepare.
Blessings all...