25 October Beautiful day, perfect in all respects. Shimmering light in the mountains.

Clean socks!

Taxi today for both Boogs and bike. QBoog knee especially painful and reasonably swollen in places; definitely not up to climbing up and down anything. The dangerous descent especially not recommended for cyclists or for anyone with acrophobia (even a little) or common sense. Great for adrenaline junkies, maybe. Books we have speak of cyclists getting killed on this road and after the taxi ride it is easy to see why. Do not have the bike for this type of road or the Camino.

Almost 1000 meter descent on a narrow windy road with no shoulder and little to separate the rider or walker from the precipice. In places the Camino goes off road and looks safer but only in places and not on a surface suitable for my bike.

Arrived in the lovely Molinaseca, about 1000 meters down from the top of the pass; Mont Leon. Drove through stone villages, some with still cobbled streets. Molinaseca is another of the towns that prospered as a control point from the gold road. It is located in a valley between a bunch of mountains and presumably has its own microclimate as we saw palm and olive trees growing. Also has a quite acceptable Roman pont. Jeff attempted to visit the church (closed). The river is dammed in the summer to create a swimming pool. Had tapas/pinchos/pinxos/raciones for lunch (or whichever meal it is here): pimientos, calamari, ewe’s cheese. Doing laundry (manually, of course); heaters are on, so can roast wet sock and undies after washing. Resting knee in pretty good Posada.

Belated notes from sacking team on foot. Was too late to see a pile of sheep driven down a street in some small town on the Camino. Managed to see sheep butts, sheep dog and shepherd. Sheeps were not even out of sight before two women were out in front of their homes sweeping the street.

Above is QB in front of nice wall in restaurant in Rabanal. Fine Gazpacho soup here.

Below is a street in Molniaseca and the old bridge

and the bridge