here i am in
ponferrada!

that was for all of you who know that old song about camp granada.....anyway, i am not actually in ponferrada anymore, i walked through it this morning.  what a city!  there is a castle right in the middle of it.  a castle!  with turrets and everything!  very cool. i took many pictures, so when i get a chance i will put some up here.

actually, today was kind of a strange day.  very unlike all the days that have come before.  i woke up in molinaseca, about 7 kilometers outside of ponferada, and started walking around 8:15.  i got into ponferada and was blown away by the castle.  i stopped for a cup of tea just across the street from the castle, and a german man who stayed in the same albuerge last night joined me.  we were chatting and he mentioned that the castle didn´t open until 11 am.  i said that i might wait until then, because it was so interesting.  he looked shocked, since it was only about 9:30.  ´wait?  until 11?!?´ ýes´, i replied, áfter all, it´s MY camino´, i said playfully, meaning that i can plan whatever i want.  he nodded, agreeing.  then he added, át the next town, there is a winery.  i can drink the wine.  it is MY camino!´ and we both laughed.  to each his own on this way, that´s for sure!
i ended up leaving ponferada before seeing the castle, partly because it is such a pretty city, i hope to be back someday.  then i began walking out of the city, along the road, which is how i had entered the city.  i walked and walked, all the time along the road with cars passing, which is not my favorite way to walk.  it wasn´t until about 2 pm that the camino separated from the road and i once again breathed fresh, clean air.  and, once again, it was like walking through a postcard of vineyards and orchards.  very beautiful, but i could feel that i had let myself get into a bad mood about walking by the road for so long.  i had to stop and laugh at myself because the camino had made me no promises!  i had assumed every day would be more beautiful than the next, and until today, that had been true!  it was a great reminder that no matter what the outside looks like, i can maintain my own positive mental state.  if i don´t i may even miss the beauty that is quietly present no matter what.  so now i am in cacabelos and someone else is waiting to use this computer so i will finish with that. 
peace and blessings-
a