More Photos!

Rocky terrain for part of the day today.  Going up is not so bad but coming down is difficult. Our ankles kind of twist and roll on the rocks. Tomorrow when we get to Burgos (big city with a Decathlon store similar to REI)  some of us hope to buy some elastic/compression ankle supports. My left knee and left ankle are having some trouble, but I can still walk. My right foot has two blisters but I can still walk. Hurray for that! Yesterday, when we stopped for the night at the San Juan (former) monastery there was a bar next door. I went in to get another Sangria  to get ice. I knew the Spanish word for ice, which sounds like yellow, and told it to the bartender. He pointed to the label on one of his bottles and said, "This is yellow." He knew, that I knew, he was teasing. Then he told me I needed something to put the ice in and asked if I had a bag. I quickly took my buff, tied a knot in one end and had him fill it up. (We were told that to justify lugging any item in a backpack for 500 miles it needs to have more than one use and so I found another use for my buff.) I rotated the ice from my ankle to my knee. My ankle only hurts when walking-and it's not terrible, and my knee only hurts when I move it, but it feels hot every night. I will let Emily and Mona share their toe woes, if they want.

This collage is from the town of Ages where we had breakfast. We watched birds swoop down for a drink of water from the medieval trough. The bouquet of flowers was on our table. 

Little signs along the way always make us smile. Someone spraypainted the message in their driveway and someone took time to create a heart using stones.

Mona is sitting on her mat at the St. Francis house.

Emily and I took a selfie as we rested on our mats. Does it sound uncomfortable? So far it's one of our favorite albergues...and there was no wifi!
And here's a word from MONA:
Aside from the fallen arches, swollen ankles, scratches from thorns, and my remaining blister, my toes are happy. After a short day tomorrow and maybe a new pair of magic shoes I will be ready for the next 513 km!
EMILY'S TURN:
I am awaiting the arrival of a new toenail, say November?? Maybe more than one (twins?) but alas, no more pain. The vistas are stunning and numerous-grassy fields swaying in the wind, grape vines in arrays on slopes, mountains in the far distance and purple, yellow, pink, blue flowers intermittently lining our pathways--taking all this in one step at a time.

Goodnight from the three peregrinas in Castanares, Spain.