Ponferrada

Ponferrada was the one and only town where I stayed in one of the many Refugios along the Camino de Santiago. Despite the warm welcome and the pleasant surroundings, a night spent in a windowless basement with 40 snoring pilgrims underneath the main drain from the flushing toilets was, in my opinion, above and beyond the call of duty. As a consequence I left early the next day, waiting just long enough so that I would be able to walk by street lights until daybreak.

It could have really put me off the whole place; a shame really because the old town was quite pleasant, despite the obvious commercialisation of the Camino. Probably the classiest signs I came across anywhere. After a sleepless night and a hot day on the road, I was sorely tempted to head straight for the Parador at Villafranca, but, much to my own surprise, managed not to even go and have a look, opting instead for a room over a bar in the Plaza Mayor.

On wandering into town, it became apparent that there were many decent hotels, hostels and places to eat and drink, so I need not have endured the pilgrim hostel.