22nd July 2022
We woke fairly early for our booked 8 o’clock breakfast slot, and enjoyed a range of interesting local food in the continental buffet. We didn’t order any hot food, still struggling to digest the previous nights meat. Unlike the previous day, the weather was very grey, with low cloud and precipitation (nothing on the rain radar or in the forecast, so really just the effect of being in the cloud).
The sound of cowbells continued in the murky gloom outside as we planned a walk for the day. We decided to head about 4km down the valley to the village of Espinama. From here, there was a waymarked walk of about 9km to Las Ilces and back. Despite the low cloud, lack of wind and general dampness in the air, this was a pleasant (if tiring) walk. The actual distance we covered was more like 11km (a little under 7 miles) with a total climb of about 750 metres covered in just under four hours.
We then returned to the hotel for hot baths and some relaxation time!
