Off to a leisurely start. I left a bit later than the others, and from a different hotel. I managed to find coffee and churros as fuel, so after a few hours I caught up with M and M. (We have 3 Ms in the group.)

Passing a small property with a large shed and some sheep hanging around, M went up to the fence to take a photo. Two men and a little boy were in the yard and called out that we should come into the yard and have a beer. So we did. Juan, Juan and Juanito were very friendly, offering beer, ham and cheese. We laughed and joked and admired the sheep, some of which had just been sheared. M simply loves all animals and M is a former dairy cattle farmer, so it all seemed to make sense even though I can scarcely tell a shorn sheep from a goat.)

Arrival in Castuera was from the back of a stage set up for Día del Queso (Cheese Day) in Castuera. First off, as we pushed into the crowd, a couple of people took photos of us – pilgrims in full regalia, as if we were part of the show. People could buy tickets to go around and sample cheeses from around the district. There was folkloric dancing on stage but the music was so loud I just took the photos and escaped.

We registered at the police station and settled into the municipal albergue – a perfect place, except for the detail of no wifi. It was comfortable and spacious enough that we moved all the top bunk mattresses to the floor…

The lounge area had yet another shade of green paint…