May 1 – Happy May Day, Labour Day, or International Workers Day to you!  Whatever you call it, it means everything in this country is closed today to commemorate this holiday.  No coffee for us in town this morning.  Luckily, Jim saw the lights go on at the Repsol gas station as we walked along the road at 7am.  We jogged across the highway and got some cafe con leches out of a machine to fortify us after our night in the alburgue.

Lived through last night with the snorers, the farters and the moaner.  I’ll say no more about that.  Pretty sunrise pictures today.

Eight miles will get us to the city of Cáceres, where we will take a rest day and see the Old City.  It is really cold this morning, making me wish I had gloves and long johns.  Walking usually heats me up pretty quickly, but not today.  I smell funky from sleeping in my clothes.  Can’t wait to get to our room for a nice hot shower!

Cáceres is full of tourists for the holiday.  The Camino takes us from the industrial edge of the city into the Old City.

When Jim was trying to book us a room in Cáceres, we didn’t know about the holiday, and couldn’t understand why all the hotels were full.  We ended up at the Hotel Iberia Plaza Mayor, which is right on the main plaza in the heart of the old city. What luck! It’s a beautiful old hotel, full of antiques, and kitschy odds and ends.

Wonderful shower, wonderful wifi, wonderful window that opens onto a balcony to facilitate hanging up our freshly laundered clothes.  Wonderful doner platter midday meal.  Wonderful afternoon siesta.  Tomorrow we explore the city.

436 miles to go.