Goodness me, is that ever true. We had such a wonderful time at Posada de la Manuelas (Horcajo de las Torres), it was a wrench to leave, but we have to keep moving. And oh boy what a wake up call we were going to have. Yesterday was one of those days that you don’t want to repeat (apart from Maca at the end of the day). We woke up to howling wind, and heavy rain, the two things a barefoot runner doesn’t like or need, and generally we don’t discuss the upcoming weather conditions, we just deal with whatever is thrown at us. Julia’s route left Paradinas de San Juan went via Peñaranda de Bracamonte where Sonsoles a journalist with the Salamanca Gazette wanted to do an interview, and ending up in the middle of nowhere – Mencera de Arriba. (Rural Spain taken to its absolute limit). It was clear from the outset that it was going to be a tough day… As we were moving hotels we were in both cars, Julia had to stop a few times in the first 10k to warm up a bit and the conditions were brutal. Jack went into Peñaranda de Bracamonte to find the shortest route to the plaza, and I waited just outside the town for Julia so I could help her through the town. I must have had a sixth sense or reading her body language I could sense something wasn’t right so I walked towards her (it was raining cats and dogs). Julia had got so cold and wet and her body was struggling to deal with it all, she was disorientated and I had a job getting her off the road! We were trying to find the plaza, Jack was somewhere and the journalist was wanting to know where we were. And Julia started to do a live facebook video. I was wondering if I was in a dream that I couldn’t wake up from. However after a little bit of time, we managed to get a totally doolally Julia into a café. I found Jack and Sonsoles found us in the café. Julia had been given a towel by the bar owner (los Alamos I think it was called), and after a bit of time Julia came round! She did her interview, like a true pro. Sonsoles was lovely and the article she wrote was lovely too. Julia got a change of clothes, warmed up a bit, and she set off again. After we got Julia on the right road again, I went to sports shop and bought her some new warmer clothes and a very nice waterproof jacket. I spent a fortune, sorry Julia but you needed it! The rest of this week is forecast rain and snow…so its not over yet. And our adventure wasn’t over yet. As I drove to our hotel (Torredelmayorazgo) in Villatoro near Ávila I quickly realised there had been heavy snow, and I don’t like driving in snow but I dug deep and got through but it felt like the longest 10k of my life. The hotel we are staying in for a couple of nights is great, fabulous food and lovely and warm. And the best thing, was a border collie pup called Maca who is the chef’s pup, who came in like a terremoto as they call it in Spain (an earthquake), jumped all over us, and getting a photo was hard as she wouldn’t keep still! So all’s well that ends well, but it was hard core taken to the limit. So you have a photo of our host in Horcajo de las Torres, and Isabel and Julio who ran with Julia on Sunday and who made us a paella for el lunes del agua a local holiday in Castilla y León. And Ángel who was a delight. And Maca who’s tail moved to fast you can hardly see it, she was looking at herself in the glass door …can’t wait to get our own Maca.