This one is different

 

Last year’s Portuguese Camino de Santiago was different than this year’s hikes is several significant ways.  One is that the Camino was a commitment of sorts; we intended, barring significant injury or illness, to walk every step of the way.  This year, our two week-long trips are part of a vacation, and consistent with that, when this morning brought brought the forecast of 6 hours of rain and 6 hours of very challenging terrain, we decided to hike up to the famous Marksburg Castle and, if the weather was still nasty when we came back down, to cover most of the remaining distance by train.  Happy with our decision, we’re ready for another challenge tomorrow.  Below you see the castle (photographed on a brighter day) and the soaked serfs emerging from the castle after their overnight chores.