Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo

Two nights ago we stayed in the city of Ponferrada. It was a nice to have some excitement after staying in very quiet, rural towns since León. Although we had to stay in a dark basement, we reunited with almost all the friends we had met along the way. It was great to see everyone again and meet even more people, including some fellow New Englanders.
It seems to be the heart of festival season here, as we have come across about five in our travels. While in Ponferrada we were serenaded by the city orchestra who were playing in front of the medieval castle while we ate dinner. There were also fireworks and street performers while we were out and about.
Yesterday we hit the heart of wine country and spent most of the day walking through vineyards. It was some of my favorite scenery that I've seen so far. It was amazing to be surrounded by the grapes and colorful mountains. We ended in Villafranca last night; it was another quiet town, but had some wonderful old buildings and all cobblestone streets. Our hospitalero (the person who runs the albergue) made us a home-cooked meal beginning with noodle soup and salad and ending with chorizo, chick peas and potatoes all stewed together. Like everything else we've had it was absolutely delicious. We are typically offered the pilgrim menu every night, which is virtually the same everywhere. The first plates are usually a mixed salad with tuna, penne and tomato sauce, a vegetable soup of some kind, and white asparagus with homemade mayonnaise. The second plates are typically eggs and potatoes, pork, veal, and a white fish. Dessert is a packaged ice cream, flan, rice pudding or fruit. Then coffee comes after the dessert; they are not, under any circumstances, served together here. While everything on the menu is really tasty, it has gotten a little tedious having the exact same options every night. It makes one really appreciate when the hospitalero/a cooks an original meal for everyone.
Today we began our trek into the mountains. In a matter of minutes we gained five hundred meters of altitude, and then carried on uphill until we were walking along the mountain ridge. It offered spectacular views, but was the most difficult day so far.
Tonight we are staying at an albergue run by a Brazilian man and are about to enjoy a traditional Brazilian meal. Since I don't want to miss that I am going to say buen camino for the night!
(the picture is the view from our albergue)