I had got over my shock at the Pension I was staying in. I guess being so tired at the end of a hot and exposed walk, to have no reception or meeting point, or indeed anyone human to greet you was disconcerting. Thank God for Fiona and Paul. They are so chivalrous, they insisted on collecting me for dinner. You do meet so many people but it is transient. Everyone that passes you says, Buenas Dias, Buen Camino…..everyone, and you smile back with a limping gait as you lean heavily on your poles. Poles? The sticks are my friends. I bought telescopic ones so I could fit them in the back pack but they hardly see the shade of my bright blue Osprey that is screwed to my back. It carries my water, and a million other things especially the sandwich you made at breakfast with a banana if your lucky. It’s funny as I don’t eat bananas at home but here…I feel like Jamie Murray or Fedorer. It’s salvation. Another discovery were rehydrating sachets. Fiona gave me a couple and mentally I could only remember the foul taste of Dioralyte when my babies were little….which they refused to drink! Now they taste pleasantly of lemon. I must find some at the pharmacy if I get chance.
Dinner was at another public hostel. We had to queue for them to open the restaurant door as you stood in a line along a shelf with everyone’s smelly walking boots. It was hysterical. Needless to say I knocked on the door….because we were hungry!!! Lo and behold the student guy opened it up so I said,
’Oh … Te Quiero” to him…(I love you?)
I guess I’m not getting any better as a person yet. God is still trying me out I think though the Camino…its the way of the pelegrinos…(pilgrims) we pass every church!!
At dinner, we were joined by smiling Jean Pierre and MarieAnne his wife..the ones that live on a golf course in Switzerland. I swear they fly to the next post because they are always there, they walk so fast and don’t seem to stop. Lovely tall Alain and his wife Regina sat with us too. He thinks my French is fantastic so I like him…and he loves Liverpool FC….no contest. The wine flowed which is included in your 12 euros…bottle after bottle but JP insisted on trying the Crianza…he made me laugh, he said ,
”Get this app and point it at the label, it will tell you everything…and then buy the dearest… which was 15 euros!!! ?
Then the shock came….our next stop was more than 32 Kilometers away….a long day. Yes you can start out and do 5 K in your first hour or two but ‘end of day pace and heat..and stops …make it more like 3.5K. Per hour…and you DO need to stop.
Paul, unflustered ex military man just said we will leave at 5.45am!! They would be outside my hostel at 5.50!!….and they were!!!!!! and it was SO DARK…..I followed his head torch with Fiona along black stony paths….aaaagh!!! How important is light?