Firstly a round up of yesterday evening’s fun! Pootled off to find somewhere warm and sunny to sit and have a drink and bumped into Eva again. Soon we had a large group sitting outside on the terrace with a tipple of our choice. We swapped back stories, shared contact details, talked about previous experience on the trail - one gentleman from The Netherlands is here on his fifth Camino and second this year. He shared photos of the trail we had walked yesterday under 4” of snow in May! Most of us were booked for the same sitting of the Pilgrims’ meal so made our way over. The food was OK, but the bread, wine and company were excellent. In a lot of the small towns we have passed through the dining options are limited so Pilgrims’ meals, where offered, seem to be a convenient and convivial way to end the day.
I slept reasonably well, waking and packing up as quietly as possible to be out when the doors opened at 6am. I was treated to a beautifully clear sky and bright, twinkly stars. I checked my head torch was working and set off. The first section was through a forest. I found myself wondering if I should have googled ‘big (or small) scary things that can kill you in Northern Spain’ and was quite glad I hadn’t! I reasoned that it was a bit chilly that early in the day for any snakes.
I’d decided not to hang around for breakfast at 7am, and to pick something up on the way. ‘On the way’ was over seven miles later, and just about bloody time as I was contemplating eating my own arm by then! My attempts at speaking Spanish were met, as usual, with confused and blank looks, but I did manage to secure a black coffee and a ham and cheese baguette.
This was a very different day to yesterday. Yesterday was about chatting, getting through the grim weather together. To be honest, by the time I went to bed I was peopled out. Everyone I’d met was lovely- but I’d met a lot of people and had a lot of new experiences and had a lot to process. Today I spent most of the walk by myself. There were a few notable exceptions, one of them being the comment in the title from a young guy from Amsterdam who had been behind me for ages and caught up when I took my pack off to remove my jacket. The minute he said it he realised how it sounded - but I’m taking it as a compliment! There was also the farmer moving his cows down the path - soon after he’d passed my (and my Dutch friend) we heard him screaming and shouting. We knew that there was another pilgrim just behind us - so waited to see that he came through OK before carrying on. And there were words exchanged in passing. I loved this different Camino! Although certain rocky parts of the path have probably left me traumatised.
I ended today in Larasonna, I’d booked accommodation a day ahead. Again I arrived at 12.30, too early to check in! I sat and waited with a group who had already arrived and we were soon joined by familiar faces. While we waited one of the group said he was going on to Pamplona. I considered it. Had I not had a bed booked I might have gone. It was ‘only’ 15k more, but 15k in the sunshine is not an easy undertaking! I was sensible and stayed put. Once checked in, showered and completed our laundry we took our drinks down to the river and stood with our feet in the cool water while we watched pilgrims making their way over the bridge.
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