Yesterday evening over beers and tapas I did dispensed and applied KT tape, before another early night. I have yet to see a sunset! Wanted to leave early as none of the albergues in Carrion accepted bookings or reservations and I wanted to make sure I had a place to sleep.
It was only a short day today, but I think I am glad that I started in the dark, as the path was alongside the main road. Having been sketchily marked in town, once out on the dead straight path with no possible alternative way to go, it was regularly marked with huge concrete markers.
A little later I came to a sign that told me I could go left or right to stay on the Camino. Very helpful! I dug out my ‘phone, fired up the BuenCamino app and saw that the path split into two alternative paths - but there was not much information about them. I did spot a little bit of helpful graffiti though - so took the slightly longer route. It was still dark - but at least I could listen to the wild life rather than the trucks.
The light was amazing this morning. A real pleasure to be walking so early, but very cold! My hands, despite the gloves, were frozen. When I stopped for breakfast in Villacazar de Sirga I struggled to open my wallet. The cafe owner took both my hands in his and rubbed them to get the circulation going again! This village marked the point where the two routes merged again - and we were back on the main road for the final few kilometres to Carrion. Of course I arrived much too early, I left my bag at the albergues and went to look around the town and grab a coffee.
I was still the first person to arrive when I came back! The nun checking us in was fearsome! She got it into her head that we all (she waited so that she could check three of us in at a time) understood French. Well the girl from France did, but Stella from Dublin hadn’t got a clue, and the girl from France professed to speak no English! I did my best to translate! The albergue appears to have single sex dorms - which is a novelty - and it doesn’t have any bunk beds. It also had a freezer with ice packs in it, so despite my leg feeling fine I am icing it just in case!
Pootling around Carrion this afternoon I ended up chatting with my snoring nemesis. He asked if I stayed in Hotel San Martin last night - he’d spotted my bag in reception when he left this morning, so I would have been safe from snoring, if not bed bugs, had I stayed at the Albergue! Although there are several people I haven’t seen for over a week, there are other faces that I keep bumping into, it makes the Camino feel like a real community. That said, I am planning to go 3km further than the standard distance as there are a couple of people I would like to out walk.
No comments:
Post a Comment