Day 12-September 2: dedicated to...

... my good friend in England,Tracy, who knows how to tell me to suck it up and also knows best how to cheer me up. We met six years ago in an Israeli wedding banquet hall on our way to Jerusalem, where I told her to *!?% in a nice way (a less than auspicious start to a friendship), but which did not prove to be an impediment in any way.

We left at 6:45 am from Granon and were in Belogrado by 10:30. We really hustled and did 15.7 km but the trail was parallel to the N-120, a major highway. It was noisy and not the least bit pleasant. We have left the Rioja region of Spain, to enter into the Castille y Leon region. We hiked a further 11.4 , for a total of 27.2 km today. We arrived at our Albergue in Villafranca at 3:15, totally exhausted. For the first time since taking the Camino, I took something for pain in my lower back- one whole Tylenol!

On the Camino today, we kept running into our naked Frenchman from Viana, (Day 8)  whom we have nicknamed "Cojones".  He is in the same Albergue as we are, but we took a private room. So no need to run into him in the middle of the night, in the bathroom.

Cyclists were still speeding by us today and not ringing their bells. When two whizzed by with the usual "Buen Camino" greeting, Nancy and I simultaneously told them to...you know! En plus, je leur ai donné le doigt d'honneur! Pas gentilleje le sais. ☺️

Still no blisters! Lucky me!

Plus my boots are holding up well. 

Did I mention that I drank a lot of beer during the heatwave? Then I thought I was getting a beer belly.  Great! I would be the one pilgrim who would come home fatter than when she left! So I switched to sangria. Just as refreshing, but a lot less calories.

We are not far from the city of Burgos. Once there we will have hiked over a third of the way, which is 340 km.  We hope to take a day's rest and celebrate Nancy's 59th birthday in Burgos, Saturday, with Sari and Katherina.

Back to our friend "Cojones". Did I already say that everyone does the Camino their own way? I find out his name is Laurent, he is a true "bon vivant" and he and his friend are doing the Camino 200 km every year. They are finishing their third quarter tomorrow. They have a car which they park, hike 20k up the Camino, and then hike back to their car. They pick  up the next day where they turned around. Last year they had a chauffeur, which means they weren't doubling back. They are doing what I did during my training! Next year they will finally get to finish The Camino. That is what the French call "ténacité!"

Laurent has taken a shine to me, probably because of my French accent and my feistiness, which he was witness to in Granon. Too long a story to go into now. Anyway, he kept following me around our Albergue today, at the bar, in the foyer, even at one point picking me up and swinging me around 360 degrees. Gees, I already felt like a rag doll after that 27k hike! At dinner, I gave him a NB pin. He was pleased as punch as he showed me the Canada pin and BC pin he had already been given on his other treks. Now maybe he will stop following me. He looks to be in his forties. Is he especially fond of little old ladies? His traveling companion is a tinier version of me, a sweetie named Christiane. 

Tomorrow I will tell you my donkey story!

Bonne nuit ma chère amie Tracy!

With love and gratitude from Villafranca de Montes de Oca, Spain.