Jour 13- 2 septembre: dedicated to...

my oldest friend Patsy, with whom I have shared, over a 51 year period, all the joys and sorrows of life, from the birth of our children, to having a crush on the same guy as 20 year olds, to the death of a parent, and everything in between.

We left at 6:40 am in the rain from Villafranca with Sari and and Katerina. It was a very dark, tunnel type climb straight up not ONE, but TWO mountains. What a way to start the day! Plus we left too early to get breakfast and we had no food. We did a 12 k hike before we hit a cafe in San Juan de Ortega.  The sun came out at 9:18, on and off all day, and it was cool. Really, the sun was mostly off! Keith says he has done 340 km to Espinosa, and we are at least 25 km past that. The numbers in your guide book, on the trail, or in someone's Fitbit, never, EVER seem to agree. I think I am going to give up on trying to figure out how many km of the 820k Nancy and I have hiked. Just like I have given up on trying to figure out the day, or the date! Frig it!

We only hiked a total of 21 km today and were in Atapuerca by noon. A lovely squid sandwich for lunch, and a rest in our private room for two in a hostel. Well worth the extra 10 Euros not to have to put up with snores, smells, and stuffy dorm rooms! Not to mention naked Frenchmen!

Oh yeah - the donkey! A mother from Portugal is hiking the Camino with her three young sons, the oldest of whom is no older than seven. They have a tent, a big, beautiful dog, and a real live donkey to carry their stuff. Honest! I have a picture of the dog and donkey, if I can ever upload them. 

Wifi in Spain is driving me to distraction! I have not been able to upload pics for three days!

Good night my dear, supportive good friend Patsy. Big hugs Nan!

PS:

See, I told you everyone does The Camino their own way! Word has it Mom started in France and has to be back in Portugal soon for the boys to go back to school.

Signing off with love and gratitude from Atapuerca, Spain!