We left my favourite little pueblo in all of Spain, Castrojeriz, at 6:40 am and immediately climbed a mountain, Alto Mostelares.
By 12:01 I had hiked 19.2 km, stopping 45 min twice, for Nancy to catch up once, and for breakfast. It was awesome to go at my "express lane" pace. J'avais le vent dans les voiles. I finished my day at 2:30 pm, having hiked a total of 26.4 km.
I need to tell you that while there are angels on The Camino, there are many PITAS! Like the two sanctimonious Irishmen in the pub in Burgos, condescending and a little arrogant. "Why are you here when you come from Canada? Just walking? Not visiting museums and churches?" Those two should have been priests, in my opinion! Oops! Did I say that?
Then there was the hospitalero (volunteer) at the municipal Albergue in Hornillos, a Welshman, who gave me a very hard time when I went there to pick up our big backpacks. I had put the wrong Albergue address, an honest mistake. Well, he gave me the 10th degree... Shouldn't be doing that etc. I was hot and tired, and he wasn't listening to me. Then I saw Gilles, a fellow French Canadian, so I switched to French and hoped this guy would leave me alone. Gilles and I caught up on our news but I went to leave, the Welshman started in on me again, saying they could make me pay for having kept my backpack. Well, why didn't he say so from the get-go?I would gladly have paid, just to shut him up. He finally turned away, and I, in a total gesture of infantile frustration, stuck my tongue out at him. Gilles made a face as well and then we both laughed! Gilles stayed at that Albergue that night and reiterated my opinion of the man - a total PITA!
The biggest PITAS of all continue to be cyclists. I finally saw a sign today addressed to cylists, JUST for them. I will try to post it on FB.
I hiked over 26 km today, and I feel great. Nancy, unfortunately, has aggravated some old injuries to her right foot. She saw a doctor in Fromista tonight, and she has to rest for two-three days. So she will be cabbing and taking the bus. I will continue to hike and we will meet in our booked accommodations each evening.
The Camino provides for all eventualities. I will hike with Michel, our friend from Reunion, in the Indian Ocean, and Nancy will cab or bus with his wife, who has to be off her feet too for a few days.... How fortuitous.
Nancy is one determined hiking partner. She endured a lot of pain,for a long time, because she was afraid that if she went to see a doctor, he would tell her that her Camino was over. It isn't! She will soldier on, doing her Camino in her way. That is what it's all about ...tenacity in the face of adversity. My mettle has yet to be tested. If and when it is, I hope I can rise to the occasion half as well as she has.
BTW - PITA means Pain-in-the-Ass.
We have come to hate our guide book, written by an Englishman named Brierly, mainly because of what we feel are huge discrepancies in the distances between towns. He is our new BFF - and we don't mean what you think it means. We mean "Big Friggin' Fibber!" We have a name for everything and everyone, don't we? It's more fun!
Buenas noches à tous mes oncles et tantes des deux côtés.
Avec amour et reconnaissance de Fromista, Espagne.
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