Day 23 - 19kms to Santander

Despite the late night, I was up before the sun and watched it rise from my bedroom window.

My body was sore and didn't rest well despite the lovely accomodations. 

I met Harold for coffee at 8am and had the breakfast of Champions.... Advil 😉

We both walked away from that great little Posada feeling grateful and content. Behind us the sun was still rising and a thick layer of fog blanketed the farm fields. Ahead of us were several pilgrims, many cows and many trees. 

Jorge slept later than us as is the routine and caught up to us just as we reached the trail by the sea.

 It was another very narrow path. To the left side of us was fields of corn stalks well over 8 feet tall. On the other side was a small patch of tall, green grass and then an immediate drop off down to the rocky bottom. 

This was our scenery for at least the next 8kms.

We treated ourselves to ice cream when we thought we might be close to the end but the end never came.

In fact we struggled to get back on track at one point since we unintentionally left the beach. The trail would have taken us directly to the ferry but it meant walking through deep,  dry and heavy sand.

We ended up at a snack bar and had some drinks to hydrate and rethink.

It was another hour or so to the ferry and we forced ourselves to go the distance. We waited about 10 minutes for the ferry to pick us up.  Once on board the sound of the motor lulled us all to sleep. It was a short boat ride, maybe 10 to 15 mins considering how slow the ferry boats go. We arrived in Santander, exhausted and hungry... again.

The guys checked into their hotel and I waited then joined them for a drink and a snack before parting ways.

I took a taxi to Palacio de Arce... it was supposed to be the night of all nights. To be Royalty for just one night. All I could think about was a bath and a 4 poster bed with crisp linens... oh and wine. I'm always thinking about wine haha. When I arrived however the receptionist said... "we've been trying to reach you".

The short of it is, they booked a wedding. I was the only guest not a part of the wedding. It was already loud when I arrived and I was warned that this would not be slowing down any time soon. I was crushed. She said you will likely not get the rest or the peace you are seeking. She said she took the liberty of arranging a taxi and a stay at another posada nearby for me and would take care of any inconvenience like baggage transfer etc. 

I was still reeling from the disappointment. Was I not worthy of being a Princess in a Palace for just one night?

So I sat in their lovely garden with my head hanging low, tired, hungry and dirty from a day of hiking.

So she brought me a glass of wine and ice cream. She probably would have massaged my feet if I asked her to. She felt really bad and she was so kind. She was trying so hard to make it right. So I succumbed. I realized I can't fight this. Nothing is going to stop this wedding. I said proceed in sending me away.... taxi came and whisked me off to a Posada. A peaceful farm setting with the crisp linens and the bath I wanted. The host was lovely and accommodating. I was so spent, I didn't even go out to dinner. I skipped the meal and rested. It was the quiet I needed. Ultimate peace. Not a single sound all night. Clearly this was divine intervention yet again and the universe proving it does indeed unfold the way it is meant to.

xx

Sent from my Galaxy