Aside from the strange vibe at my small hotel last night, I slept really well. My bed was like a big poofy cloud with a million blankets. This allowed me to sleep with both windows open in hopes of letting the weird energy out and the good energy in. I was surrounded by mountains, trees and a babbling brook. After I tucked myself in I fell asleep listening to the rain. All traffic ceased and it was silent. My Hotel was a refurbished Tailors house from wartimes and was a place where unique suits and even uniforms were made until mass production made them cheaper and quicker. It was also a bit of a museum and had antiques including sewing machines everywhere. It was interesting but also borderline creepy, like Abuela was still in the attic sewing. The bed and shower were both worth the strange vibe. I think it annoyed them that I only ordered soup and a glass of wine in their restaurant last night. The soup was ok.. my appetite waned after I fished 2 fruit flies out of my wine glass. I think they were also from 1942.
I left before the house was awake and walked a km or so until I found a restaurant open. I ordered 2 coffees and 2 eggs and 2 bacon. It was more like 2 pieces of ham... it's not like the bacon at home in which case I would have ordered 10 pieces. My waiter was an old man who sang as he cleaned tables and I loved him immediately. Friendly and cheerful. He spoke to me in Spanish and I did well in understanding and responding despite not having my translators. He told me not to miss Playa de Silencio. He was impressed by me walking alone and wished me a Buen Camino and Forte. I wish I knew how to tell him he made my day.
From there it was up and down several times, through the woods and with multiple creek crossings. One of my first challenges was getting through the longest darkest tunnel without freaking out.
It was scary... to enter the dark, the unknown, alone. This tunnel was so long there was no light at the other end at first... the tunnel was bent and the end hidden. When I finally saw the light I felt incredible relief.
I made it to Playa Silencio but went slightly off trail for the view of it. A local lady living next to the trail pointed me to the proper Camino and I thanked her but soon after realized it leads away from the beach. So I went back... yes uphill, and made my own way on a country road (she was just trying to help) and there it was. The view my singing waiter insisted I see. He was right of course, it was beautiful.
On my way back to the proper trail, I passed some farms and there leaning against a chicken coop was a fantastic staff. The bark was peeled off and it was straight and strong. This was a good one and could definitely help me with these hills. So I walked with it for about a hundred steps and it just felt wrong. I imagined an elderly farmer looking for his staff to tend to his animals and it made me feel sad. I don't need it like he would in those hills. So I turned around, walked all the way back and put it right where I found it.
Some Spanish dog sitting in the shade was trying not notice that I was walking past him for the 4th time.
Listen to your intuition. Trust your gut. Choose right over wrong. That's the lesson today.
It was hours before I came to the next town and another café con leche to fuel me. It was more of the same after that.
First up then down, then a horse, cow, dog and cat.
Then down, then up, then a cow, horse, cat and dog.
Throw in some flowers for a splash of colour and a view or two of the sea.
Add a handful of pilgrims (none of them overly friendly) and here we are, sitting at a bar at 1pm, on my 2nd bag of chips and nursing a white wine like a life line. I was hiding here from the rain that is trying desperately to catch me.
It's passed now after 30 mins of a slight mist and so off I go again, into the wilderness. 12kms done.... another 10kms to go.
Time lapse.... 6 hours later. So many beautiful vista's today. Several hidden beaches and coves but only one that the trail actually brought me to. Playa Rio Cabo. No sand there, just rocks, smooth egg shaped rocks. Cliffs and a jagged shoreline, a long descent in and a longer climb out made for some serious seclusion.
Just before arriving in town I passed a field of cows. They were mooing if that's a word and charged the fence when I walked by ... not sure if they were hungry or just aggressive but they were yelling at me. It was funny. I had a stare down with at least 3 of them and I won everytime haha.
The rain finally caught me... but not really. It was just a shower and by the time I figured out the puzzle of a poncho I bought, the rain stopped. Exactly like Pamplona in 2018. I stood under a tree and didn't even get wet.
I'm at my hotel now, it's on the edge of town and again like yesterday, it is silent here. After settling in and having a giant white wine in my room, I decided to check out the church at the end of the lane. The church is perched on a cliff with views in every direction.
I made 2 friends.. a black and white dog that I played fetch with at the church, he kept bringing me his tennis ball and had me trained in all of 60 seconds. Also a horse that I read to.
He was alone like me and seemed bored so we hung out... in fact I can see him out my window in the field, just standing there, doing nothing and I wonder what would a horse do if he could do anything he wanted. Other than go for a nice long run that is. I wish he was closer so I could talk to him out my window. Not because I'm crazy... I just think he needs a friend. We all do. Someone needs to get him a nice girlfriend, maybe a nice blonde haired beauty. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so bad for him.
Oh my goodness. My waiter just judged me hahaha. He took my order and said "Really???.... that's alot of food" I ordered a vegetable salad with mushrooms in a balsamic vinagrette and chicken a la plancha (grilled chicken). Ok so it's 2 meals but I burned 2368 calories today and I walked 22kms without lunch and it's 830pm. Why not just take my money and see how I do?
The veggies were excellent yes and it filled me yes but together with chicken would have been tasty 😁
Stinkometer:
I cannot find a laundromat until my last day and I am almost out of clean clothes.
Might explain why my waiter in this town didn't smell "fresh" haha.
Buenos Noches my friends
I
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