Somehow, I had convinced myself that today was going to be an easier day… HMMM? In a way was easier because we only had a 2000 foot elevation gain instead of 3000 feet. Walking 16 miles was two miles more than I wanted to do, but with no choice we made it to our Albergue.
We convenience ourselves that if we saw a cab in the town before our destination we were going to take it the final 2.5 miles. The trail climb up to the town was brutal; long, steep and rocky. I was taking about 50 steps and stopping for a minute to recover. My frustration level was beyond my capacity to let go of it. We wondered why we saw no other pilgrims, and discovered they had all been told of an alternate route that was much easier…of course.
We arrived at the top, climbed into town, found nothing open, and had a cafe lock the door as we started to go in. Just our luck today. Josh went to the gas station convenience store and bought us a drink and a popsicle. Nothing has tasted so good the whole trip. It is very humid here again because of the fog and thunderstorms. So we sat on the curb and tried to muster the strength to finish the next two and a half miles.
Getting our legs and minds back to business, off we walked. Then the sound of thunder started to rumble in the distance. Just barely dried out from the day before, our pace quicker and we made it to the alburge (truck stop as Josh calls it) just in time for the first rain drop to fall on us.
The Albergue fell short of our expectations. While the room was acceptable, the meal left much to be desired. Thankfully, we were able to enjoy a delicious lunch at a café along the trail, ensuring we had enough nourishment for the day.
Why I walk the Caminos… The calmness and quiet of the mornings when all you can hear are the birds and your quiet footsteps on the pine-covered forest bed.