Day 21….
…AKA the day I accidentally got up at 4 AM and walked 38 km.
Last night I couldn’t find a decent pilgrim’s meal at a reasonable hour – the place that looked good started serving at 8:30 PM. So I went the route of a big pasta dish which I made in the albergue kitchen. It was so-so – but filling. And I was able to get to bed relatively early. I didn’t set my alarm because I was in a room of 8 people and didn’t want to be rude. Before I went to sleep I prayed that my day (today) would start when it was supposed to and I’d walk as far as I should. Be careful what you pray for.
A fellow pilgrim got up for a restroom break – I checked my watch and it said 5. So I readied myself, got dressed, rolled up my bedroll, and packed the rest of my stuff in my pack. I was out in the entryway about to put on my shoes and happened to check the time again. 4 AM. 😐. At this point it was too late to unpack and go back to bed. Too much fuss. Wasn’t going to happen. So I headed out.
I’d been calculating my route to Astorga based on a shortcut in the book. But when I got to the town’s edge I remembered the shortcut was along the roadway – not a place I wanted to be in the dark at 4 AM. So I opted for the countryside route.
After a couple really small towns (all still sleeping) I journeyed up into farm country. Just ahead was the sound of a big dog barking and growling. I didn’t know if he was on a leash or behind a fence. I stopped in the road and slowly reached for the light on my phone. About this time I was joined on the trail by a young German lad who told me he was afraid of dogs. He slowly inched up behind me. When I finally got my light out I saw in the middle of the path a giant Anatolian shepherd – these dogs easily push 175 lbs. I talked to the dog sweetly, like he was a little lap puppy. Since my new friend said he was afraid of dogs I told him these were great sheepdogs, really loyal to their families, and generally really docile (unless threatened). All true. Big dogs don’t need to prove anything. What I didn’t tell my new friend was that if the dog had considered me a threat with ill intent – he would have taken me out before I found my light. Still talking softly (to the dog) while he stood there scratching fleas (still referring to the dog), I found treats in my pouch and threw a handful to the other side of the path. We were able to walk by without any issue.
All that said, I was actually grateful this big, (apparently) gentle dog was allowed to be out roaming his land – being a dog. One of the sounds I’d heard in the wild yesterday that I didn’t mention was really awful. In the distance there had been a dog either locked in a barn or tied up outside – making the most heartbreaking mournful cry. Not a howl communicating with distant dogs – a sad, pitiful cry. Horrible.
My new German friend walked with me for a couple kilometers. We talked about the questions pilgrims typically ask each other:
Where did you start your Camino? Where did you start today? Where are you from? Why are you walking? Are you going all the way to Santiago? Any further?
He mentioned he had hiked in the Alps prior to this. I thought – for Pete’s sake …I must really be slowing him down. So after a while I told him my pace is pretty slow and I wouldn’t be offended if he felt like speeding up. Which, after the next hill, he did.
I made it to the town just before Astorga by 8 and had First Coffee. Kept going to the old part of Astorga- easily identified by the steeples. Had a second coffee at the Hotel Gaudi, got a stamp for my credential at the cathedral gift shop, and continued out of town.
If I’d been with someone I might have been tempted to sightsee. However, as my friend Willie once observed – sightseeing by yourself feels a bit pointless. It’s an experience better shared.
I was confused at one point about where the path marker was. An older gentleman saw the look on my face and waved me onward. “A la montaña!” He said. I laughed and felt a bit stupid. Yes, of course – go out of town and look for the mountain!
So I headed to the next town, and then the next. The path was flat gravel most of the way with a gradual incline. Don’t like this version?
How about orange?
The walk was long and hot – but not unbearable.
I stopped a few times for refreshments. I’d wanted a fresh OJ in the first town. The only bar open didn’t have any so I got an ice cream bar from the freezer. I mean… it would have been rude not to, right? In the next town I went to three open bars looking for my OJ. Third was a charm. This is a large glass and was filled to the brim with the juice of several oranges – squeezed about two minutes prior. 5€. Worth every penny.
At each stop I asked myself how I felt – then kept going. About 4 PM I reached Rabinal – it’s almost the top of the mountain – and looked for a place to stay. Before I did though – a pilgrim in a bar when I got a little OJ (for use of their services) actually asked me if this was my first day on the Camino. I guess he assumed I started in Astorgia. I didn’t get into the details of my day with him. Don’t assume, buddy.
Went all the way into the town center (it’s not a huge town) looking for a bed with dinner in the same place. Settled on El Refugio. It’s stunning. The host said it was a cattle barn since the 1600s but his parents made it the gorgeous place it is now in the 1980s.
Private room today – my own space, real cotton sheets on the bed, a clean white towel, and actual hot water in the shower. All the luxuries!
Dinner was the best I’ve had on the Camino. I went with the pilgrim’s menu and it was like a Michelin chef had snuck into the kitchen. Of all days to leave my phone in my room! The presentation was top notch.
So – why the accidental 38 km? Well, I kept thinking the most I could go on this route was 34. But that shortcut I didn’t take at 4:30 AM added another 4 km.
Feeling pretty tired. Hoping to get up to the Cruz de Ferro by sunrise. We’ll see.
More later…
If you’d like more information about my walk for charity:water, please follow this link. Thank you!
https://www.charitywater.org/marilyn-peterson/marilyn-s-camino-for-water
PS: week three summary will need to wait until tomorrow. 😴
Our dogo (Luka) woke me up last night and I found myself in the back garden at 3.30am. Cannot imagine what packing and leaving at 4am is. You amaze me. And then to put in the longest walk. Isn’t it good when we surprise ourselves in a good way, especially when we don’t even realise it. Beautiful cathedral. Get what you say about singleton sightseeing, but there are occasions when I say to myself I am worth it, the investment. Your resting place sounds amazing – let us imagine what it was like without pictures. I was thinking what is must be like to be over half way. Whether it is half done, as it half complete and less to go. Or whether it is half full with the anticipation of more to come. Rather like MJs song ‘this glass’. Decided on half full with unimaginably more to come. On! On!