El Camino

This way about trying my limits. The view was not so catching. It lead me mainly near plough-lands and loud motorways. I felt like finishing the day in a small village after 35 km, but there was no place left in the pilgrim accomodation and the local hostel was also full.

The familiar faces also disappeared, since those who walked with me during the first week, don’t cover this much distance, I don’t meet them any more during the day. I said goodbye to a brasil pilgrim at 30 km, with whom I met couple of times in the past few days.

I thought despite the great heat and no shadow I can stick out the next 3 km. I did. But there was no accomodation there available. There reason was that pilgrims get up early, like me, but cover less distance, so they finish at one or two o’clock latest. When I arrive at half past three, it is harder to find accomodation. So a little (very) disappointed, I started the next 6 km in glaring sunshine and warm asphalt. After about 2 km a silver Seat stopped near me. The receptionist of the pilgrim accomodation was it. He was heading for Burgos. He asked if he can give me a lift. It’s strange I haven’t even thought about it not to go by foot, but afterward, what 4 km came. Mainly I had to walk around the Burgos sport airport in the shinig sun and hot concrete. But I arrived and that the important thing.

The previous day was the toughest until now. After having a bath and dinner, I left my clothes on the floor the way I got them off. I didn’t felt writing a blog post, you can only see the pictures because they were uploaded during my dinner.

Inspite of all this I woke up really good and the only depressing thing was that the 11 km was through Burgos, through mainly industrial plants and apartment blocks. But the end of the city compensated me for everything, the historical district of the town was wonderful.

The rest of the day was shadow free and I walked near  plough-lands. At 34 km at a fabulous pilgrim accomodation , in the middle of the wasteland, I could have finished the day. There was one free bed out of 12, but there was no electricity and no meal was available. After 15 minutes thinking, I decided to walk an additional 6 km by opening my last secret energy source. The main reason was that I thought the previously consumed one banana and two oranges are not quite enough for this much distance covered. If there was kitchen or I had food on me I would have stayed for sure, because the place was more then idyllic.

I didn’t regret to walk. Surely the 6 km was cruel, but I arrived to a beautiful little village, where internet was available anywhere, but in the third inn a room was free for me and I had an excellent dinner. It seems I didn’t gain any weight, though I don’t have a weighing machin, but I am using holes on my belt that I have never used before.

I have 12 days left from the available 24. If not in km, I am at half in time. I had a lot of adventure, effects, thought, which I don’t have the opportunity to write down. The increased distances in the previous days makes me really tired, after arriving I have to focus to regenerate by the morning.

I fall asleep before sunset and since dusk is about at half past six, there was precendence that I started in dark.

Some thoughts about this day.

When I started in the morning every part of my body hurt. Mainly my right knee wanted to give up. It hurt the most in downhill riding, because maybe then it receives more pressure. I discussed with him, that even it hurts we will set forward and interestingly after a time the paon was gone. After 20 km I realised, I feel perfect and nothing hurts. It is interesting that above 30km nothing counts,the pilgrim’s sole aches at every step. Such nerve points give signal screamingly that I have not known that existed.

If someone would not recognise on the below picture I took a photo of a caterpillar which is opening up to become a butterfly. No, I didn’t take notice of it, but the young guy from New Zealand walking before me.

The 12% slope for 1 km was inspiring, I only had to stop 3 times to get some oxygen. But the harder part, not because of my knees, the 18% slope, which was after the 12% slope.

Beside this today was wonderful, I didn’t have to walk near loud motorways and shadows were provided by the increasing number of fleecy clouds.