Day 22

This morning there is a hill to climb, Alto Mostelares, I head out about 7am with my bunk mate from last night who is from Florida. There is nowhere for breakfast so it’s off we go. The next town is 10km away.

The approach is flat a lovely gravel path. The closer we get the higher it looks. One step in front of the other, it’s slow going but we get there. Passed by many fit pilgrims and a couple on a tandem bicycle going so slow I can’t believe it, we all make it and the view is gorgeous, there is morning mist rising in the distance.

What goes up must come down and it’s step, 18% apparently the sign tells us, more cyclists fly past us going down.

We are joined by another lady from the US, California. We become the 3 Amigos for the day, making a very long and flat day really enjoyable.

They leave me at Boadilla, I need to find a bed, they have one booked at the next town. I head into an Alburgue I have read about, there are people everywhere, checking in, ordering food, waiting to be served I stand with my Pilgrim Passport and my Australian Passport in hand you must show both to get a bed. A Spanish man who looks like a musician, he has a very cool hat on looks at me from behind the desk. With my very best pretend Spanish I say “no reserva, posible cama en el Alburgue?” (No reservation, possible a bed in the Alburgue?) There is a guy from the States with me who does have a reservation, the musician says to the both of us “come” and we both dutifully follow him. He delivers both of us to our bottom bunks in the dorm. No payment taken at this stage, I am in awe, I have a bed. Then it’s a hot shower and washing done I head back over to pay for my lodgings and find some food. I think I must have looked or smelled bad when I arrived because the musician is suitably impressed with my transformation.

I spend the afternoon chatting with a pilgrim from Melbourne we have met many of the same pilgrims, she had a sore knee so I have given her my extra instance icepack, lightening my pack!

Dinner is a pilgrim menu there are 2 tables of 40 plus additional tables in the other room. I sit next to a couple from Batemans Bay, my Melbourne friend and a couple from the Netherlands they are cycling the Camino. We have a delicious lentil soup followed by a choice of beef stew, roast chicken or fish I have the fish it comes with some green salad and there is a chocolate dipped ice cream to finish. Red wine and water. A great night lots of laughs and many Camino yarns told.

I am back in my bunk. I have my socks, undies bra and walking shirt skilfully hung around my bed to finish drying and an extremely tall Eastern European guy sleeping above me in the top bunk a Korean lady next door who has very skilfully created a wall of privacy around her bunk. The lights are just out and the snoring has begun but I am warm and looking forward to another day on the Way tomorrow.

Distance walked 19.1km.

Elevation 800m up to 1050m that is a 12% incline for the Cartographers out there.

And for the Statisticians, Total Distance walked so far 342km.

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