Today was not a hard days walk, it was relatively flat, along country roads or tracks and it was cool and overcast. Last night in the Albergue was an experience. Curled up in a bunk that was too short, paper thin sheet, scratchy blanket, sleeping with 27 strangers, some of whom decided to start their day at 4:30am when it’s too dark to see anything. People packed their backpacks, shuffled to the toilet and back as they got ready to go. I used earplugs and an eye mask to dampen the light and noise from others.
Leaving the Albergue after 7am, I headed to the plaza major to find a bar serving breakfast. I was able to get a coffee, juice and potato tortilla for €6.
The bus tour groups were loading their luggage into the buses before heading off. These big groups are why I am finding it hard to get accommodation. They will walk some of the Camino today and the bus will pick them up and take them further to their next accommodation. Which just happened to be the same place I am staying tonight!!
The Camino was very busy today, big groups of people. After weeks of walking through quiet countryside, often on our own I found it quite unsettling with all the noise and excitement from these people. I found a spot, got a cold drink, chilled, and let them all go past.
I came upon a small church with a man standing outside, he was a volunteer and was handing out fliers for mass times at various churches between here and Santiago. It started to rain lightly and I stood under tree chatting with this guy. He was from Italy and was volunteering with a group the open and man churches along this part of the Camino. He says that’s the only way they can be opened, there are not any locals that do this. I was able to visit the church and get a stamp. Pilgrims on the Camino carry a pilgrims passport, which needs to be stamped and dated twice a day if you are to receive your Compostela from the pilgrims office in Santiago de Compostela. It looks/feels better to get stamps in churches rather than bars and hotels. But it doesn’t make any difference in the end. At the pilgrims office they only give them a brief glance.
When I arrived into town and found my accommodation there was a queue of about 30 people waiting to check in and I recognised them as the bus group from this morning. Also the street was teeming with pilgrims, I have never seen so many. This town is where about 4 or 5 different routes merge onto the Camino Frances before entering Santiago in 2 days.
I went and found some lunch while the crowd thinned.
23km today.
Russ and Jan's Camino 