…and not the people around you. Today could have been a short day. After a small breakfast we walked around 9km to Zubiri.
A beautiful little town. We had lunch and Everything inside of me said, get a bed and stay. But when Nancy, the Spanish girl I was still walking with, said – at least I believe she did, we were mainly communicating by gesturing or google translate – there are mainly little towns along the way, let’s see how far we get, I once again ignored my inner voice.
And on we went. We actually passed one restaurant on the way, where someone was playing Halleluja on a trumpet. But continued our way thinking there will be many more little villages with an option to rest on the way.
It was a beautiful way, but my left foot, that had been troubling me for a couple of month started acting up. We came to a small town where Nancy wanted to look for toilet. If my more the broken Spanish did not deceive me, they kind of told her: girl you are on the Camino no bars or anything for miles. Seems the one with the guy playing trumpet was the last for the next 15km.
Nancy kept checking her google maps, which do not suggest Camino routs, thus her first estimate of three hours was still at 2,5h after we already walked for over 2h. I think she got really frustrated, and me limping along did not help. So she picked up speed and took off.
After a couple of hours my inner voice started screaming at me, that I should have stayed in Zubiri. Every step turned in to a painful exhausting struggle. I walked by a river where a couple of locals where swimming, and I was so ready to jump in, but at this point I would not have been able to get back on the road.
Hours passed, and when I finally passed a restaurant, the sign at the door just laughed at me reading: “sorry for the inconvenience, but we are out on vacation till September 1st…”
Water was running out again, and the sun was burning real hot. The pain in my left foot was burning when I turned around a corner and came to a live saving water fountain.
Talked to another pilgrim, for a while taking a 20 min rest at the fountain till I continued on to the last, longest 6km I have walked so far.
The heat was getting intense. I had the feeling who ever marked the Camino was doing it to really make fun of us pilgrims. I passed at least three places were the Camino send me up a hill and down back on to the road I came from.
And there it was the first sign of civilization. The last kilometers went by without me realizing them, I faintly remember the pain, but suddenly stood in front of the albergues. 15 minutes too late it was closed. Aaaaaah…
Luckily the restaurant next door had gotten my code and room number – yes I have learned and booked ahead – so I dropped of my back pack, and had my first pilgrims plate, so much food for 10Euros, I felt like I was in heaven!
I met some Italian pilgrims that kept on buying me cerveza. Until I wished them a buen Camino and went to bed. Still not a full night of sleep, but it definitely feels like I am starting to learn how to sleep again.