The Song in My Head: Another Day in Paradise - Phil Collins
Word of the Day: Pilgrim Meal
Today’s (Random) Craving/Memory: Tony and Tina’s Wedding
Total Steps: 44,082 steps
Total Walking Distance: 16.0 miles / 25.8 kilometers
⏰ Wake Up: 4:00am
💤 Sleep: 10:00pm
Ciao!
Woke up at 4am once again. Felt sleep deprived this morning. I need to catch up on rest tonight.
I packed up. I was running a bit behind so Martina left before me. I got on the road solo.
When I stepped outside, it was SO HOT. It was 4:45am. I expected it to be cold.
Today we walk 31km to Hontanas. The morning was pretty chill. Nothing eventful, except for this patch of grass with every sprinkler malfunctioning. My humor has gone out the window.
After the sun rose, I finally got my first blister of the Camino! On the outside of my left foot. I rewarded myself by slapping a compheed on that thang. I’ll get myself an ice cream later too, but I had a protein bar that’ll hold me over until then.
The rest of the walk was pretty basic. It’s the start of the meseta so it is flat land and open fields. But a LOT of sunflowers.
I made it into Hornillos del Camino right as Martina and Willem, another Australian I met this morning, were finishing her break. They got back on the trail and I went in and got a 50 cent banana.
Got back on the road, wasted no time.
I made it into Hontanas at 11am. 6 hour trek today.
I stopped at a cafe and got a salami sandwich, and stretched on the grass. Willem and Martina joined me as well, and then I went to go see Laura and Benjamin when they arrived into town. We hung out, played kombio and waited until the others started to flow into town.
We then got our albergue at 1:30pm, and got situated. There were 8 of us, so they gave us our own room. It was like summer camp.
Then they went for food. I wasn’t hungry, but I got myself a snickers ice cream bar for 3 euro. What a rip off, but I had to treat myself.
After, we did laundry and then took a siesta.
Around 5pm we woke up and went to the local pool. We swam, it was great.
One thing I’ve realized is Spanish villages are always dead empty. But if you go to their local pool, you’ll find every single one of them swimming.
We got hungry. Nicolo went to order a 3 euro burger from the pool stand because we were skeptical of the price, but we are always looking for a good deal since pilgrim dinners are just about the only meal you can find in small villages and they’re extremely overpriced. So we ordered it for science.
It took 15 minutes, and it was the rawest burger patty I have ever seen. We packed up and went into town to get food.
I was looking for a sandwich or a Spanish omelette since they are cheaper and equally as filling as a pilgrim meal, but the cafe from earlier was closed, and there was only a paella restaurant.
So I had to get the pilgrim meal.
*Pilgrim Meal is a fixed price, pre cooked meal offered to pilgrims. Normally 15 euros, basic food, a beer and dessert, and very rarely worth the price.*
This pilgrim meal was extremely overpriced for what we got. I wish I could’ve gotten a sandwich or a Spanish omelette (probably would’ve only costed me 6 euro) but I couldn’t.
Not going into detail because I’m not here to complain but I will not be getting a pilgrim meal for the rest of this journey.
We finished up, and went home. Got ready for bed, and we are asleep at 10pm.
Another early day tomorrow, leaving at 4:30am. Walking 34km to Fromista.
Going to be fun, can’t wait.
See y’all then,
David