Miles: 13

Because no reason at all, my day in detail:

My eyes open. It’s dark out still.

The French couple (Bruno and Patricia) are up first as always. They’re quite considerate, and do all their packing up the night before.

I check my phone. It’s 6:15.

Way too early to get up.

The next up is Maryse. She was up all night blowing her nose because of a cold, and because Bruno snores, I didn’t sleep well.

I hope that tonight it’ll be better.

It’s 6:45 now and I get up too because I’m thinking about caffeine. No café will be open before I set out for the day, so I resign myself to the idea of Nescafe. Sigh.

In the kitchen, the others are wrapping up breakfast and setting out. We say see you later, but i know that I won’t because they are all going on ahead. Im only going halfway today, so I’ll probably never see these particular pilgrims again. We’ve been roommates for a month.

I see that once again, I have little to eat that will satisfy. I have old yogurt that needs to be eaten. I eat it.

My shoes go on pretty good the first time. That’s nice because all my blisters are healing up and it feels like I won’t get any new ones today.

I start walking. It’s 45 minutes til dawn, but there’s enough light to see. Also it’s supposed to be hot today and I want to get most of the distance covered before noon.

My hands are cold but I walk fast to warm up. The sunrise is pretty. My nose begins to run. Scotch broom is absolutely everywhere here.

I walk through three small towns before I give up on a bar or café, and sit down to drink some water and eat an apple. It’s 10:00 am. I put my sunscreen and sunhat on and tuck away my puffy coat for the day.

I walk.

I curse past me for not buying more Oreos.

I walk.

I spend the next hour stopping twice to find a microscopic rock in my shoe. I dont find it.

It’s hot.

I listen to a podcast about gum disease and its effect on human metabolism. It’s pretty interesting.

I walk.

I encounter a deer, a rabbit, birds, lizards, and bugs.

Its hot.

I greet an old man in Spanish. He doesn’t respond.

I take a shortcut and almost fall backwards down a hill because I’m wearing a backpack.

I listen to a podcast about antibiotic resistance. Its not very interesting.

Finally, I arrive at the albergue. Its 11:30. I’m welcomed and am offered instant coffee. It’s good. I eat some peanuts.

The place is charming and I’m the only guest.

After a shower, I wash my walking outfit.

Im sitting outside clipping my fingernails, and the owner comes out. We talk. I ask questions, and he seems to want to talk too. He shows me his home improvement projects.

We then sit at the table and he starts preaching to me about God, religion, Israel, the Iranians, unexplained phenomena, Abraham, Zambia, how Islam isn’t a real religion, how Christianity is a real religion, and how the rise of western education has robbed all spirituality out of the world.

He then assures me that even though I dont believe in any god, I’m still a Christian. I kind of see what he’s saying, in that Christianity has shaped my upbringing, my education, and even my name.

His wife tries to derail the conversation by asking me a question about me and my camino, but dude’s right back on track about UFOs and angels being absolutely real.

Im ready for the talk to be over.

His wife gives up.

Finally, he remembers that he was doing something and goes back to it.

It’s 3:00.

I eat my emergency food. Its an energy bar. It’s just ok.

My laundry is dry. I lay out my walking outfit for the morning.

I think about what I want to eat tomorrow. I realize that it’s probably going to include Nescafe, peanuts, and prunes. That’s literally what I have to eat, and there aren’t any shops or restaurants tomorrow until almost noon.

My phone is charged up now, and I play today’s Squaredle game.

The stay at the albergue can include dinner if I want it. I want it. I wonder if the hospitalero and his wife will ask me to eat with them.

I read a book.

I go outside to warm up in the sun, and the owner finds me again. He goes right back into politics and religion. He tells me about the Islamization of England and what a problem it is.

It’s 5:23 and I’m hungry. Dinner is at 7.

I email dad. He’s ok. I miss our weekly lunches at Subway.

It’s 7. The dinner he makes me is amazing. There is a great red wine, too. I eat while he talks about LSD, weed, a peregrino named Tony from Malaga, and how scientists don’t understand consciousness. Also, mushrooms. I’m stuffed, and it’s  fantastic.

I wash my dishes and finish my wine.

I put myself to bed. This involves brushing and flossing, rubbing hydrocortisone cream on my psoriasis, and taking my pills. I inspect my feet. No new blisters.

I look at tomorrow and my destination, and try to find a place to get coffee. It’s 6km down the road, but that works. Again, tomorrow is a short day, but I’ve got the time. I’ll need to restock my food supplies too.

The owner tells me to help myself to Nescafe and toast in the morning.

I text a few pilgrims and see where they are and how they are doing.

I doomscroll for a few minutes. It’s depressing, so I read my book until sunset.

I set an alarm for 7.

I close my eyes.

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