I woke this morning and was happily the last one out, I think I set my alarm for eight....
I thought I had not slept well but if you saw the faces on the other pilgrims they all looked doomed becuase of Ms. Nosey and her snores....I thought she must have gotten a good nights sleep so she can go further with her Camino and try to referee the beds and go against ALL pilgrim procedure for securing a bed in an auberge. I figured I am on day 50 of being a pilgrim and felt pretty good that I had that part down atleast.
I decided to spend sometime in the town square, Inwanted my usual cafe con leche and freshly squezed orange juice. While sitting there the sweet young couple came up and we chatted about our plans for the day. I was pretty sure I wanted to end at the monestary today, a long walk....they said they were not convinced they make that...I felt optimistic that I could and really didn't entertain much more than that idea.
I wanted to walk on my own and kind of waited around for them to depart before leaving myself.
I think today's walk was the hardest on me....though I have had no rain the mud in the woods was extensive and the climbs were so demanding...I'll admit I sat in the woods , removed my pack....and cried for a second or two....it was just pure exhaustion.
Four days of the most exhaustive way of being I have ever had. Don't misunderstood it was four days if the mist beautiful scenerio anyone could take in and I treasued each and every step BUT I was ohysically exhausted and have been from Stage one. I wanted to walj with no one....I wanted to huff and puff in peace...I stopped and talked to each and every animal....I just have had no energy for anything else.
When I knew I could barely go any further I saw a sign that said Markina was 9 kms away....thru the woods....I swear I had walked 12 kms when I saw another sign that said three kms away. The metric system must really be off in these parts ( yeah...I know....)....
I saw a town off to my left and thought that is too far, please tell me that is not the town...
i sighed relief when I saw a sign telling to go right and concluded that this is good news that that town must not be mine...WELL...as luck would have it it was my town but some mean leperchun marking this trail took me right just to have to curve around for a very ling walk around to the town ....making this trek way longer for some reason and that town that I thoughtwas already too far away really far away.
As I came into town a man and his wife were trying to start an old lawnmower...he cranked and cranked, oulled and oulled....and I thought I kight have it better than he does at that moment. he stopped and struck up a conversation with me...an Irish fella!!!!!! I love the Irish....he said he was the only one in town....we spike for about 30 minutes I was teally too tired and my feet just weighed down into the Earth as if a giant stood on them BUT I enjoyed our conversation....every other word out of his mouth was a cuss word and for somereason I really needed that at that point in time.
When I started back up I felt refreshed and continued into this town, now knowing the monestary was not a possibility and I think it was about 8pm. This town had to have the nicest people in it...every old man walking by struck up a conversation with me, smiled, wished me luck or continued to talk to me even though I clearly stated I had no idea what they were saying.
My Irish contact recommened a pension call " Augustos", I found it and rang the bell, I heard an man' s gruffy voice overthe speaker and I said, "pegrina".... He siad, " push" ( the door) and before me lwere gorgeous wooden steps taking me to his top story pension.Augustos took up the door frame, a big man....wearing sweat pants , and just looked incredibly content in possibly just staying right there.
What greeted me as I went up the stairs was the biggest smile....a true sense of a man knowing how exhausted I was....and a cheerful welcome recognizing me as a pegrina...he went to help me with my backpack and said, " beer?", and while not my drink of choice I sais, "si!!!!!!".
I quickly went to pull out all of my stuff to sign in and he motioned me to wait, slow down....relax....
I needed these words...and infrint of me was a pilgrim's angel.
We shared no language but communicated the best we could. His albergue is clean and sweet, he takes great pride in it. I can't stand cigarette smoke....and I deteste background TV noise....and this place had both...But I could totally overlook both and in his defense in the front part of the auberge no one would have been affected by these. He showed me to a private room, not the two rooms with bunk beds, which by the way each had sheets, pillow and towels on. The bathroom had hot water and his place had charm. I paid I think 12 Euros....and had coffee in the morning with the offer of toast.
I had to give myself some ling pep talks today, tomorrow I was slated to meet a Camino forum member in Gernica, he would be arriving fresh from Ireland.....had I not had this commitment I was convinced I neded to give myself a rest day. The care and sleep I got at Augustus' auberge served me just like rest day.
I ventured out for food...I needed food, and good , hot food.I saw an Irish pub and was excited....meat and potatos!!!!! I walked in and there was nothing Irish about this place, infact they were not even serving dinner...but I liked the atmosphere...only about three guys at the bar but a nice table for me to catch up on emails at and about three wonderful pinxos would serve as my dinner. I woukd have my first glass of vino this trip and would catch up on life till about ten thirty when I was left alone and the bartender was clearly closing shop. I tipped him well for staying open for me, and appreciated this exhaling moment that the evening gave me.
I got back to Augustos' and he was in his backroom watching TV....I felt like I was telling grandpa I was home and not to worry about me. I pulled back the bedsheet expecting the typical harder cotten sheets one finds in most beds....and my sheets were a cloud of fleece, my large pillow was enveloped in fleece, the sheets smelled so clean and I hopped into bed and did not stir till 9 the next morning. THIS served as a rest day...I was very rested in the morning .... This is exactly what I had needed!
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