I Left My Heart in SF, and Half My Skin in Spain...
- hollandauctions
- Sep 24, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 26, 2023
Late, again... I literally went to sleep at 10pm, but didn't hear anyone leave this morning, and have awoken at 830am in a panic, as they want us out by 9am. In a whirlwind, I grab my clothes off the drying rack, throw a pod in the coffee machine, and start pushing things into my backpack.
I pulled out those walking sticks, and I felt like a mountain goat up and down the first hill. Things were going swimmingly, until I made the descent to Olatz. Just as I was coming down the hill, I thought to myself, "ooh, it's getting steep and maybe even a little sli....", and that's when I took tumble number 5... and this one was unkind...
NSFW... STRONG LANGUAGE... I was not happy!
Luckily, the last tavern before 16km of wilderness was only a couple hundred meters away. A coffee con leche and a little towel up later, and I was on my way. Aside from the slip on wet sidewalk, it was a wonderful afternoon. Anya had decided to go on ahead, so I was on my own to admire the views.
An enchanted forest..
Breathtaking views...
Stunning views just keep piling on...
The first sign of trouble, and a harbinger of things to come...
Obligatory cows...
It was this kind of road, still damp from last night's rain, that I slipped on..
Moving on up!
Walking across a mountain...
This cat has the right idea!
These views just never get old!
This fixer upper in the middle of nowhere is one I would buy!
What can I say? Another mountain Vista.
Horses on a hill... the ones that keep running away get bells...
At this point, it just feels a little like bragging...
About those walking sticks... they work great when you're upright... not so good when you're heading perpendicular to the ground... this was shortly after fall number 6 in three days... there would be a 7th as well... humbling experience to go walk a camino to fight old age, and have a bunch of youngsters run up to help you up like you're some kind of invalid... I had to thank them for their kindness, but inside I was cursing profusely!.
Finally, walking into Markina!
Pretty scenes everywhere!
At the church in Markina... It is said that if you walk around the rocks three times you will be married shortly...
As I walk through the town center with pilgrims from Slovakia and Italy, who do I see sitting on a patio enjoying a drink? Anya, of course! As I settle down to start finding a place to stay, she tells me there are 2 beds left at the albergue up the hill, and that Setin and Jo are also staying there. Perfect!
All in a days experience!
It seems silly, but I actually found this very relaxing!
From left to right... me, Serin, Jo, Anya and Juan from Catalan. . We enjoyed a few bottles of good Riojia wine before dinner..
Dinner tonight was pasta with red peppers, then pork with fried egg and tomatoes, followed by a slice of ice cream cake.
The inevitable laundry hanging everywhere and crusty shoes that comes from a good h
onest day of hiking a camino!
Distance walked today... 21km
TOTAL DISTANCE WALKED SO FAR- 118KMs
It's been about 2 days without any news. I'll just assume you've been killed and eaten by a (big) bear, so I've gone ahead and started organizing your stamp collection so I can start selling it and pocket a bit of quick dineros.
RiP li'l (not in the literal sense) buddy.
🙏
Btw, if anyone gets ahold of Lawrence's phone and reads this after the fat lady has sung her song, please forward the contents of his wallet to me. Tyvm.
Not enough chit chat about wine! I would love to see a post entirely about the local wine. Cmon Lar you can do it!
All those pretty shots of mountain ranges -- I keep waiting for you to pirouette in front of the camera, singing "The hills are alive with the sound of music...".
My friend, we skinned our knees as kids. Nothing to do with age. Only the sedentary never fall, and how boring is that lifestyle! Too bad the little towns don't sell knee pads, like the kind people wear when roller-blading. If you could get that and some elbow pads and a helmet and maybe safety glasses ... :-)
The alberghe (sp?) appeared very neat and clean. Interesting how everyone just finds a bed or bunk, claims it as their own, and then falls asleep in the company of many strangers.…
Hi Lawrence at work their were a lot of slippery places maybe if you take shorter steps and keep your feet closer to the ground on those slippery spots you may be able to stop from skinning your knees. It’s like when you are walking in ice.
Man, you're doing it!
Congrats so far! Keep it up and hopefully it won't rain too much.
You know, i think John Wayne did the El Camino back in the day - he used to talk of pilgrims quite often.