Day 39 Ruesta to Sanguesa, 22 km

Today was cloud day. There have been a lot of those lately but this one came with blue sky. Pretty much all day. Even when it also rained a bit. I’m writing this from my bed. It’s not dark yet. We are six. Five of us repeating for two nights now, joined here by a Dutch woman, who speaks well in all the languages the rest of us have been messing up! The room smells like tiger balm!

Juan, the Argentinian man is, I think, walking here for the first time, but everyone else has walked a lot. The French man has a YouTube channel. There is a lot of talk of where the others will go after Puenta La Reina.

We had all been thinking there were not really any hills to speak of for the last few days to Puenta la Reina. But today the first two hours were all up. Some fantastic views over the reservoir. And then after the top, over the agricultural lands that flank the Rio Aragon and are not really circled but lined by mountains.

Lots of puddles and mud. And poppies!!!! And birds. But it was the clouds that put on the big show.

Nothing open the whole day. There is a bar in the village halfway along, but Monday and Tuesday are rest days. I used their tables when I stopped for a break to eat the excellent cake we were given for breakfast in Ruesta. Very plain but very good.

All of us got to Sanguesa in time to eat a real lunch. That always feels like triumph. Ensalada mixta ( lettuce, onions, tomatoes, tuna, olives, white asparagus, and a very generous quantity of olive oil that would make the average Canadian balk) and breaded fish with a homemade salsa. And coffee. And a tall tumbler (!) of wine.

The town was relatively busy late afternoon. Big Romanesque church that was not open. A palacio that is now a public library.

Tomorrow the bar opens at 6:30, so we can leave earlier. We have been warned by a friend of the Dutch woman that we are in for serious mud!Les mer