One day out of Salamanca

Yesterday the communal dinner had the typical mixing of languages and conversations. The most fun for me was talking to a young Austrian woman who is walking this route “backwards.” That means she never sees the same people twice and is always totally alone.

Lights went out early because breakfast is served at 6:30. Everyone was quite toasty because of the wood stove in the room. By 9:30, I think everyone was enjoying what turned out to be a short four hours of sleep. Suddenly the door burst open and in came a very inebriated man shouting and cursing and telling us all to get out and that he was in charge. My bed was closest to the door and thus closest to him. I was a little unnerved. No one did anything for what seemed to be an eternity, and he just kept going on and on and on. Finally a Japanese pilgrim hopped out of bed and did a few martial arts jumps while yelling in Japanese. The guy quickly went out of the room, only to pick up where he left off out in the courtyard. This went on essentially the rest of the night. He came back in two or three times but was always met immediately by two or three men who would push him back out. He finally disappeared around 5.

We learned at breakfast that this guy has been given a place to stay by the priest who runs the Albergue. It is of course very charitable for him to do that, but it doesn’t seem like a long term arrangement made in heaven.

This morning I was out of the albergue before 7, first time I had seen the pilgrim conga line —6 or 7 ahead and a few behind. We soon spread out and it was a great 15 km to the high point and halfway point. Snow-covered Gredos mountains all around us, lots of Roman road, milestones, and then the pigs, cows, horses, and even a bull ranch. Beautiful sky and sun. The only problem was the temperature. People disagree as to whether it was 1, 0, or -1 when we left but it was cold. Actually it was not as bad as I had feared and by 9 I had taken off one pair of pants and my rain jacket. There was a short ascent to windmills, and then a rocky descent. The last 12 kms or so were near a deserted road but over in the grass and very comfortable.

I am ecstatic to be in a private room. A great little hostal VII Carreras, where pilgrims get a great price.
Tomorrow I will walk into Salamanca where I will meet a peregrino who has been an enormous help with the Camino Invierno guide. A meet-up with two peregrinas is also in the works. And then figuring out about getting to Madrid to see my very closest Spanish friends. I cannot wait to see them! Home on the 17th. Maybe I’ll wait a few days before starting to plan Camino 2019.Read more