La Laguna OR Laguna de Castilla

We left early and saw the sunrise s as we walked for our early start as our 26+km walk was to be mostly straight up! We walked up the equivalent of 108 flights of stairs! The Empire State Bldg has 86 flights. I am feeling good about today! 👍
At times, I was thinking WTF and at others we have walked worse! It was challenging. The scenary is gorgeous. Body parts felt worn. 😉.
It was definitely a ‘don’t look up’ day. That is what Tammy and Nathalie taught me last Camino. When you are going UP it’s better to just look at where you are walking not where you are going. And this time, it was a very steep, UP 4km+ in an hour +. It’s best not to get disheartened. It’s best to just watch where your foot goes on the slippery mud, leaves and roots. Some folks are gazelles, I am more a horse and cart. I make it over this rough terrain, sturdy and constant, but ‘it ain’t pretty’. Hahaha
We saw sheep being herded, In the road, Rush Hour traffic of sheep! 😉 The herding dogs ARE amazing! So fast and accurate! Watching the herder, listening to him’ bark’ orders to the dog. The sheep and the dog moving to an unknown destination, for me. ‘Not this road or trail’,, ‘this one!’ . ‘No turn left on this side road’. NO, not that one’. ‘The one one to the right’ .. Now sharp turn into the field. No not the that one,, ours. Ask with very few actual commands to the dog. It was amazing that the dog could’ communicate ask this to the sheep and FAST!
We watched cattle being herded this late afternoon as 20 of us on either side of the road at chairs and at tables, all a part of this small Pueblo/village Alburgue/restaurant experience.
The cattle trotted through the chairs and seats outside the Alburgue, Folks happily and abruptly vacated seats to accommodate, grabbing their drinks. Hahaha. The Albuquerque is there, but the cattle have been coming through longer. LOVE IT! Check the short video. I took a longer video but apparently I was so enthralled my screen fell to the road. Haha. This is Tammy’s clip. Thank you, Tammy!!
As for our climb take a look at the elevation profile on the screen shot of our App. The first X on the lower left is the elevation where we started. The second X on the right is the elevation where we stopped for the night. Tomorrow we hit the top for sunrise and then go up and down until a BIG descent into where we stay tomorrow.
We did see some amazing scenery but also walked near the road part of the way.
As we climb in altitude the buildings begin to feel as if there is some alpine/what I would call Bavarian influence. I will take photos soon.
Everything is so green and treed now it feels like hiking in the NW.
Really sleepy. Big climb tomorrow then a big down.
Hugs to allLeggi altro