Moratinos to El Burgo Ranero

Dinner was actually really good, so those Italians live to see another day. There were only seven of us staying there (off stage), which made for an interesting table. Me, a nuts Italian guy on a bicycle, an Austrian guy. A completely nice and normal Austrian couple and an unusual American couple, in that they'd been travelling constantly since they both lost their businesses in 2020 (she works online to support them though I'm not entirely sure how given that work is "running a non-profit"). The solo Austrian guy tried to rollerskate from Munich to Hamburg once because his colleague told him he couldn't. He got 100km then bought a bike. Like I said. Odd crew.

I'm a sensory princess at the best of times and today for some reason really set me off. There was something *touching me* constantly - a cobweb, a hair, my pack straps, ugh! Each day, after a while in the heat with my hands swinging my sides, my fingers swell up and I have to take my tightest ring off. Today, I could actually feel the breeze in the tiny tiny hairs on my knuckles and I didn't like it. The cobwebs in particular I do not understand. I'm walking a well worn path. I'm not the first today, I won't be the last. HOW is there a spiderweb here, what determined little Charlotte is at work, she can CHILL OUT until later because her work is just going to keep getting wrecked.

Every day for the past four (?) days, I've been passed by two old guys biking in the opposite direction. This I also do not understand. Are they orbiting me? Does my version of the Truman Show not have enough extras? If they are doing this in reverse we should have crossed once. Tomorrow I shall fling myself in their path and demand an explanation.

Another 30km day and I'm in El Burgo Ranero, listening to a Dutch girl that just got to the albergue say she came here because her private room across the road had flies - can you imagine? I certainly can, it's nearly 30 degrees, we're in farm land, and the window was probably open. But sure babe, you do you.Read more