Parco del Buen Retiro

And it ends here for now.
Yesterday, once again I walked far. The planned stop had no beds left. I could have got a hotel or hostel but I wanted my last night to be with other walkers.
I met up with two Polish grandmother's, my age as we walked into the town we hoped to sleep in. One had a little English and the other backhanded my arm and said, ", food, tired, you ask".
She was great and I walked the extra 7 km with them to the next available bed. We were tired at the point and hungry too. That was the plan to go right to the next available bed, , but we got off track, or rather we stayed on the track, which was winding and long, instead of the more direct, shoulder of the road route. . The rain was relentless and the wind was harsh. They both hand on ponchos which flapped and made noise like sails. I was singing, yes, singing, to try to lighten the mood. One of them was exhausted, I could not pronounce even an approximation of her name. When she was just about on her last footstep, and after many backhands from Ana, pointing to houses... "you go there, ask where albergue", as she points to a house with rabid, foaming at the mouth dogs, barking, growling and hitting the end of their chains trying to get at us.
I said "no, we walk, will find bed"
Then a double rainbow came out, and Ana blocked a cars exit from their driveway, motioned to driver to the driver to put down window, backhanded me "you ask where Albergue"
I did, she gave us a lift. Less than a 2 minute drive, but it felt like heaven.
Got a bed, dinner and breakfast this morning. Ana and Bodu.....? were great company. It was a huge challenge for the last few kms in the wind driven rain. We drank wine and ate dinner together and slept well.
The Camino is a very personal journey, shared with so many others. No words to describe what it means. I will be backRead more