Ventosa

At a glance:

Food highlights: vegetable stew and a flan for dessert
Kilometres walked: 22.24
# of steps: 29,664
Elevation gain: 200m mostly a slow climb.

A quiet day for the most part walking on paths and narrow country roads between vineyards. The old vines have 4-6" diameters and are pruned right back to knee high, the new growth rising up another foot, maybe two. No wires or a supporting trellis nor any signs of a watering system yet right across the path are newer vines with a water system and the older growth trained along a wire support. I wonder how different the harvest is?
Tonight we are at a Municipal albergue. Municipal albergues vary greatly but are usuaĺy a tad grungy and they are all cheap. This one however, is a modern albergue whose construction surpasses most municipal albergues. For €12 each we each get a bed in a room for two. Not a bunk bed. There is a foot pool in the courtyard to soak your aching feet but only one young man braves the cool temperature. Deluxe!
The town is small and only one restaurant with the typical pilgrim menu 1st course mixed salad or vegetable soup, 2nd course chicken, or pork or calamari or eggs and chips and 3rd course ice cream on a popsicle sticker flan.
We met Michael a young adventurous Aussie (with clean feet from soaking in the foot bath) who joined us for dinner.
Michael is tattooed all over with nose and lip rings and dread locks.
He told us that like Cheryl Strayed (author of Wild) he had no clue of what he was doing when he embarked on a 1,000km across Australia hike. He soon learned tins of food were not the way to go. Yet here he is wearing a heavy cotton! (heavy and never dries) hoodie and a too heavy pack which includes a laptop and foul weather sea going gear which he needs for a hoped for job on a yacht. We told him about Ivar in Santiago who runs a Camino forum and a luggage storage service.
He told us that after the Camino he was going to Canada next . 'We're from Canada. Where in Canada are you going?'
'British Columbia.'
'We're from BC. Where in BC?'
'Vancouver island. '
'We're from Vancouver Island. Where on Vancouver Are you going? '
' A place called Nanimo or something like that.'
'We are from Nanaimo. '
It's a small world.Читать далее