A beautiful walking day from a scenery standpoint...for me though the day was really really tough...brutal. In total we believe we walked 31 kms over 6.5 hours....it is possible the distance was shorter as per the Brierley guide however two other guides showed 31 kms. I'm going with 31 kms as it makes me feel better.
When I woke up this morning I knew I had challenges...very sore throat and clear signs of dehydration. On the latter I take full responsibility for being stupid in my water drinking habits over the past few days on the Meseta I.e. not stopping on a regular basis to get at my water...even if that means the backpack must be removed! In my prior walks I had a water bladder...I chose to go with water bottles this time to save weight on my back...maybe not the smartest decision!
So I laboured through most of the day...it was by far my weakest walking day so far. The legs were simply not driving forward. As I have commented before when the thinking get's negative the body follows...that is what happened today. This type of day has happened on each of my Caminos...perhaps I am getting a little rundown as well.
At some point I told Paulo and Marc that if I felt like this tomorrow that I would consider taking a rest day...however would expect them to continue to Santiago without me as Paulo's timing is tight. I would then rejoin Marc in Santiago a day or so after his arrival. This would sadden me however if necessary then that is what must be done.
As I write this I have slept for a half hour and eaten something...feel better...here's hoping for tomorrow. We are very comfortably setup in a room for three at the Casa Rural La Trucha for 21.5€ including breakfast.
Last night's supper was a ok however we were disappointed that the Albergue owners had pilgrims at separate little tables...always better to be sitting in a group.
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| 1st entree - not the best choice when I saw the salad the couple next to us had |
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| Pork cutlets and French fries...meat was really good! |
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| Dessert flan |
The day was tougher than most recent ones due to the elevation gains and a very steep descent into el Acebo. In many ways the trail reminded me of hikes in the Canadian Rockies at times.
A few pictures from the day...keep in mind that my sole objective was to keep moving and survive the day...
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| Notice massive storks nest on right! |
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| Quite a famous stop I believe for pilgrims |
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| Crosses on fence |
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| La Cruz de Ferro |
La Cruz de Ferro is famous spot on the Camino Frances...essentially a large pile of rocks and other things which have been left by pilgrims, with a special wish, over the last 1,000+ years. I left a rock from home given to me by a fellow worker...when she gave it to me she said "Best boss ever" I thought of my family as I left the rock on the pile.
I was so tired and dispirited at this stage of the day that I simply moved on...Paulo though had brought a picture of a very close friend from home, who died from cancer in her early thirties...Juliena.
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| Juliena with her 5 year old boy |
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| Paulo with Juliena's picture |
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| After La Cruz de Ferro |
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| A welcome rest stop! |
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| Very rocky path going down |
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| Lunch to regain my strength and lift spirits |
So that's it for today...tomorrow another 31 km day followed by two shorter days coming into O'Cebreiro. Must get some rest!
I hope you feel better tomorrow. Take care of yourself! That looks like a beautiful and inspiring part of the Camino.
ReplyDeleteMarg,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your comments...meant a lot to me this morning!
Guu