April 30 Wednesday - Yea Though I Walk Through The Valley of Vineyards

April 30 Wednesday - Yea Though I Walk Through The Valley of Vineyards

Today was six and one half hours of walking on flat rocky roads through endless vineyards. The sun was out, the sky was blue. I have completed 203 km of the 1000 km (124 miles.) So I am one fifth of the way through.  I did meet a nice young man from Barcelona named Marcel. We had a chat by the side of the road. Marcel took a picture of another friend and I. The friend was the German guy who came into the room a few days ago announcing he had just walked forty kilometers, and I asked, "Why?"  Anyway his name is Kurt and he has the goofiest smile, it just make me smile. 

After a boring walk all day, the end was a little exciting. On the way into Torremeijas, a yellow arrow directed me through this pass under the railroad tracks. The trail then ended in a pond of water. There are no arrows, no directions. On either side of the pond of water were muddy sloped leading back up to ground level with the railroad tracks, but there's this body of water and a gully going up the middle. Which way do I go? The left side looked like it would be easier to climb, but the right side looked more used. I know there's a dirt trail going into the village at the top, but I don't want to get up and have the gully between me and the trail. So I choose the right side and go up a very steep mudbank. It's like deja vu all over again. I get to the top and there's no dirt trail, just a path through a jungle of vegetation above my head and prickly plants. So what do you do other than proceed ahead. At this point I can at times see that the gulley is to my left and some farmer's field is to my right.  Luckily I chose the right mudbank to climb, because eventually I came out of the vegetation and there was the trail, and it was on the same side of the gully as I. I must admit that was the most bizarre part of any Camino I've ever seen. 

I got into town and found the albergue, but the door is closed and locked. I'm thinking that possibly another albergue has closed. The sign on the the door that says to ring the doorbell next door. I do that an no one answers. There's a phone number on the door so I start to get out my phone to call the number. About this time this very strange looking dog comes down the street and starts barking at me. He's lose, not fenced not chained, not on a leash. I stamp my foot at him and say ¡Basta! Very sternly. I didn't say, Stop It very sternly because I was pretty sure he didn't understand English. Then a woman comes out from behind a car with a little dog on a leash and calls the other dog over. I'm thinking, "Oh great, now this woman probably thinks I'm harassing her dog,". But, no, she comes over see why standing in front of this door and to help me. She suggests that I knock on the door and if that doesn't work, call the number. So I pound on the door a few times and Oliver, an Irish guy on the Camino lets me in and tells me the guy in charge will be back in a few minutes. He did come back. He reminds me of Mozzie on the television show, White Collar. I get a bed with sheets and blankets. I take a shower wash a few things, and take a nap.

I had dinner tonight with Oliver and a French man at the restaurant owned by the people that own the albergue. I will have breakfast there tomorrow morning. Dinner was good. I had ensalada mixta with the balsamic vinegar I brought along and baked pork with french fries with yogurt for dessert. 

I forgot to mention a couple of things from yesterday. As I was walking this car came down the dirt road I was on and then I noticed a dog was chasing the car. I was afraid that when the car passed me he would decide to chase me. But he just kept running with the car. Then the car stopped and the man said something to the dog and the dog ran around in circles like he's saying he's not done yet. I think this is just the way this man takes his dog out for a run. So off they went again. 

Then as was walking on this dirt path into Villafranca this cute little old man comes riding up on a motor scooter with a basket the back full of all kinds of stuff. He stops his scooter, and I'm thinking, "why's he stopping, I'm not lost and I don't think I look lost." It turns out he just stopped to chat. He wanted to know if I was walking to Santiago, where I was from and stuff. 

Well enough for tonight. Write a comment if you get a chance. Tomorrow I'm off to Mérida.