April 25 Friday Expectations

Expectations

Somehow, someway I was operating on the assumption that the Via de la Plata was relatively flat, that it ran through a valley, and at this time of year it would be pretty war because in the summer it is scorching hot. Not true, none of it. I don't know where I got any of those ideas. I think maybe I made them up. lol I said these things to people who had done the Via Plata and none of them disabused me of my fantasies. 

It is not flat. Today we climbed another mountain. It is not warm. In the middle of the day when the sun is shining and your are climbing a mountain it is warm. But, even there, a cold breeze comes through about every ten minutes. Mornings until ten and afternoons after three are cold. Nights we won't even talk about. Luckily there are blankets or I would be Sleepless in Spain a very non romantic movie. And as far as I can tell there are no valleys involved. It's a very good thing I had a café con leche y tostada con mantequilla y mermelada for breakfast at 7:30am or I I think I would have run out of steam. I ran into my Finnish friend at breakfast and asked his name. It is Pekka. I had to have him spell, because, well you know. lol

Even though it is not flat there are fields upon fields of white rock roses, rosemary, thyme, several varieties of purple flowers, little yellow daisies, and other things I can't identify. These all lay under groves of scrub oak with twisting personalities under skies so blue it hurts. The fields look like soft carpets and many a time I was tempted to just walk into them and lay down. I would probably still be out there sleeping, until the dark and the cold came. We were still walking through the Parque Natural Sierra Norte. It must be a very large park. We are only in one little edge of it and have been for two days. Such a precious resource and preserve. 

Today I also saw brown pigs, sheep with their lambs, goats with interesting horns, and cows. The goats weren't even in a pen or behind a fence. There were birds, hundreds of birds singing the whole way, with occasional percussion noises from frogs and insects. I passed a pond with ripples in it and went for a closer look. It was hundreds of tadpoles all over the pond. There are going to be a lot of frogs soon. 

While I was walking I was really enjoying the scenery, but the walking was hard. I thought it would be nice if my eyeballs could just travel through the air and see everything. Then I thought that if that were possible I would miss all the charming sounds. So ok, maybe my eyes and ears could travel through the air together. Then I thought I would miss the feel of the sun and crisp breezes on my skin. Ok, so maybe I wish my ears and eyes and skin could float through the air. Then I realized that I was almost wishing I was a ghost! Yikes!! I changed channels quickly, grateful to feel the tiredness of my body. 

I didn't get a shower yesterday because there was no hot water in the Municipal Albergue in Almedén de la Plata. So today I made sure to ask if they had hot water and blankets at the Municipal Albergue before I decided to stay there  They did. I had a glorious long, hot shower. There are only two of us staying in the albergue which has room for 32. I have a room with two bunk beds to myself. I could have a party. From the porch I can see the huge castle on the hill. I could go visit it, but I have no energy to climb the hill. They would probably find me in the morning lying face down in the dirt where I fell over. 

I am currently in El Real de la Jara. I didn't get around to eating until 3:30, only to find out the only two restaurants in town were closed until 7:45. I was starving because they don't serve food until 7:30 pm. I thought I was going to start chewing on my arm. On the Camino Frances they cater to the eating habits of the rest of the world. Not here, not in these villages. There are also way fewer restaurants or bars that serve food in these pueblos. So I am going to need to change my habits. I did finally get to eat, inhale would probably be a better description. It was yummy, I think. I ate it so fast, who knows. :)

I didn't get a shower yesterday because there was no hot water in the Municipal Albergue in Almedén de la Plata. So today I made sure to ask if they had hot water and blankets at the Municipal Albergue before I decided to stay there  They did. I had a glorious long, hot shower. There are only two of us staying in the albergue which has room for 32. I have a room with two bunk beds to myself. I could have a party. From the porch I can see the huge castle on the hill. I could go visit it, but I have no energy to climb the hill. They would probably find me in the morning lying face down in the dirt, where I fell over too exhausted to move. 

So now I'm tucked in a nice warm bed getting ready for sleep. I hope I wake up to lots of messages from you and a Dodger win!