Day 8 Puente la Reina to Villatuerta
18k – 110k to date
Routine for the day: get up and pack, walk 5k, find some fruit to eat, walk another few hours, stop for a late breakfast of an omelet, walk some more, stop for a late lunch of a sandwich, walk to a hostel. Once there, take a shower and clean up, wash clothes, find a place to hang clothes to dry, then off to find a good dinner if the hostel doesn’t provide one. Then it is usually 8:30 or 9:00pm, time to get ready for bed. You will notice that schedule isn’t providing a great amount of “down” time to lounge, read and for this (write). I think I need to start earlier and quit laying around till 7:30 in the mornings.
But when you look at it, it is a simple existence. The function of life here is to keep moving towards the goal we have been given or chosen. I am enjoying it, this gives me a different view on life. I have not checked the news in week, I haven’t seen a TV or movie screen and I haven’t worried about the “issues of life” other than trying to make sure my shorts and socks are clean. Maybe mom’s teaching stuck….
Today was a good hike to a small town called Villatuerta. On the way, I passed through a town called Ciraugui that was built in an oval on the top of the hill, it is stunning to see it in the distance, I will try to get a picture uploaded soon. As I arrived in Villatuerta, I decided to stay at the only hostel in town, LA Casa Magica. As I walked, past the beads on the door, I smiled incense burning and thought wow do I really want to stay here? But the legs quickly answered you are staying here! The owner was a nice elderly gentlemen and the bathrooms were clean, so it wasn’t that bad. The owner also offered a vegan dinner and I decided to partake. It was absolutely the best meal I have eaten on the adventure. I had a group of varied pilgrims at my table, two were Spanish, with one of those being from the same town as the owner of the hostel. Due to that connection, the owner brought a specially prepared dessert for our table and cracked open a special liquor to have a toast. It really was a special action on his part. That dinner was like a five course meal for a cheap pilgrim price.
I look forward to the next few days as we exit the hills and move to the flatter sections, if there are such areas.
The views, the vistas and the age of what I am seeing just astounds me daily.
Onward
Matthew 5:14