18-05-2018
Walked 24.4 km, 6 hours 38 minutes
Ascent: 460 meters
Descend: 560 meters
Kilometers to be traveled: 764.7
Photos / Video
And another night has passed, one that I had to go to around 5 to honor the toilet with a visit. I still crawl back, because it is too early to get up. We don’t have such a long route today so we don’t have to get up too early. Just crawl back and grab another owl… ..
When it is time to get up, we get up, it is of no use to stay longer any longer … The morning ritual is now starting to become nice and automatic and packing the backpack also seems to be easier. The club of 3 is still together, Jean-Pierre, Valeria and the undersigned, today we continue together again. I am still learning a few things from JP, which gives me more confidence for the rest of the journey.
As already determined and paid for yesterday, I can also have breakfast here. It is in buffet form, good and simple. Only a few times the power goes out if pilgrims want to toast bread. Would there be a loose contact in the device? Wise decides not to toast bread anymore. Then just eat with toppings. Coffee is good but not barista style. Empty plate and cup? Then everything in the sink. And now do not delay, go to the toilet 1 more time, then pack and go for a walk.
Immediately behind the place where we ate yesterday the path goes down and then into a forest. A blue ring is painted on some trees, later I hear that the water level of the reservoir could rise to that height if the government gets its way. Our path leads past a chapel where a hermit lived long ago. The chapel has been completely restored by our hospitaleros last night. This chapel is therefore virtually half under water, should the reservoir become full.
Our path continues, first a small path and then on a wider path, where a maximum of 1 truck can drive. The road goes up and over a distance of 5 kilometers it is rising, rising and rising. Small steep pieces or longer pieces of false flat. But the sun is shining and everyone is walking at their own pace. No try not to follow another, because you are guaranteed to break up at a given moment.
If you lose sight of the other person, you will encounter him again at some point. At the final destination of the day, or at a inserted resting point. When you reach a small plateau you will see a beautiful view again. The peaks of the Pyrenees are slowly disappearing from view. A break, refuel some water and a snack to work inside. Many a pilgrim now takes a moment of rest, well deserved after that climb. And then further.
It then goes downhill again to arrive at a stylish piece that leads to Unduës de Larda, time for lunch. In a bar I order my café con leche grande and my first tortilla this camino. Another cup of coffee and then off again. The sun is shining and shining and … .. Dry weather is wonderful. We do not get wet from the heavenly blessings, but from the waterfall on my back.
I get a taste of the mesetas we will be walking in 2 weeks. Our path leads past wheat fields, left and right, with quite a few poppies. JP says that this view will soon become much wider when we walk on the real mesetas. And the temperature that can rise considerably there, something to watch out for and to take into account. There is also little opportunity here to hide from the sun, almost no buildings or trees nearby.
At some point we see an old fig tree, alone, standing on a small elevation. JP says this is the perfect place for a real Spanish siesta. We don’t have to walk very far anymore, have plenty of time for a moment of rest. If we now continue, our arrival at the next alberge is much too early, and we would have to wait for it to open. If we just lie down and relax under the tree, then we will arrive rested, so to say so done.
We see a few pilgrims passing by, which we had said adieu this morning and might soon be able to greet again in Sangüesa. It is 3 pm when we arrive at the next alberge. We are in a small town not far from the center.
The volunteer comes after a call to the alberge, we register and receive another stamp and pay the € 5.00 for the night. She goes up the stairs for us and shows us the beds where we can sleep.
We can install ourselves again for a new night at a new location. So first a message home, prepare the bed and take a rest. Some pilgrims come in again and you begin to recognize them. It seems to be a club. When I take a shower, I shower with cold water. I can write that even more often. Many guest places have hot water boilers and if you take a long pilgrim shower …
So now just to a supermarket to do some shopping, to stock up for the day of tomorrow, we do not want to walk without. When the groceries have been put away again, we will play a tour of the tourist. Look where we are going to eat later, because it is much too early. We also pass a church where our Saint James is above the door. It is still fairly quiet in the center. At a sports store I buy a rain jacket for the times that I have to go outside in the evenings and it would rain.
After 8 o’clock we go to a restaurant for dinner, the choice is not very huge and thanks to Google Translate I can also choose something that I hope is tasty and not something that I would not normally eat. The soup is made from a type of cabbage that we will see growing a lot along our route and tastes great. The main course is meat with chips and the dessert is a rice porridge with cinnamon. Everything is accompanied by a bottle of red wine.
It is slowly time to go back to the alberge, there is no curfew, we have the key to the door with us. Upon returning, more than half of the pilgrims are already asleep, so quietly look up the sheet and close their eyes and beaks.
Accommodation: Albergue del Peregrino Sanguesa
