26-05-2018
Walk 29.3 km, 6 hours 3 minutes
Ascent: 350 meters
Descend: 210 meters
Kilometers to be traveled: 553.3
Can I write that I slept reasonably again? If you don’t agree with me writing it, I agree with you, because I typed it. Yes again a quiet night without many disturbing elements. And of course early again, because most are early risers. They don’t try to make too much noise, but you always have 1 or two between them that are hard of hearing and don’t hear their own noise.
It is a very large alberge, but I do not notice this in the bathroom. No lines at the toilets or washbasins, lovely such a morning where everything goes a bit smoothly. In the kitchen it is busy with pilgrims preparing their breakfast and perhaps making a packed lunch. I pack my backpack in the hall so that I don’t have to make much or no noise in the dormitory. There are still a few pilgrims who leave later.
On to my shoes, I hope I can still find them in the shoe gallery. You are not allowed to take your shoes to the dormitory, but to leave them downstairs. This of course prevents everything from getting dirty and black during bad weather periods. My raincoat and stick are still hanging here. It is dry outside, so the jacket can be stored for a while. Yesterday’s restaurant will be my breakfast cafe: gravy-croissant-café.
Yes, I am on my own today. Valeria will take the bus to the next stop, just don’t know where yet. The 3 others from our small club had gone through yesterday, they didn’t want to sleep in the big alberge. It would be too massive, but I cannot confirm that. The masses are broken by the smaller halls. The first meters are busy, I am not the only one starting this morning.
If it gets a little less busy, I increase my walking pace a little, my own ¨pace¨ walking is much nicer. The police are already on the road and ensure that it is safe. Out of the city and then a small road along a busy road. It is nice and pleasant. In the first village I come through, I see 2 acquaintances, Victor and Oliver. They just got up and are getting ready to leave. They have to score a breakfast first. Gentlemen to laters, I keep on walking.
In every place I come through, I drink at the water points, almost don’t have to replenish my own water supply. It also remains dry, until the rain starts to understand again. Lunch deal is scored en route, when the weather is dry and then wet and dry again. Then an app comes in from Valeria, she got out of the bus in Tosantos and walked to an alberge. She wanted to register as a pilgrim, but unfortunately, the hospitalos refused. She could never be in Tosantos that early. She said that she had arrived by bus because of the pain. It didn’t matter, the beds are for real pilgrims, she was told.
Around half past twelve I also arrive in Tosantos, together with Domenique who I caught up with on the way. Looking for an alberge we get to a private alberge, we don’t find the municipal one that fast. Have a drink in the garden. Valeria is also coming. I think I’ll stay here, it’s a nice alberge with 20 beds and a very nice toilet / shower group. The price is slightly higher and there are only a few beds left. So quickly decide, I stay, a little later Valeria and later also Domenique decide that they will stay. Around 3 o’clock 2 more French people we met earlier and they take the last 2 free beds.
Do not forget to say that we will also have dinner here, otherwise there will be nothing to eat later. A few pilgrims come to drink something, they stay in the municipal alberge, which is a little less luxurious: mattresses on the floor, cold shower and outside toilet. I hear that there is a procession this early evening, if everyone wants to participate. A procession leads from the church to a chapel in a mountain: Ermita de la Virgen de la Pena.
According to the information we have received, it is a rare procession. It is a beautiful procession that goes up with a small statue of the church, a chapel carved into a rock face. The large statue is then carried down with it and placed in the church. In the church you can also see traces of Saint James.
The weather is good and the sun has explicitly asserted itself in the afternoon. We eat dinner on the terrace, with wine and good food, again 3 whole courses and that on a terrace. Of course it is back to bed on time, because a walking day and procession are an attack on your condition.
Now I have forgotten to mention that on arrival I sent a message home and I have been blogging. I have already met a very mixed company along the way and you always come across them in unexpected places. You don’t meet everyone every day and sometimes it takes days before you see them again, but isn’t that also the intention: To follow your own path, even though the arrows lead our way? And isn’t everyone walking the same path? But each has his own pass, or adapted pass, if you walk together with another.
Accommodation: Albergue Los Arancones
