Reunion and bathtub (to Carrión de los Condes)

Trip Start Aug 25, 2008
1
17
24
Trip End Oct 02, 2008


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Thursday, September 11, 2008

What a grind! Today's stage features only 20 kilometres, but they don't seem to end! My left foot is getting worse, I am really worried about that. The sinews connecting the left instep to the lower leg feel grained and I can only walk so slow. I would like to speed up but I fear that if I did I might not be able to walk anymore at all. The rest of my body hurts too, seems like my anti-inflammatory pills cease to have an effect. Maybe I'm going to put a rest to these strains in León, which is still a few days ahead.
Again, I am walking alone, due to leaving very late at 9:30 (sleeping to 7, staying in bed until 8, getting dressed, having breakfast, patching up my right ankle and my boot). The hotel was great, but now I am back on the tracks.
In the beginning, I take an alternative route, but in Villarmentero de Campos there's no other option but to return to what is maybe the most dull and lame part of the Camino, a route called Pilgrims' Highway Hotel Room in Fromista
Hotel Room in Fromista
 . For miles and miles straight, the Camino follows the route 980, with no variety in landscape, sun beating down merciless, no shade, and cars speeding right beside you every minute or so. 20 kilometres never seemed so far before, and I refuse to think what distance has to be covered tomorrow. In Villacalzar de Sirga, I am really really tempted to stop for today, although it has only been 14 kilometres so far. However, after a short rest I tell myself that I feel better now and walk on. For the remaining six kilometres, I've got a lot of time to feel miserable about myself, hate the world in general and the Camino in special, reflect on my ability to endure and try out some mental escapism which, funnily enough, works quite well for a time.
Dinner tonight is white beans and lasagne, bought from the store and heated in the refuge kitchen. I'm joined by an Australian couple, Blake and Sophie, who have pasta. They are some decent fellows, and Blake even rescues me from hanging myself in the dorm room. Actually, I was just pegging out laundry on my ingenious 4m-accessory cord (you remember it from Burgos), but he meant well and given the overall mental state of us pilgrims here, you never know if suddenly someone comes down dangling on a rope crying "no more Caminoaargh!" No harm done in helping them out with a nice friendly pat on the back, saying "You know, life is beautiful man."
After my supposed suicide attempt having failed and my laundry being successfully pegged atop my bed, I take a walk outside, just in time to bump into Agnesa, Petra and Max again. I haven't seen Max and Petra since Burgos and Agnesa since Estella, so there's one happy reunion there. I learn that they have been steadily gaining on me, and this day they managed to catch up. However, they are staying at a pension, so we won't meet in the refuge later. Now the pension offers a double room for 15 Euros p.P., which is a really moderate price compared to the 8 Euros for a bunk bed in a dorm room with 40 other people. Nice. I tell them about my hotel room yesterday and they are jealous about my hot bath tub. Haha, looks like I'm going to tell a lot more people about my bath tub just to see the envying look on their faces! Tomorrow we'll meet up again, and it seems like I'm going to enjoy some company again for a change!
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