Another short walk (to Sahagún)

Trip Start Aug 25, 2008
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Trip End Oct 02, 2008


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Where I stayed
Viatoris
(Sahagun hotels)

Flag of Spain  ,
Saturday, September 13, 2008

The guide lies, you already know that. I know that too, so as my guide suggests another 38,6 km (more like 44+ km) stage, I break the whole thing down in two. It's around 14 kilometres to Sahagún, but we manage to get there in 5.5 hours. The distance is not worth mentioning, but the time is kind of lame. Although we're not in a hurry, not by far. Walking shorter distances at a slower pace is better for the joints and muscles (or so they say).
The walk is fairly uneventful. At one point, we approach a small village with an adjactant hill that reminds me of Hobbingen. It looks like there are houses built right into the hill! Actually, these are just bodegas - wine cellars. Some seem still to be in use, others not. One is collapsed and I can enter to get an idea how the wine cellar looks from the inside. I'd like to know more about the place, so I ask a shabby-looking old man with a grey beard if he could tell me anything. He doesn't speak Spanish; of course, turns out he's a French pilgrim Hobbingen in Spain
Hobbingen in Spain
 . So I Bonjour! him and try to get away. Unfortunately, he doesn't stop talking. Unfortunately, I don't understand a word he's saying. Unfortunately, I'm to polite to just walk away.0
Did I already tell you about the French? They are really odd. The Germans at least try to make themselves understood, and if you walk by, they greet you with "Hola". True, most of the time they fail blatantly, but you can't say they don't try. Now the French, if you greet them with Hola, they Bonjour! you. You and everybody else, even the locals. I marvel at this unique combination of arrogance and ignorance and the perseverance they show in not adapting. Every French does it, really. After being Bonjour!ed for so long, I take the habit of replying in my broadest Carinthian dialect: Schleich di! (Common greeting in Carinthia, meaning: live long and prosper somewhere else).
Apart from that, there's not much to tell. Of course we met Petra and Max again by chance, which we wouldn't have done if I hadn't wanted to go the street down instead of up, and so we end up having dinner together again. Max is not feeling well though, so it's rather early when we call it a day. Tomorrow is going to be a longer stage again, so I figure I can use the sleep.
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