Albergue can accommodate 78, it is full the population more than doubles. I have entered the famous or infamous Meseta. It is a flat high plateau with nothing for miles, or two days of walking, but wheat fields. It is notorious amongst pilgrims for being hot, dry and boring. The way everyone talks about it is a little frightening, but like child birth, so many have gone before me and survived. Heck, Sheila and I walked through the Arizona desert for three days in August.
You probably won't read this blog or anything else for a day or two. I am without phone service again and there is no wifi or Internet in this pueblo. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I really wished I had put more songs on my little iPods. I have two shuffles and another small one and I have the same 200 or so songs on all three and though they are some of my favorite songs, I am getting tired of them. Most of the time I'm out in the wilderness by myself so I can sing along at the top of my lungs and even break out in a dance from time to time. I've also taken to talking to snails, insects, flora and fauna. lol I have noticed that every time I'm feeling a little tired or discouraged iI glance at the side of the Camino and there are little purple flowers. I think of them as you, my friends showing up to cheer me on. The last few days I've been contemplating how this experience might come out in my art work. Very interesting. I have no idea, but I'm sure something happen,
Yesterday I met this young Italian man on the Camino. We passed each other a number of times. I would guess he's about eighteen or nineteen. His name is Vanelli. He speaks a little English. Yesterday he ended up in the bunk above me. Like most kids his age he had his stuff all over the floor blocking the way for the other seven of us. Eventually I just slid it under his bed. In the Albergues you have to be in and lights out by 10 or 10:30. They lock the doors. When I got up to go to the bathroom he still wasn't in his bunk a d I knew the doors were locked. I thought maybe he was down in the common room, but those usually shut down at lights out. Well he still wasn't there this morning I figured he was out drinking, but I was a little worried about him. So after I checked into the Albergue here and was eating the rest of my boccadillo from this morning, he walks in. I asked what happened to him. He said he and his friends were having a little party. Ah, youth is so resilient. Stay up all night partying and walk twelve miles in the heat! Of course he has been sleeping all afternoon.
On my way out this morning I got confused and was going the wrong way. It's a lot harder to find and follow the way marks in the city, partially because there is so much signage and stuff going on and partially because there are so many streets going different ways and it's sometimes hard to tell if the arrow means a diagonal left or a hard left. Anyway, this nice man saw me and voluntarily, without me asking, told me I was going the wrong way and pointed me in the right direction.
The second thing that happened is I saw a public toilet on the parkway. The reason this is worth mentioning is that is the first public toilet I've seen in Spain. They have toilets in Museums, bars and restaurants, but none in parks, sports fields, or on biking, running or walking trails. I was flabbergasted so I had to try it out. It's like the ones I've seen in other European countries, free standing like an outhouse but with flush toilet, running water to wash, and paper towels. It cost thirty cents. I was delighted.
I stopped in Tardajos and got another monster bocadilla and this time with Serrano ham and queso, not the pressed ham, or what the Spanish call blanco ham. This monster boccadillo was like half a loaf of French bread. I ate it for two meals and still couldn't finish it. On my way out of that pueblo this woman stopped me. I took out my earbuds and she smiled and said "Buen Camino" and told Hornillos was only thirteen more kilometers. Wasn't that nice? Put a big smile on my face.
I also ran into the lady with the stroller and Kaitland a couple of times today. The sky here on the Meseta is so blue and big. I'm hoping I can stay awake long enough tonight to go out and see some stars.
I went to the local bar and had their salad special for 4.50€. This was a full plate of salad with lettuce, tomatoes, red cabbage, carrots, corn, white asparagus, onions, tuna and olives. And a basket of bread. Oh yum.
As night approached I realized why I never see the stars. It doesn't get dark until after ten
When we have to be inside with lights out. Hehehr. I'll have to stay in a Casa Rural or Hostal in one of these small pueblos.
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