I got up at 5am, organized my stuff, treat my feet, had breakfast (a peach, a granola bar, yogurt and coffee,) and headed out the door at 6 am. The hospitaltero gave me brass and asked if I knew the emergency number for Spain. I indicated that I know the number is 112, but my phone is not working in this area of Spain. We both shrugged. I headed off with my little light and let it shine. Today was the second half of the Roman Road. Talk about the road less traveled. In five hours I saw one person, a guy on a bike. There are ways to cross over from the Albergue to the smoother route. The Korean kids and the German were still in the Albergue when I left and would have easily passed me if they had taken that route. Other people I saw on the first part of the Roman Road apparently had decided to pass over to the smoother senda. It was a little disturbing when I realized no one else was on this section of the road. There were places that were so messed up from weather, I'm not sure any vehicle other than a four wheel drive could come through. I pondered the possibility of my knee giving out completely and the fact that my phone didn't work. Oh well, I thought, I've got enough snack stuff so I wouldn't starve for a few days, water and it was pretty warm so freezing wasn't likely. So, I decided it's his will, and kept on walking. After five hours I came to a cross over place and made the change.
The Roman Road is very hard to walk on. It's made up of rocks, big and little, and most of them are loose. You have to keep you eyes where your feet ate going so you don't trip or sprain an ankle or knee. So you can't look around. I thought about the Romans walking it in those sandals they wore. That would be very difficult.
Once I crossed over, the rest of the walk was I eventful. I got to look at some scenery. I think they got the fire put out because the sky looks clearer. When I got into town I got my room in an Albergue with wireless, took a shower, and went out to find a farmácia y un mercado. I could not find a farmácia, so I asked a couple of women in the plaza if there was one near there. One of the women handed her bag to the other woman a d said, "Venga!" Luke come With me. She took me on a five minute walk through lots of tiny streets , asked me if I was staying at the municipal Albergue, I said no I wa staying at the El Jardin Albergue. She said the farmácia was near the municipal. We finally got there and I thanked her. I was overwhelmed by her kindness.
I got some glucosamine and condroitin at the pharmacy. I didn't take any with me because of the weight in the back pack and I knew I could get it in Spain, because I had gotten some last winter. It never occurred to me until few days ago that it would probably help my knee. I got some few days ago that was a capsule containing both in one capsule. That was different than what I had last winter but similar to what I use at home. So I thought it would be more convenient. I bought it and took it twice, then I notice it said glucosamine hydoclura, so I grabbed the little information paper out of the trash and sure enough it said it was also an anti inflammatory. I about freaked. For those of you who don't now I cannot take any kind of anti inflammatory, even aspirin because several years ago I had a perforated ulcer, surgery which resulted in a scar from my breast bone to my pelvic bone, a long recovery, and a good excuse to get a dragon tattooed on my stomach.
So I'm imagining the hyrocloric bubbling and eating my stomach lining and thinking it was one thing to have emergency surgery in Barcelona, it would be a bit riskier to need it in a pueblo with a population of 60, miles from a major city or even a train to a major city. Fortunately I had walking to do and couldn't worry about it too long. As Willie Nelson says, "there's nothing I can do about it now. So far no hole in my gut and I got the correct stuff today and a bag of frozen peas for my knee.
I had ensalada mixta, pork, French fried and helado for dinner. And now it's time to say nitey nite.
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