With the only restaurant/bar in town one floor beneath our beds, we got no sleep at all. The constant dog barking and gusts of wind slamming the shutters back and forth against our window all night, were hardly noticeable over the loud locals.
I started my day off with an adorable couple from the Isle of Wright, Lucie & Grant. They are so much fun to have a morning chat with that it takes my mind completely off the freezing cold gusting wind, well, it certainly helps. Everyone is unprepared for the cold after the previous sunny & warm afternoon, so we all end up on the side of the road digging through our packs to find more clothing.
The wind gusts are so strong that its hard to keep your footing at times. Later, we hear reports of an older pilgrim getting blown into a ditch, quite literally.
The most curious and disturbing, yet amusing thing that I have seen in a long time is two full grown female cows fighting. At first we notice that they are literally turning each other around in a field, and we assume they are arguing over who gets the wind block. Then they both rare back and begin to butt heads and try to push each other down. It's so bizarre that we have a hard time leaving. In the end we chalk the whole incident up to the cows being exposed to too much discovery channel. Such a shame to see, especially when they had such potential.
After a morning coffee break, we trade contact info and I set off alone. Along the way I see Thomas & Rachel from New Zealand, who I met at breakfast a few days ago. They are also such a cute couple. I chat with them quickly and tell them about Lucie & Grant who I think they would also love. They say they'll be on the lookout for them & then I move on along.
I move as quickly as I can all day, hoping to make my distance and get out of the wind. My mind is focused on the ever haunting question of where I'm from and the quickly approaching Cruz de Ferro.
At some point in the afternoon I come across a young man named Michael, with swollen puffy eyes that have tears streaming out of them. I am very concerned, of course, and try to offer assistance. He assures me that it's just an allergic reaction to something. "Uh, well yeah, don't you think maybe you should do something about it? A doctor maybe or at a minimum go to the pharmacy?"
We go back and forth about this for a while, me sounding like a mother, but he is certain that he will be fine and that he doesn't want medication...or a mother for that matter. I leave him sitting at a very cool little Cantina run by a man named David.
David moved out here in the middle of nowhere four years ago and has opened a very cool little rest & refreshment stop for pilgrims. The location is perfect as there is a very long stretch through hills that is all tree farm land with no towns or villages. He has fresh fruit, juices, teas, yogurt, biscuits, you name it and its all for donation. He has also built little sitting nooks for pilgrims to rest in. He left the city of Barcelona to come out here and live in an old farm building with no electricity and serve the pilgrims. He is one of those people with such a positive peaceful aura that groups of people just form around him and stay. He's absolutely beautiful as well as funny and very kind, so women tend to linger more so than men I noticed....as I was lingering.
Okay, so now back to Michael from London, who I left in David's care. He is 28 and has worked for the London Underground for several years but has just finished with them and is not sure what his next move is. He is going to take a year for travel and just see what happens.
He was super fun to talk with because he knows loads about Spanish history and Spain in general. His grandparents on his fathers side are Spanish and he has spent summers with them his whole life. He is really a delight to chat with and other than the fact that he's too stubborn to go see someone about his eyes, I really like him. When I left him with David, who was also trying to convince him to see someone, he could barely see to walk.
I arrive at my albergue pretty late in the afternoon and find that there is no option for laundry other than hand washing. I am too wiped out for that kind of activity and at 5pm the clothes will never dry in time. I fall asleep thinking about wearing dirty clothes tomorrow.
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