So I was all packed and ready to go. I thought I had packed light with the absolute bare minimum (7kg, 2 changes of clothes) but this was still pretty damn heavy to shoulders unused to anything!
Getting to Madrid was no problem but of course my bus from there to Burgos just had to break down in the middle of nowhere! We sat outside it for 90mins while a replacement turned up. Not a happy bunny!
I spent the next morning pottering about the city. It was 25th July so everyone was going to be celebrating the Xacobeo and I was tempted to stay on another night as it was getting late (I was also celebrating Claire's birthday!) in the day, but I had a chat with myself and remembered why I had come. To walk dammit!
So I set off after a delicious breakfast of bocodillo con queso y jamón which I have now had for 4 meals! I know I am giving too much detail for a blog but hey, you can stop reading! I am doing this as a diary.
My shoulders were already hurting as I was recovering from a deep tissue massage. It was 32c with no shade and I was starting in the hottest part of the camino, the meseta which is a kind of wilderness in the hills. Most people get the bus straight from Burgos to León. Cheats!
Anyhoo it was tough and I wondered why I was putting myself through this! A sandstorm blew up and then there was a proper storm just as I arrived at my village Rabe de las Calzados. It was like a scene from a film as I raced what looked like a twister into the centre! My albergue was ace though and I met some lovely people. I've not met any brits yet, which is great as I can practice my French and Spanish. Loving it! People presume you know nothing just because you are so white you must be English. Very satisfying to surprise them jeje!
I heard a tale of a man from Transylvania who is making his way round by cooking for peregrinos. Apparently you can tell he is from Transylvania because he wears white sleeves. I dont remember that in Dracula.
In Rabé there was also a WEIRD albergue in the village that 2 Irish girls had a bloody lucky escape from! The woman running it was a total nutjob who had taped up all the sockets and insisted they lie in binliners and put any 'textiles' in another binliner. Very creepy house with a 3 storey high 'museum' of religious artefacts. The woman was psychotic (say this in an Irish accent, it sounds way funnier!) and insisted they join mass in the house with 3 priests.
Anyway I decided i had to get photographic evidence so I rocked up to the museo and pretended to be interested. To be honest her husband was v sweet but as soon as she looked at me I regretted making eye contact! She looked very disturbed and I felt a chill. Shudder*
She demanded to know why I was staying at a rival albergue. Was it money? Was it for something else? I tried to sidestep out but her husband had to show me a covered 8foot well in the house. As I scrambled out of there she shouted YOU STAY THERE YOU LOSE. Aaagh I ran to the bar to show my friends the photos. They are to follow.
Apart from that the locals have been extremely kind and I have been given a religious medal (!) to wear and a concha (seashell) which lets people know I'm a pilgrim.
If you reached the end of that post well done you.
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