The Rain in Spain
I think today is best viewed as a day of acclimation. Breakfast was a little sparse, with some toast and jam and a couple of very thin slices of ham and cheese. Yes, I had ham again. There are limited options.
When we stepped outside it was 39 degrees with overcast skies. The forecast called for an 80 percent chance of rain. Part of our agenda was to get as many miles done as early as possible before the rain began.
Maybe it was the increased pace, or at least it felt that way, but after the first mile or so we had to start taking off layers of clothing. It was still about 40 degrees, but any jacket seemed too heavy. Two layers of smart wool, one short sleeve and one long, were plenty for me as I made my way up some hills.
They say each person should do the Camino in their own way. There's time for reflection and time for scenery and time for conversation. I fill some of the hours with podcasts. Some are news, others the arts, and some are aired versions of things that I would normally try to catch live at home. Along the way I was turned on to a couple of new podcasts by Kara Swisher and Malcolm Gladwell. I still enjoy my Marc Maron and NPR stuff. When you're walking five or six hours per day, there is time for all of it. As I write this, I'm downloading about eight hours of Arthur Conan Doyle audiobook material. What better to listen to in the cold and rain?
That’s the forecast for the next three or four days as we start to make our way across the least scenic portion of the Camino. We will see.
I stopped for lunch after about 8.5 miles, and my café con leche and sandwich were perfect.
Then I met a young lady from Portugal, named Maria, with something interesting on her plate. So I added a small appetizer of pickled octopus, or pulpo.
Immediately following lunch I had to do one of the steepest climbs of the day. The food was tasty but my timing may have been a little bad. Still, it was a wonderful view at the top of the hill.
About 40 minutes before finishing the day, the skies opened up. I put on my rain gear as quickly as I could. It seems essential to have this gear nearby on every day of the trip.
We are in a very small village tonight. In fact, check in for the hotel was at a small bar down the street. That is also where we will have our dinner this evening and breakfast in the morning. Several other walkers have to press on for another hour to find accommodations. I'm glad to have this stop at this time today. It is still raining.
My clothes are washed and continue to dry, but there’s no point in cleaning mud off the shoes. All that's left for the evening is to eat and get some sleep, and then start again tomorrow when I wake up. I hope to see some sun.
