So, the two Cheryls after observing us older folks for a week now decided that we might be able to walk the Camino trail without their help. Although we really appreciated them doing all of the navigating and other work like calling cabs or finding eating establishments that were open, we were pretty sure we could have been doing this the past week also. While we were eating breakfast they took off without us but not before ensuring we had and could use the app Camino Ninja.
We consulted our various weather apps and determined it would not rain until 3:00 and as it was 8:45 in the a.m., we determined NOT to wear our ponchos then walked out the hotel door to……..Rain. A quick stop in the doorway of a nearby store allowed us to gather said ponchos and awkwardly put them on. I know it sounds easy, but they won’t go over your head with a hat and sunglasses on and you have to put them somewhere while donning the poncho. Anyway, we made it ok and started walking.
The first part of the walk was not very attractive as it was in the city for several miles but then things started looking much better until, wait for it,…..uphill alleys. I mean uphill. Over the next mile or so we walked up 500 feet in elevation. It doesn’t sound like much to you because you are sitting on your butt reading this blog. We were the ones who had to stop periodically to take a breath. Honestly, it was nice to see that many other walkers were also stopping and saying, What the hell?
Finally, we were out of the city and in a forest 500 feet above beautiful vistas of the river. These miles were great although pretty muddy in spots. There were many walkers on this route from Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada and USA. Some were faster but most were about our speed or even slower. What continues to surprise us is the number of old grey haired ladies walking this alone.
And what made the day really great was that it stopped raining early on the walk and we shed the ponchos and just loved seeing the blue sky amidst the grey clouds. Just wish it were also warmer. 50 to 55 degrees is not freezing but it makes a sham of the short sleeved shirts I brought with me. Thank god for the puffy vest I bought while here.
Dinner is at 8. Early for Spaniards but late for those of us who walked ten miles today. But this is what we endure for our saga.
I will try to load photos to show you the route today.
Bom Camino
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