Going completely native today, because look at this place:
This room was empty when I took the picture, but now there’s 12 people in it (including us), in closest proximity possible. Going to be fun.
Rather chill day today, again thanks to very mild weather. Still a lot to walk, but tomorrow we might be slowing down a little, only about 45km left to Burgos. Lots of crops around us as we go – no grapevines, but sunflower, beans, some cereal. A potato packing plant with thieving rabbits (yes).
6 chimes of a church clock somewhere, which makes it 2 hours to the communal meal here at St. Francisco de Asis alberque at Tosantos. They keep it rather traditional here. I really want to write something positive and spiritual here, but these 2 or 3 flies keep landing on my feet and on my face, which makes my thoughts unworthy of the atmosphere.
The stage was long and we’re finding around us a lot of people who started 2 days before us. Which means that we’ll have to either slow down a lot or take several days of rest in different places (more than we had thought), or – secret option nr. 3 – walk to Finisterre after Santiago and then come back to it with a bus, or go there with a bus and walk there between Finisterre and Muxia, like 2 years ago. We’ll wait and see. We’ll walk and see is what I mean.
This place is great actually. There’s a communal fideua which is a paella with small macaroni instead of rice. A crowd of loud Italians with a guitar. There’s also a pilgrims’ service of sorts after dinner, which is rather deep and touching despite a lot of translation and misunderstanding about who speaks what.
No WiFi tonight, so no pictures – look for them tomorrow. By the way, tomorrow it’s an easier (25km) stage and a more “luxurious” albergue. Much to look forward to.
Update: pics!
