The day started with about three hours of walking through and looking at a fire scar from a large wildfire last fall. It came all the way into the town I stayed in, what a mess that had to be.
They have Wildland Urban Interface issues here too! There was still some smoke from the interior, probably a stump hole.
The north line of the fire in a few places was the Atlantic Ocean.
The fire jumped their version of an interstate (an autopista) repeatedly.
After the burned area it was nice, gentle, bucolic farmland and mostly road walking.
My “Hiker Hunger” has kicked in. I had the tiny excuse for a breakfast at the albergue and then stopped three different times at cafés and restaurants, and ate each time. One time I ate a lot! I’m getting ready to go to dinner soon (not soon enough!) and I’m really hungry. This will technically be my fifth meal of the day.
I’ve eaten a lot, and, I’m pretty sure I’ve lost weight.
One and a half stages got checked off today. It could have been more, but, it was way more important to do laundry!
Today’s albergue, in Navia, is very clean and well run, and nice, but no meals. That’s not a problem, there are plenty of restaurants.
My Credencial is getting full, so picked up a second one in preparation for the final push to Santiago. Apparently the rules are there must be at least two stamps per day for the last 100 Kilometers. My problem is, I often forget to get a stamp when I eat, so I only get a stamp where I stay.
I must get in the habit of getting stamped at restaurants.
No restaurants open before 8:00 pm. I remember on the PCT the saying that 9:00 pm is hiker midnight.
The Credencial tradition is kind of fun. Mine looks rougher than most because of my getting drenched head to toe one day. Everything was soaked…phone, credential, my attitude, everything:).
It has been a week, or a little more, since my last laundry. Hand washing socks, underwear, and shirts in sinks is perfect on the PCT, but this is more urban hiking, and many people in close quarters. This albergue has 24 beds in one room.
It’s not polite to others to stink in this situation. It’s not like fire camp.
The albergue has laundry facilities. I’m washing everything, except my swimsuit and my puffy down jacket.
I tried the “cleanest dirty shirt” sniff test to decide which shirt to wear while doing laundry.
All shirts flunked the test:(
I’m making a fashion statement. I have been laughed at…I can handle it.
I started without the down jacket, it wasn’t a full out laugh, but a funny grin, so I added down.
I’m feeling stronger. I can do 20+ miles, day after day now and not feel totally wiped out like earlier.
If I have a really good day tomorrow I will leave the province of Asturias and enter Galicia.
Lots of time to think today. Singing songs, doing “mindfulness” things like concentrating on all five senses etc has helped. Concentrating on the sounds and I hear, then I see many more birds. Also, hearing the sounds of cars and trucks zipping along on the autopista let’s me just appreciate that I’m not part of the Rat Race for a while, just a bystander watching it. One of my go to songs when listening to the Rat Race is, “Slow Down, You Move Too Fast, You’ve To Make The Morning Last….” I think it’s Simon and Garfunkel. When it’s time for me to look around I realize all the wonderful scenery I’ve been walking by and not appreciating. Concentrating on smells is especially notable in the eucalyptus stands.
I’m rambling. I just enjoyed today.
Now I need to do my chores…fold laundry:)
Buen Camino
