Overnight - Casa Mendez
I was up early this morning to listen to my favourite rugby league team, the gallant and resurgent Canberra Raiders, record yet another resounding victory and move to third place on the ladder. Coupled with the breakfast offering at the Molinaseca hotel, it was a promising start to what was going to be one of the longer days on the Camino.
But despite being awake reasonably early, I wasn’t especially motivated to get going after last night and didn't leave until almost 9:00am.
The late getaway meant that I decided just to devote the day to just trudging along and getting through the 31 kilometres. I stopped to have a good rest on a nicely shaded bench outside a small (and the only) church in Columbrianos, just out of Ponferrada, where I could hear the enthusiastic Sunday morning congregation singing some stirring renditions of 'Hallelujah'.
I didn't stop in Ponferrada. It looked like a pleasant enough olde worlde town at its centre, but I was maybe getting a little less excited by those sorts of places, albeit the imposing castle in the middle of town did look spectacular. Maybe some other day.
The rest of the day's walk was either beside quiet roadways or on gravel pathways with some solid undulations along the way. The reasonably closely separated villages were picturesque and inviting, but I didn't stop. Today was an iPod day, with plenty of Dire Straits, Yes, Foreigner, Train and such.
The journey ended in Villafranca del Bierzo, a village whose topography closely resembled that of a ski resort. My pre-booked hotel was at the far end of town, and I was happy to be able to spend the evening at the adjacent restaurant before catching up on some blogging and sleep.
Weather - It was still pretty much the same as it’s been for the last week, but today was my latest finish, and the early afternoon heat after a long walk was a challenge. Happily, the winds blowing through the valley worked to cool things down a bit.
Health - Again felt good, but there was a bit of a twinge in the left knee for a few strides when heading up one of the tough but short 15%+ gradient hills in the vineyards toward the end of the day. It was a worrying moment when it first appeared but it quickly went, hopefully not to be heard from again for the next several days. I also thought I'd try walking the day fuelled entirely by the breakfast provided at the hotel, and bottles of water. As it happened, by-passing the usual tortilla and other snacks along the way seemed to make no real difference in stamina, or anything else really. Might keep doing that.
Food - Hotel breakfast (coffee x2, toast with jam, croissant, mini muffins x3); Pot of tea at Villafranca cafe; Restaurant meal at hotel (pasta salad, battered pork with hot chips, vanilla pudding, piece bread, pots of tea x2)
Expenses - Accommodation - 35.00; Food/Drink - 13.20 Total - 48.20
Walking time - 7 hours, 35 minutes (start 8:50am, arrive at accommodation 4:25pm)
Brierley distance - 30.6km (total 590.2km)
Daily Steps - 45,459
Total Camino steps - 939,670
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