Day 27-October 9, 2017
Variante Villar Mazarife to Santibariz Valdeiglesias, Spain
Getting up at 7:30am, brushing your teeth and packing so it is possible to leave the Albergue is one thing. The harsh reality of the morning these days quite another. The sun doesn’t rise until 8:30 and the temperature today was 42F. My breath is visible under the street lamps as I press out of town. No one feels like talking. I can see other pilgrim headlamps and flashlights ahead of me, and turning around I see spots of penetrating white as well. Sometimes I stop to search for the yellow arrows when I am not sure what street or path to take. Once or twice I was forced to take a calculated risk and select one of the options blindly. This is usually a calculated risk…..
I came to a small town after an hour and a half and came across a shopkeeper performing a well rehearsed opening process. I had my breakfast, Cafe Americano, orange juice and two fried eggs. I enjoy my breakfast and return to the path as the sky is becoming light. Another 15 minutes and the sun starts to illuminate the tops of the trees as my dirt path stretches out into the distance.
Some of the areas I am walking through are once again becoming quite beautiful. The trails are starting to be less boring, and in one section I have a small climb.
I roll into Santibariez Valdeiglesias around 1:00PM. Thankfully the 12 miles went quickly and made for a relatively short day, and checked into the Albergue. The Albergue is privately run. The accommodations are in large communal areas, but appear very nice. 40 people however share a single toilet and 2 showers…….hmmmm
I met Manuel along the Way. He farm the land on his left.
Day 27-October 10, 2017
Santibailez Valdeiglesias to El Ganso
Lunch (around 2:30) consists of cheese, tuna and tomatoes on a baguette, …. Do the Spanish people really eat this every day?
At 2:00 I made it to my destination at El Ganso. The Albergue had room and actually, I was the first to arrive. It’s nice getting a place early. All the facilities are nice and clean. Had dinner at the albergue bar and afterwards I left to go to the church for “Vespers”. The monks perform this service in a Gregorian chant. I was praying the church didn’t fall apart while i was in it. The structure was very simple and obviously very, very old. Substitute the word decrepit for old.
