Camino francés - Page 4

Cizur Menor - Estella (ca. 43 km)

That I then nevertheless too early extended the stages, this day should show me. After breakfast and a cordial farewell, I ran before the two. Up to the Alto de Perdon the rain spared me, but after that it poured down continuously. After a short break on the prominent Camino mountain, I felt my feet aching as I descended. In Puento la Reina I could have taken hostel, but I still wanted to go to Lorca. In St. Jean I had received a hostel directory on which supposedly all hostels open in winter would stand. Toute l'annee, all year round, was then written there. A fallacy, which threw my whole plan over the heap. With aching feet and soaked I arrived in Lorca. They did not let me in, a private party was announced in the hostel. Even after I asked for a garage or a hayloft to sleep - no chance.

Here I was really fed up, because I was aware, the next hostel will be 10 km further in Estella. Normally no problem, but I was "empty" and everything hurt. I paused briefly and thought about alternatives. There were none, guesthouses and hotels, if available, were fully booked in the pre-Christmas period. In addition, I wanted to stay only in hostels and not ask private individuals for accommodation. So I dragged myself on, a few Müssli bars I had still taken to me. In the rain, along a long-distance road, I came then somehow in few suburbs of Estella. I did not get much more. I must have looked as I felt, because shortly before Estella a woman with her daughter stopped with the car and asked me where I wanted to go. To the hostel, I replied, and they drove me the kilometer to a bridge, explained the way and wished me a feliz navitad. It was the wrong hostel, but an older couple then led me to the right hostel on my inquiries.

Most people here are very happy to help, I noticed then often. At the entrance, a few other pilgrims were waiting. The Hostel would be closed, informed me a German, Steffen from the Lausitz. A joke about which I could laugh only with difficulty, the hospitalero was only to get the key. In addition, there was a Uruguayan here, Razuz, a nice guy, whom I met more often. The picture with the cozy get-together is from Clay, he and Gretel were here a day later and celebrated Christmas. In the picture you can also see Steffen and his Brazilian wife. Steffen was in pain and wanted to stay at the hostel for a few more days. There was a lot of food for free disposal in the hostel, which was sorted out by markets because of superimposition, mostly still edible. But I got me after the long warm shower own food in the place and laid down then also immediately after the meal.

Estella - Los Arcos (ca. 21 km)

Around eight, after a proper breakfast, I continued. I had understood that I was not ready yet for larger distances and took me only Los Arcos as planned goal. In addition, I had asked around the evening before, what is so open at hostels, there was not much to choose from. At the town exit I met Meira with her dog Duke. Without big comments we ran together further. Meira was a Basque, we needed a long time to negotiate a way of communication. I knew mainly English, she Basque, Spanish and English chunks. It became a mixture of English-Spanish chunks and sign language, but we didn't talk much anyway. Most of the time we laughed at misunderstandings or worried about Duke, who vomited from time to time. He was a small mongrel and had a pouch strapped to his back. The running was probably too much for him. We arrived in Los Arcos without a break, everywhere it was wet and dripping from the pipes and roofs. Christmas carols were blaring from the loudspeakers. We found after some questioning the private hostel de Alberdo, a repulsive hole.

Most of the time I stayed in Albergues municipal, that is, communal hostels, but sometimes there were only private or association-owned pilgrim hostels. This was again one of the much worse. Narrow, freezing cold and nothing to it. After the short shower in the cold bath, we took pilgrim menu in a cozy pub in town. A bike pilgrim was already here and later found themselves still a Mexican pilgrim couple. The food was great, at least something on Christmas Day. We bought some food, then we went back into the cold grotto. In the evening Razuz joined us. The others turned on the fireplace in a back room and wanted to celebrate some Christmas. I didn't feel like it, put my liter bottle of San Miguel down my throat and went to sleep early. The night was stressful, Razuz snored like a savage, the air in the very cramped room was unbearable and I slept very poorly. The whole building clanged and rattled at night after a storm had come up. So I was glad about the dawning morning and made me then also early on the socks.