5. Tag 3: Exhausting to Almadén de la Plata

Hello,

I didn't check in yesterday. I also didn't do much else. The rain stayed all evening and night. Late at night, someone probably arrived at the accommodation, but I didn't see him this morning.

Some general thoughts on the journey so far:

I was on the road last year in winter as well and I had seen pilgrims throughout the day, and I believe I was alone in one or two hostels, but otherwise, there were always a few people around. This time, I probably won't meet as many people. This is partly because the route is not walked as often. Somehow, I was aware of this beforehand, and I mainly want to have my peace, but today I didn't meet a single person throughout the entire stage. I take the Camino as it comes, and I think it will get a bit busier.

I somehow underestimated the cold. I remember that last year I also felt cold in the hostels from time to time. Partially, I even slept with a lot of clothes, but I somehow forgot or suppressed that. I only have one pair of long pants and two pairs of shorts with me. However, I must say that I'm almost never cold on the way and I usually walk with just a shirt and poncho. So far, I've had my long pants on, which I've been pulling up all the time. Starting tomorrow, I'll walk in shorts and save the long pants for the accommodation. I don't want to complain at all, and the travel guide says that many hostels charge 3-5€ for heating. And there are always enough blankets, and I have a sleeping bag with me that I haven't used yet and that keeps me warm, although not in freezing temperatures.

Back to the hike. This morning, I woke up around 6 AM, which is late for my standards, as I usually set off around that time. I packed my things, brushed my teeth, and then looked out of the balcony window. It was raining moderately. I waited a few minutes, but then I set off because the weather wasn't going to get any better.

I had a protein drink and then left. 

I got out of the city relatively quickly and then onto a country road where cars zoomed by at around 100 km/h, but the road was not heavily trafficked. A car would pass by every 10-15 minutes. This road went on for 20 kilometers. Occasionally, I could use a path on the right, which I did for a while. Unfortunately, there were periodically flooded sections, so I preferred to stick to the road. I must say, so far, the weather, specifically the rain, is the biggest problem. Once the shoes are completely soaked, I can change my socks, but they become damp quickly too, and if I have to walk long afterward, I'll have a problem. So far, everything has gone well. If my shoe was wet, I usually had to walk for another hour at most before I could get to the accommodation and shower. If I had to walk longer with wet shoes, I'd end up with blisters.

I have seen the Iberian pigs on the left and right, which are black and considered a delicacy. I generally try not to eat pig because I don't like the taste and it always weighs heavily in my stomach. Otherwise, I notice that I never really feel like eating meat when I see all these animals in the fields. The problem is, when I eat at restaurants, and there's a daily menu, it usually includes something with meat. Even outside of holidays, I try not to eat much meat, but on vacation, I have little desire for meat when I see all these animals.

After about 10 kilometers, I walked through a national park which was very empty. I saw three deer and nothing else. I also have to mention this briefly. On the entire stage today, there was no bench and no place to shelter. I'm quite spoiled from other Jacob's Ways, where there are proper rest areas with fountains, benches, tables, and shelters every few kilometers. The rain stopped, and I even managed to take off my rain poncho. But many roads were still flooded, and once I had to balance over some stones, hoping that I wouldn't slip and that all the stones were secure, because otherwise, I would have gotten really wet. Otherwise, I had to throw some stones into the water a few times to cross over. But as they say in my homeland: 'It always turned out well.'

In the meantime, the sun even came out briefly. Here and there, it rained a bit more, but I can't complain about the weather today.

However, since I hadn't taken a break, the path felt long, and I was already in survival mode. I had already covered 28 kilometers and technically should have been there in two kilometers. Only a small ascent to a viewpoint lay ahead, which drained almost all of my energy. It was really steep, but the reward was a beautiful view. Afterwards, it went downhill, at times very steeply, and I was glad that it wasn't raining at that moment and that everything wasn't even more slippery. Once I reached the bottom, I was at my destination. I sat down in a café and got a coffee. I briefly considered whether I should walk another 14 kilometers to the next place since it was dry, but I decided against it, which will probably turn out to be the right choice, as it began to rain heavily and storm later. In any case, I quickly went to the supermarket, bought a few things, and then went to the accommodation. I rang the bell, but nobody opened the door. I called, and the owner said I just needed to push the door open. He would come by later. I find it amazing what a fundamental trust people have here. I went in and took a nice hot shower. What a relief. Then the owner came, and we chatted a bit. He's a super nice guy and has also walked the Jacob's Way several times. He wondered if I was a true German because he told me that many Germans go crazy and always try to plan everything, and on the path, you should rather trust your instincts. At first, I was a bit offended by the stereotypes, but to be honest, this applies to me 100%. I'm always concerned about whether I can make the route, but I'm walking my own pace on this journey. And if I only walk 10 kilometers, then that's how it is. I'm trying to take his words to heart.

Then I prepared my meal. A large piece of toasted bread with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and salad. It was really delicious. Along with a protein yogurt and iced tea, the world was perfect again.

Now, I'm lying in bed, watching the rain outside the window. I'm curious if someone else will arrive. So far, I'm very satisfied and happy, and I'm always grateful for the privilege of being able to travel.

I will explore the accommodation, make myself some tea, and plan the next stages a bit.