Pubblicato: 05.06.2017
We couldn't really tear ourselves away from each other and the hostel, so after breakfast we sat together on the terrace and had coffee.
Around 9:30 AM, I said goodbye to Estevan and the other Germans and started walking. At first, we went through a hilly vineyard landscape, just like the day before. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the best, so I decided not to take the detour 'Camino Duro' through the foothills of the mountains and instead chose to walk along the main road. However, my guidebook strongly advised against it, saying that the path was really boring and annoying, but I just didn't want to get wet.
Unfortunately, the guidebook was right. We walked on the left side of the road, separated from traffic by a waist-high concrete barrier, along a quite busy road. To fight the boredom, I listened to music, which pushed me to reach my destination, Trabadelo, really quickly. Today was the first day when I could have continued walking, but I had already reserved a hostel because I wanted to watch the Champions League final in the evening. It's often the case that there's a curfew in the hostels after 10 PM, and I didn't want to risk that tonight.
So, I arrived at the hostel early, which was right next to the busy road mentioned before. I showered, did some laundry, and lay down. In the evening, I visited the local pharmacy to buy blister plasters and nail scissors to take care of my blisters that had already formed. Then, I had the pilgrim's menu (consisting of a cold sausage and cheese appetizer plate, chicken with garlic, and a bottle of wine) at the restaurant across the street from my hostel, trying to use my newly acquired Spanish skills and start a conversation with a Spanish cyclist at the neighboring table. Apparently, my few practiced sentences made a good impression, because he soon started talking to me. I think it was about European politics, but I understood almost nothing. So, I did what you do when you don't understand the other person: nod, smile, and say 'si, si'...
Soon, I said goodbye and went to the hostel bar, where I treated myself to a few beers and watched the final surrounded by cheering Spaniards.