14. Day 12 to Aldeanueva del Camino

I woke up at 5 and wanted to stay awake, but I fell asleep again. At 5:40 my alarm went off, but I turned it off immediately. My fellow pilgrim in the room didn’t wake up. I find it terrible when people don’t turn off their alarm clocks and everyone in the room wakes up. Anyway, I packed all my things and went to the kitchen. There, I changed clothes and stored everything away. Then I wanted to make myself a coffee, but there was hardly anything in the coffee pot. It was enough for one cup. At least there was milk to go with it. There was instant coffee, but no kettle, and I didn’t feel like heating water in a pot. Then I ate two yogurts I had bought yesterday to get some protein for breakfast. Otherwise, there were three different types of small cakes, some biscuit, and then butter, jam, and tomato spread. So everything was quite modest, but I’m not on the Camino for the breakfast anyway. That’s generally enough for me, and I wouldn’t complain, especially considering that you sometimes pay only 2-4€ for breakfast. You can’t expect a full buffet, and it's important to me that I can have breakfast at any time. On my last Camino, I was in a hotel in a place where there was a great breakfast, but it started only at 8, so I set off at 9 with a full stomach. That’s why I find this so good. I left shortly after 6. It was surprisingly cold, and I even considered putting on my long shirt, but I headed out with my rain cape. After 20 minutes, I entered the woods and had to climb a hill again, and I was very glad I wasn’t wearing a long shirt. I really enjoy starting to walk early in the morning when everyone is still asleep. It gives you some peace. In the woods, I had to climb over a gate. I'm not sure if I was too stupid to open it or if it truly couldn’t be opened, but I ended up having a little climbing adventure. Today it was very foggy again. I notice that my mood in the mornings always repeats. Initially, I'm motivated when I set off. Then I usually go into the woods and up hills, and then I curse everything again. Then it gets light, and I start feeling better. And when I see animals, I’m always in a good mood. Speaking of animals: I encountered some black pigs, and normally they are very skittish, but these came closer to me and even followed me. A bit eerie, but cute. Then I continued on. Oh, before that, I almost got lost. I used the Camino Love app, which is usually accurate, but later it would have led me down the wrong path. There was supposed to be a path under the highway, but that path had already been a kilometer before. I looked at the app, Google Maps, and the markings along the way. Only in the mornings and in the dark do I pay special attention. Otherwise, getting lost is part of it, and if you’re not walking a 50-kilometer stage, it’s not a big deal, and you see more.

As I had gotten lost, I could have simply continued over the meadow. So not on a path. In any case, I then saw it, otherwise I would have gone in the opposite direction. I passed many lakes and marshy areas, and there were places where it was very muddy again. At one point, I thought that was it, and I would lie down, but I could still reflexively maintain my balance. Considering that it hasn’t rained for a while, it’s still surprisingly moist and wet in many areas. I’m curious to see when the rain comes back. Fortunately, there were large stones in many wet spots where one could walk over. Only in one place had a thorn bush grown over it, so not entirely ideal. Then I passed Cáparra, a city from Roman times, where some historical remnants still exist.

Then I arrived at a road that I walked along for an hour and I saw only one car during that time. That’s how I like to walk on the road. And in general, I enjoy walking on asphalt because then you don’t have to watch where you step. Later, I crossed a highway below and should have gone left, but there was a stream on that side where the water was very high. There were stones in front of and after the stream, but not across. Either thought out poorly or simply not finished building. I spent about 10 minutes checking every place up and down to see where I could best get across. I also threw a few big stones in, which I wanted to balance on, but it was impossible. So I had to take a detour over the highway. Then it was back into the greenery. The sun was starting to really beat down, and I had run out of water. I passed by wells, but unfortunately, there was no water available. Upon reaching the village, I immediately found a well with water and probably drank a liter right away. I actually wanted to look for a store to get some water, but that was no longer necessary and would have been difficult since it’s a small place and it was Saturday afternoon when everything seemed closed. I then went to the hostel. No one was there yet. After my call, someone came in five minutes, and for 16€, I got a spot in a 10-bed room. The bed is clean, comfortable, and there’s heating and blankets. Breakfast is also included. Let’s see what they have tomorrow. At the same time, two Italians arrived, who are a bit strange. I introduced myself and talked a little with them, but they seem to be in a different world. Then a cycling pilgrim came into the room, a Spaniard, who is really cool. I then showered and rested a bit. The Italians listened to music and other stuff on their phones. I don’t find it disturbing, but they could have at least asked if it bothered anyone else. I went to the kitchen and ate my leftovers from breakfast. Then I went outside briefly to catch some sun rays. And then I got back in bed. Even though it’s clean and comfortable here, I don’t feel quite at ease. I’m curious to see how tomorrow goes. I’ll be staying in a hostel based on donations. It’s supposed to be really nice, and the only other options in the village are hotels for 60€. That’s why I’ll try out this experience again tomorrow. I’m currently writing the blog and won’t be doing much else today.

I’ll check in again tomorrow