Sunday, February 13, 2011

DAY 25: OCT 30 MOMBURY TO PUEBLA DE SANABRIA (38 KM) 42,908 STEPS

For the first time on the Camino I actually thought about quitting.

Everything seemed to be against me. It was bitterly cold with a 20-30 kilometer headwind. Periodically the dark clouds would spit rain on me. This was now the fourth day in a row in these abysmal conditions. Everybody that I met talked about the unseasonably cold weather..."muy fritos tiempo".

In addition, something I had eaten the previous day disagreed with me and I had some stomach problems.

Lastly, my guide book stated that there was a bar in Valdemerilla some eight kilometers from the start of the day. So I decided not to have something hot before leaving.  Mistake!  Well, there was a bar but it was no longer in operation and it was an additional nine kilometers to Asturianos where I finally got some hot coffee and food and the chance to warm up.

It was a miserable start to the day.

The interesting bell tower in Valdemerilla where the
bar is no longer in operation!

A little shrine in Cernadilla. There was no bar here either.

The threatening sky

Despite the weather it was a beautiful walk, for example
this beautiful path through the forest.

I stayed at the private albergue, Casa Luz, for 12 euros including breakfast. It was a nice facility with a well equipped kitchen.

Thoughts of quitting were fortunately fleeting. Too many people had put up a lot of money and I was in the middle of nowhere with no idea how to get out of there, other than walking.  It was with some foreboding that I went to sleep....the first pass was coming up tomorrow and the television in the albergue kept talking about snow!

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