In a Municipal Albergue after a 23km walk

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Well here we after, after a ´rest day´of doing only 13km yesterday..... The Internet in the Azofra Albergue is pretty good , but I get 40 mins for 2 Euro and there are folk hanging around behind me waiting to use, so I´m just going to type as fastas I can and FORGET punctuation, grammar, spelling errors etc..... so bear with me.... one day I will come back to all the blog entries and correct AND add pics, but I suspect that wont be until we get back to Aust..... IF I remember correctly the last entry was after a stay at 100 yr old monastery........... AFTER that day we walked to Cizor Menor.... and stayed in a really lovely private Alb. for only 10 Euro.... we shared a room with about 6/7 other women... many Albs try to sex segregate.... generally the women Hospitaleros ( as the ones who run the Albs are called ) say they try to segregate the women from the snoring...... but I have a confession that I generally keep to myself at that stage ! There was a lovely garden and about 20 othes staying... all sunnning themselves in the garden, writing in journals, nealry everyone on the Camino journey seems to write daily in a journal... OH !!! just while I am sitting here typing a young teen girl has started to play a violin! ... I´ll let you know what I think in a minute! We met ( at Cizur Menor a 71 yr old woman called Brook from the US - great vivacity and walking in a long skirt withleggingsunderneath ! Also met Bep/Joseph who is a 35 yr old Policeman from Barcelona....a lovely guy ...

While we were sittting a family of 3 women came in witha pusher with an 8 mth old baby girl in a 3 wheel sports pusher ..... The Hospitalero refused them a bed! it was v awkward all ound - they were unhappy...... but the Hosp explained after that it is not suitable for babies etc . She said many peopl e do the Camino to have solitude and peace and quiet, perhaps coping with caancer or illness of some sort and trying to get sunshine, rest, fresh air - to recover, and thata baby in the room crying at night is ´just not right´. We saw the women the next day and they said they ad found 'somewhere friendlier´........ we had dinner that night - another pilgrim menu, but I asked for cider and really ... it was ÓRRIBLE! - i will stick to the red wine which comes with every meal and I am REALLY getting a taste for ! ........ Violin Girl isnt bad - playing nothing I recognise.... but sweet to listen to ....

AFTER cizor Menor we walked 23 km and one of the places we passed was a classic Camino spot - if you ahve seen ´The Way´you would recognise it.... it is on the top of a long long muddy hill ( we wer very rained on the way up and the cboots collected so much mus they weighed 2kg each methinks )... ok I´m getting bit sick of violin girl now... she is playing fast and its making me feel frantic! .... anyway up we went past.... Alto De Perdon.... google away please....the view was truly amazing..... the sculpture is representative of pilgrims and conflicts of some sort judging by the two last figures in the line up who are military ones .....I think I´ve managed to upload a pic ! There was a 360 deg view with windfarms and far off fields and.... oh it was just magnificent - will see if I can add pic we had Joseph take of Di and I adding to the no. of pilgrim silhouettes :-) ........ after there we set off to walk the rest of the way to Puerta La Raina ... we stayed in the last Alb in town - called Santiago Apostel ....... it was a TOUGH walk up a 300km hill after 23 km let me tell you ! but the place was HUGE...Diane and I had a very large 40 or so bed dorm to ourselves ! ... there were only about 10-12 others staying there.... we showered and washed clothing.... which is kind of the routine thing to do once wlaking is finished for the day..... then went to write and have coffee - met Thomas/Tom the English PE and English teacher ....... bantered with him for most of the night over drinks.... I gave blister first aid to a young German guy called Benjamin... who seriously had a TERRIBLE blister, AND he had twisted his ankle! he was staying OUTSIDE the Albergue in a little tent??? Cheaper?? I dont know but I felt sad for him - anyway dressed his blister with comfeel ( Or compeed as its known here in Spain) and covered with Hypafix equiv .... ( details for those with a Nursing interest :-) and then bought him a beer ...... he seemed very thankful and a little happier....he looked so young and... gangly legged and awkward and had a wispy chin beardy thing happening with pale pale skin and no interaction with anyone... he seemed to know no English.... I hope he recovered enough to continue walking !

The next day I think.... we walked passed a church that was a little off the road Ayuntamiento de Villatuerta...... it was built in 1062 said the little blurb a way up the track from it !! we went to investigate and when we went around the side.... there was a huge heavy door that was closed but unlocked... so we gingerly sqeaked open the lock and went it..... unlike many of the highly ornate churches we come acrooss this was un decorated ... all, stone with two altars... and a lge wooden cross on the wall...... BUT on the cross and all around the walls were pieces of papaer with a rock to hold them down... that people had written on in many languages with prayers of thanks, for good health, for blesssings with pictures and drawings or just words..... it was so special and lovely and just...... holy really.... I left my own messsage there and Di did too - will try to add another pic ....

OOooo I think I really have to go..... peole behind are getting restless and I KNOW they want me to get off..... ciao for now ... will try to get back soon-ish xxxx

PS thanks again for messages and comments... Including from some people I dont even know ! its really nice to see them there when I do man
Bye now xxxx

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