Day 5 - A Beautiful Day

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Route: Zirauki - Villamayor de Monjardin

The albergue in Zirauki turned out to be very nice. We had the great advantage that we were just 2 people in one big room. My roommate a nice guy from the US. Had just quit his job on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean.

A beautifill day. Temperatures in the low 20s with sunshine. Nice surroundings, up and down.

I did 25 km in some 6.30 hours. A bid slower than could have been, because I accompanied a lady from New zealand (Jane) with leg problems. I felt it rude and unchristian to leave her to her fate.

She made the albergue in Villamayor de Montjardin, which is run by a Dutchman named Bert, managing the albergue for a Dutch non profit organization. Interesting. Feel good, but have some small blisters. Nothing serious.

About 30 beds of which 12 are occupied. An interesting group of people: Jane from New Zealand, Mary from Ireland, a gentleman from Lituania, a German couple (Adi and Daniel), some other German girls and an English father with his son. An interesting experience spending nights in albergues. Collective drinking, eating and sleeping. Something to learn from.

Tomorrow I will try a hotel again so I can do laundry and get a warm shower.

An interesting experience: I went to visit the church. As it turns out, in order to see in church, you had to deposit one euro in a box in order for the lights to go on. When I walked in, I was alone and it was already getting dark. Looking around in the church I ventured to go the front, the altar. Just that moment my euro ran out and here I was in a pitch dark church. Getting to the door took me a while and a couple of bumps on the shins.

Added notes:


• Adi and Daniel, I have seen during most of the following weeks, but lost them somewhere. I did not find them in Santiago.
• Jane , on the other hand, I did not see until Santiago where I ran in to her by sheer coincidence on my last day.

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Photos

Church Villamayor de Monjardin
Before the lights went out.