The Pilgrim Shuffle

It was a hard slog today, probably the hardest day yet.  Both Natalie and I felt quite uncomfortable.  Uncomfortable is a medical term, which means painful.  You know when the doctor is about to give you a needle and says "this might be a little uncomfortable". This is what we are feeling - pain.  From the waist down.  We walked 23 km today from Santo Domingo to Belorado.  We walked in the rain, against the wind the whole way.  Quite tiring.  I am now doing the Pilgrim Shuffle.  A term I have coined for the way we all seem to be walking today, obviously in pain.

I haven´t blogged for few days due to the fact I could not access my blog.  So let me tell you what we have been up to.  A few days ago we stayed in a lovely little place called Azorfa.  This was the most beautiful Albergue yet.  I will call it Camp Azorfa from here on in.  This place had a beautiful self contained courtyard, in a lovely little village in the middle of the Spanish countryside.  We had a huge communal eating area with room for 200 pilgrims, 2 to a room.  Yes! Natalie and I got our own room.  We also had a lovely meal with our friends from Calgary and we invited Russell AKA Dennis the Mennis too.  We made Chorizo sausage stew and salad with blue cheese washed down with copious amounts of vino tinto.  It was such a lovely evening. 

The next day we left to walk to Santo Domingo.  Along the way we stopped for coffee at a golf course coffee shop.  This had to be one of the saddest places I have ever been to.  We walked through a purpose built town that was now a virtual ghost town.  Nearly every home was empty with a sign that said A Vende - For Sale. The only people who came here were pilgrims and golfers. 

Last night we stayed in a municipal Alburgue in Santa Domingo.  This contained 200 pilgrims too.  28 to a room and I slept on the top bunk, 2 feet away from a man I had never met in my life and... no it was not Johnny Depp.  The only saving Grace was that he did not snore.  Not a good night as we had a room full of people who thought they would get up a 5 am. to start their walk.  Thank goodness for my earplugs which  I wisely bought in the gun department of my local Sail Store.  All in all I would be telling a fib if I told you it was an easy day today. But this is the Camino.  It isn´t always easy, neither is life.  And when talks to the various Pilgrims along the route,  one realizes we are all walking the same path, whether it be the Camino or the Path of Life.