The primitivo started with an albergue that looked like an old hospital or insane asylum. I was separating from the class. I had walked with Anne for 4-5 days and I wanted to be alone. The left over insane peoples ideas were getting into our heads. Anne was visibly upset that we were too late for dinner, it was the cherry on top of my reason for solitude. The next morning I wandered for a good long time before I could find the camino. I ate some apples that were more like jicamas. It was hot out and I was itchy from the heat. I listened to a little bit of the book all the pretty horses for a bit. I liked it but I was distracted by the heat and the anxiety of possible foot pain. I am always anxious about foot pain. One of my daily activities is trying to find out why I am anxious all the time. I tried to think about why I thought every thought. The biggest categories were how people thought about me and how I want to think differently than I am at that moment.
beautiful barbacoa
Me, Aidan Ripley and Annie Landis had been walking with some people for a couple days. A guy from Denmark who guys by Rhino, a hippie lady named julie and a girl from Spain named Elicia. We stopped in a town at a empty albergue, we wanted to get stamps and pay but the bar was closed. There was two blankets on the beds, thank the heavens. We all walked to the grocery store and purchased burger fixens. I got some pure cow ground beef along with the usual sandwich supplies. There was a rickety husk of a barbecue that a german man reinforced with sticks. There was no coal in the store so the barbecue was also sticks. Everyone went around and gathered the driest sticks they could find. I found some sticks and then started to drink wine while listening to an audiobook. I was waiting for the future coals to get ready for cooking and that would take some time. I decided that I would like to walk around in the river that the hostel was overlooking. I had been staring at it for about an hour when I finally set out. I was wearing the trusty reeboks with zero tread and the mud was ankle deep. I took my shoes off cuz they kept getting stuck in the mud. I finally made it to the middle island where I had been trying to go but I had cut my feet on hidden shells in the mud. I made my way back and it was time to cook. Another thing that had happened while I was gone was that a lot of people had come to join. Including an Irish guy who was doing the camino on a scooter. The food was great but the meat was overcooked. We also had cheesy peppers along with roasted eggplant and perfectly cooked chicken.
sandwich submission
Ive been in the north for three nights. I have only been staying at by donation hostels. They are all very minimum and none of them have wifi. Luckily, I have been able to find a blanket every night. The walking has been good, my limp has disappeared. The north is much more personal than the french route. I know most of the pilgrims that I see by name. It means that I can’t escape into the crowd, I am forced to be part of the camino people. I am wary of people because of how the bad guys were acting in the beginning. I want to be trusting but it is kind of hard. On another note, Aidan Ripley has been walking in reebok slippers for the last 45 kilometers. It is the most insane thing I have seen on the camino, so far. I have been walking with him for the entire time and we eat sandwiches everyday. The sandwiches include: 1€ cheese, 1€ meat, 0.4£ bread. Sometimes, I buy some lettuce which is nice. Mostly of the time there is no greenery at all in Spain. I ate canned squid for breakfast and pasta with meat for dinner. Carbs and meat only.
Patiently waiting in Burgos
I am sitting in Burgos, the class is here. I am by myself right now though. I want to focus on writing more positively. If I write happier maybe I will think more happy. I am not happy because I have not been able to walk. I was happy the first two days because I could walk without pain. I am started to feel good now though. I am just worried that if I walk that it will start hurting again. I think a big part of my personal camino should be trying to let go of some of my competitiveness. I wanted to walk fast and I really shouldn’t have. I am waiting for some mail from my family. It contains some shoes and walking poles. The post office are not letting me receive my package though. I had to send in my passport and a signed letter telling them why I was in Spain. It was pretty weird but I really need shoes for walking. Whenever I put my shoes on it causes me pain. Since I have not been walking, I feel uncomfortable going out with the class. I am here in Spain for walking not for going out. Some people in the class seemed to have got the two switched. I understand that bussing is something that happens but I think only when walking is going to make things worse.
Giving shoes away
I am limping a lot. I have been limping since the second day. I did not expect to be limping this much even after I rested for three days. It is quite surprising and makes me pretty sad. There is lots of scary things happening to the people in this class. The man who threatened the girls now has been kicked out of Spain and the girls got a restraining order. Another girl was threatened a couple days after the ones got their restraining order. My friends boots were stolen so I gave him my shoes and so I am walking in just sandals. They hurt my feet less than my regular shoes so I am okay with that. I am excited for Burgos maybe those three days and the switching of shoes shall heal me.
Taking the train in Barcelona
I landed in Barcelona and walked to the hostel I was staying at called The Loft Hostel. It was very clean and covered in stainless steal. The beds were in little futuristic cocoons which was comfortable because it was private. The snores were still present though. It was very close to Ramblas street which was fun to walk around. I woke up at 4 and could not fall asleep again. I walked to the train station because I prefer taking trains to buses. The train was nice I was sitting at a table seat with some people who seemed friendly. The bus went to Pamplona which I was suppose to walk to later. I met two older guys named Cid and Nicholas. Nicholas was on his eighth camino and kept trying to talk to me in Italian. It was a nice gesture but I had no idea what he was talking about. I arrived in Saint Jean and had a lunch with Cid and then went to try and find a wine opener. I was sitting there opening my package when Caroline and Aidan walked up to me. I did not expect to see people until later but I was glad I saw them. They were with Anne, Annie Landis and Annie Domingues. I walked the next day over the mountains and it was great. I was very excited so I walked too fast and paid for it later. It was fantastic though, only once before had I felt a feeling like that while walking. It is when I feel as if I am in a perfect place of mind to observe. Just feeling good and seeing pretty things with no other thoughts.