Stage 3: Murias - Foncebadon, 21 kms, extremely HOT, 38

Camino del Morte:

For the record, I made sure that Rob had a half decent breakfast complete with coffee before we left the casa rural this morning. Of course it put us behind schedule, but to make sure he had his frickin coffee I would do anything. Keep this in mind for later in this tale. 

We said our goodbyes and were on the trail just after 7, warm enough already to simply be in a t-shirt and the sun wasn't even up. That happens around 7:45 in this part of the European Central time zone...we are a long way west. This means longer evenings with sun set around 9:45pm. So we were a wee ways down the trail when the sun made its appearance and everyone basically stops, turns to enjoy the moment and then resumes their programmed walk. It's like clock work and one of my favorite moments each day.

 A rare horse showed itself as we passed.

And then we wandered into the first town, Santa Catalina de Somoza, a very nice name I thought. 

There I found a door that I had so admired 3 years prior and again I took its picture. It's not looking as nice a the picture I have hanging on our wall at home, but then few of us look the same three years later. It's missing the red leaves from the grape vine growing above the door that framed it so spectacularly in 2013. 

Thereafter began that long slow grind up to El Gasno and onwards to Rabanal.

In El Ganso there it was. Ken and Annemarie stood in front of it originally so I asked Rob to use my camera to put me there too. A milestone place of sorts that made us laugh then, and did again today. Yup, the cowboy bar!!

As we walked on we could feel the heat rising...9:30 and my thermometer in the shade on the front of my body indicated 24. Clearly this was to be a scorcher. 

The flies were everywhere and began to make life miserable...in your ears, eyes and nose and also your mouth if you didn't keep that shut. So I pulled out my screen that had been so useful on prior Caminos and hikes. I decided after my first Camino that this was going to be part of my core equipment. Now before we left home I suggested this to Rob for consideration, but as you can see he was too immersed in his hair like hat to listen (from the back, his shadow looks like one of those '80's long hair cuts),so he suffered silently. He was chocking on a fly as the shot was made.

We approached Rabinal and our start for the climb with the temperature now just on to 28 at 11AM. Man it was getting toasty! We still had a 6 km climb in front of us once we arrived in Rabinal.

Back to my earlier coffee comments. Now you have to understand that I'd been asking Dob if he needed a break, wanted coffee, etc., the perfect host I was. Always the same answer..."naw I'm fine". So I ask again as we approach town...

and the answer was "naw...", but then he decided a coffee might be good. And the. He thought further and decided a pan de chocolate would add to his pleasure. I said ok and thought I'd take him to the bar where we stayed while here last time. Couldn't find it. Then we were out of town and I heard all sorts of yammering from the rear of the train! 

Well, the train had left the station and on Camino I NEVER walk back across ground gained...so we pressed on with minor grumbling a from the caboos. We did stop at a nice road side chair in the shade and munched on the orange we'd purchased from David and some trial mix. This seemed to satisfy the need. Nice view too.

Some folks came along and we set off with two Spanish guys who were walking the Camino a bit at a time over several years, not uncommon in Europe. One of them was a fast walker with a small pack and we fell into step with each other for the climb. My Spanish has evolved to the point where I can now carry a conversation, albeit with some hesitation. He told me about his Caminos, I about my own. We spoke of football in Spain and he told me about his family and home in Galicia. It was pretty special to finally get to this point in my learning. Still a long way to go to catch Ken, but I'm really motivated. He told me that his amigo would walk at Rob's pace and all would be ok. He left me close to the top when I stopped for some images.

And then I was there...it was 32 on my thermometer at 12:20pm! On my back it must have been 40 in the direct sun. We'd reached our goal and there was no need to carry on in this heat. A cool room awaited us with lunch and a very cold beer to wash it down.

We were offered our choice of a new room in the addition on the left of the main building or two singles in the old part on the right. We selected the former as it was the cheapest option.  Annemarie, do you remember sitting here where Rob is sitting on an extremely cold morning in the cloud and damp nursing your broken toe? I have a picture of you in less sunny times. We had climbed up in the dark to be are the Cruz de Farro when the sun came out...it never did...there at least. 

The town is twice the size it was 3 years ago. The owner of our albergue explained to me that his family came from here so he returned from Madrid to run the family business and the Camino has forced the expansion of accommodations and facilities. Gone are all the derelict buildings.

Neil, you asked about the number of perigrinos. They/we are here for sure, but I counter about 3 times more cyclists than peregrinos today, even as I sat eating my lunch as a number of peregrinos suffering in the high 30s heat slogged past. It was a tough day on the road for many today. I carried just shy of two litres and I drank it all today. I usually carry half that amount and rarely finish it...something I'm working on, yes Annemarie:-)   We were both soaked in sweat at the end and I didn't even touch the hot water nob in the shower today! We are both well hydrated as we sit here and yes please Annemarie, please bring the second tube of Nuuns when you come next week.

So now to the title of today's blog post...Camino del Morte. There is a long stretch of fence outside Rabinal where over the years perigrinos have been placing crosses made from sticks into the wire. When we last walked along here we were both amazed and touched by this display. This time it seemed to have expanded considerably and there many photos of love ones I assumed who were ill or who had passed. This time it seemed more like I was walking though a grave yard. It might have been the heat...perhaps.

I selected sections to photograph where there were no photos of people. It just went on and on. 

On a more upbeat note I found the first of the mountain heather as we climbed. There is now a sprig in my hat band.

Also the first weather vane collected this Camino! A good one too!! 

We have finished three days and we are both getting appropriately scruffy and we're happy as two pigs  wallowing in mud! Achilles is holding up and the orthotics are also helping. So far so good. Tomorrow after a bit more climbing we drop down, down, down and will see what that does to us. So hot here...did i say that?:-)

Buen Camino!