Pouring rain. Leon refuses to walk. Tosca hides under bush
The night was fine , exept for a few cats that were crying outside on the doorstep like a child in agony . In the beginning Tosca was lying silent beside me on the floor, in the inn. But I knew it would happen . Soon she couldn’t stand it any more. And she began : wow, wow . You are a dog, or you ‘re not. Fortunately I got her quieted down quickly . But Tosca’s barking did end the screaming of those cats. This morning she was not hungry. I was. I digged for bread and sausage and cheese in the backpack. Sausage gone . Tosca’s could reach it , because her chain had been too long. ( I’ve heard that before! ) . Moreover, spending the night with Tosca is still more difficult , not because she snores , no, but I hear her chew on everything. I wonder whether she gnaws through her belt, is killing a curtain , attacking a shoe , or if she has found the lining of the bank , or is simply licking her fur. So I turn on my lamp to try to inspect and then try to go back to sleep.
Today “only” 21 km. to go. Peanuts compared to the planned average of 25-30 km. So after a quiet breakfast I calmly packed everything. Back on the road again. Through a beautiful, easy landscape, nice walking temperature. What about the arrows: pointing in different directions, some crossed out, no official arrows, signs for place names and inns that are not in my road book. Everything is messed up. I asked someone the way. His extensive, kind reply didn’t help me. Probably jealous barkeepers try to divert the pilgrimage route to their own hamlet. Many times I walked many kilometers wrong. Finally after more than 30 km I arrived at a hamlet 2 km from my goal. I wanted to go to the walled town of Galisteo. Therefore I had to walk back 2 km to the south, until I reached Galisteo. At the city wall stood written Extrema Doura, with the d blacked out and replaced by an “M”. Artists language. I was completely soaked by the torrential rain of the last 1.5 hours, my shoes dipped and it was already dark when I arrived at the inn. Closed. I dialled the telephone number that was written at the door. Before the number of course the country code 0034. And then I said, in Spanish of course, that I and my animals MUST get shelter. He calls the police to ask for permission. Here the police often has to authorize the use of the unmanned pilgrims’ inns. The dog had to sleep outside. The horse was allowed, just for once, on the concrete floor within the walled space around the little inn, overnight. Nothing to eat for the horse, no shelter again. Luckily I had left over some oats for Leon. That implies that first thing tomorrow morning is immediately looking for a pasture for him, or else tie him in a grassy wayside, like a dog. We’ll see tomorrow. Yesterday I got a new rain blanket for Leon from Paulien and Rob. And that does help a little. Because after about 30 km. of walking against the pouring rain right into Leon’s face, Leon this afternoon refused to go on and stopped in the rain. With a lot of begging from my side, that finally turned out fine again.
This evening, after an ice shower, I went out for dinner with German Norbert : 3 courses including coke for six E in the local bar. That’s cheaper than buying food for diner. The tv blasted many decibels of football over our table, a gambling machine continuously produced hard jungle sounds and on top of all that noice the crowd was screaming to overcome the noice. Overnight in the hostel costs 15 E, including breakfast. Yesterday the hostel was for free, but then without breakfast. The day before I paid 6 E. Tomorrow I’ll have a day of rest, although I have to find another place for Leon, as he now, as an emergency solution, has to stay on the concrete garden floor around the inn, which he seriously is trying to destroy. Tosca already tore apart a piece of the straw mat before the inn’s front door. Let’s see how I justify that tomorrow when the guardian will come. I can not flee away in the morning, because I would like to stay here another night. So what should have been a piece of cake, turned out a long, hard day, with many uncertainties and punishment from the weather gods and why?
At night the sad news reached me that after a longer illness, friend Jo Pl. from Gulpen deceased. My thoughts are with his sympathetic wife. I think of all the good thoughts I bear in mind about Jo and I feel alone some moments, here in the Spanish jungle.
Nb. Yesterday Paulien and Rob brought me a new, small camera, and now I can take photos much easier. Since my last camera was drowned by horse Leon swimming , I have to help myself with the i-pad which I had to unpack each time from the backpack on the horse, in order to take a picture. Quite an enterprise. Also, I often take pictures that I only can edit on my blog a few days later, which often is very confusing.
Geef uw mening