Day 31

Day 31: Carrion de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza - 16.1 km (in the cold, wind, and rain)

We knew today would be a challenge. The trek from Carrion to Calzadilla is one of the longest of the entire Camino with no stops along the way. Even longer than our treks across the Meseta. Literally nothing but an occasional barn, pilgrim, and rain shower to keep us company.

Add to that my waking up with flu-like symptoms and you get a less than fun afternoon.

Ironically I had just told my parents on the phone the night before that I haven't felt sick at all on this journey. And the only ones we have really met along the way who have been ill were two Canadian teenagers we had been with the last couple days, who said their dinner with the nuns didn't sit well so they were taking the bus into the next town in order to stay on schedule.

Luckily we had stayed at a hotel in Carrion so we didn't have to check out until noon. Meaning I had time for a morning nap before heading out into the rain and the straightest road I have ever walked.

I could have stayed another day in Carrion, but I stubbornly did not want to waste a rest day being sick. And since I didn't feel like eating it didn't matter that there was nowhere to stop for lunch between here and there.

As the hours passed my stomach started to feel better. Just in time for the wind and rain to pick up. And our bodies to begin to ache because of carrying ourselves and our packs differently against the cold.

We tried to keep our minds distracted by talking about some of the ways Spain is different than the U.S.

• The toilets have buttons on top of the tank that you either push down or pull up in order to flush.
• Their Pat Sajak wears jeans and a t-shirt, and their Vanna White the shortest shorts you could ever imagine being allowed on daytime television.
• Dogs and children are regularly seen in bars. And people feel free to throw their trash all over the bar floor. 
• No one tips. And if we do tip our bartender we usually end up with more food and drinks, or them not charging us if we come back later. 
• Everyone says hello and good morning (all day long) to each other.
• Yogurt is the most common dessert. Followed by a shot of the local liquor to "aid in digestion".

Despite this entertaining conversation we were never so glad to see an (heated!) albergue as we were entering the 60-person town of Calzadilla. 

After a short nap we ventured to the one bar in town for dinner where we met John from Australia. 

Actually we met two Johns. "Uncle John" (from London, living in Spain) was driving an RV from town to town, carrying the backpacks of his niece and the 7 elderly pilgrims she was leading to Santiago. He could only be described as a "character", and not one you wanted to spend a lot of time with. I can't quite pinpoint what it was about him. He was cheery, despite having the look of a character from Grumpy Old Men. But he seemed more interested in telling us how we were going to experience the Camino (and he would know, because he has done it 3.5 times), than engaging in the experience with us.

John from Australia, however, was a true delight. Despite not wanting to divulge the reason for his Camino (which I totally respect), I left feeling like we knew each other in a way perhaps only those walking the Camino together for the first time can. 

He encouraged me to try to catch up to Anna, a woman who literally woke up one morning and just started walking. With no premeditation or preparation. She simply walked away from her medical practice and onto the Camino. And she wrote a book about it! 

Perhaps I will catch up to her, one of these days, now that my stomach is back where it should be!