Day 22: Villafranca de Montes de Oca to San Juan de Ortega –
12.4 km (up and down a mountain in the snow)
Day 23: San Juan de Ortega to Castanares – 18.7 km
I love walking in the snow! It is a wonderful time for
reflection and contemplation.
Yesterday I was remembering the first time Randy duct taped
my pants to my shoes to keep the snow out. Three weeks ago in the Pyrenees. At
the time I thought I must be crazy to take this adventure, with strangers, into
so many unknowns. But now I am joyous. Knowing I would have been crazy not to
come. No longer encountering strangers. Only friends to share the world with.
And the Camino.
The way up the mountain to San Juan was slippery and slow. Several
inches of snow had fallen overnight and continued to fall throughout the day. But
I warmed up quickly. Having to shed an Under Armour layer within the first
kilometer.
Usually down the mountain is slow and arduous, difficult on
the knees. But with 6 inches of fresh powder to cushion the blow, we raced to
the bottom.
The path was beautiful, through pine forests heavy with accumulating snow. But there was nothing between Villafranca and San Juan. Not a
town or a café. Not a bread truck or a water fountain. Unusual for our daily
journeys. But motivation to keep moving without our typical stops along the
way.
By the time we reached San Juan de Ortega I was ready for
dry clothes. The church bells chimed as if inviting us into this tiny town with
a population of a mere 30 people. We had heard rumors that the albergue did not
have hot water, but decided to take our chances. We could survive a night
without a shower, after all.
So we paid 5 euros a piece and stuffed our boots with
newspapers to absorb any dampness that was working its way through our waterproofing.
There ended up being 7 of us, all on lower bunks, in one
room. Romy from New Zealand who we met in our early days and continue to bump
into regularly. As well as four 20-somethings, who also met on their first day
in St. Jean, France, and have been walking together ever since. They were from Australia,
Germany, and Scotland.
The albergue did not only not have hot water, but
didn’t have heat at all. (Actually there was a little heat coming out of the
radiators when we first arrived, teasing us into thinking we would be able to
dry our socks overnight, but it was turned off and cold before we went to bed.)
And the “feels like” temperature that night was in the lower teens. Walking
outside through the courtyard from the unheated bunk room to the unheated
bathroom was a challenge for us all. Romy even saying she had never stayed
anywhere so cold in all her 70+ years.
To top it off, the man running the albergue was not a
cheery host. We’ve encountered several rough around the edges men in Spain, but
always end up breaking through the façade. After an hour with us they are
feeding us and blowing us kisses like long lost family. But not this guy. He wouldn’t
even give us an extra log for the fire.
Entering the town of Ages, we immediately came to an
albergue/café. It was locked but we rang the doorbell. And were invited in by
AnnaMaria. She fried us eggs and bacon, gave us a plate full of rock hard
toast (which the roof of my mouth is finally adjusting to), and filled our cups with hot coffee.
She didn’t speak any English, but by our countenance could
tell that we had stayed in San Juan. She hugged me and told me to stay as long
as I wanted, to keep warm and digest breakfast before having to go back out in
the cold.
She told me I could go upstairs and look at her albergue if
I promised not to cry. I took my chances and discovered a second floor of
comfortable beds with sheets and blankets, bathrooms with hot showers, and a
third floor bungalow style attic of mattresses on a beautiful wood floor. The
fact that we were freezing less than 4 kilometers away last night did make me
want to cry, but also made me grateful to know that comfort and distress are
not so far apart.
I promised her that “next time” I walk the Camino I will
stay with her. And tell my friends to do so as well. We got hugs and kisses and
our cheeks patted before we left, reorienting us to be able to enjoy our day’s
walk.
Even though the food was delicious and the coffee hot, it
was her cheery disposition that truly made my day. Never underestimate the
power of a smile, a hug, or any other act of kindness!
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