Day 14: Tosantos to San Juan de Ortega (19km)

Today was another glorious day of walking!

Just joking. Today was THE WORST!!! Especially after such a wonderful night. We left feeling buoyant and rejuvenated by our wonderful evening, and the scenery started out quite lovely.

Then we got to the first town and tried to get lunch. Apparently blood pudding is all th rage in this part of Spain, so we decided to get something from the grocery store instead.

This is where we ran into our enemy, walking-pole-dragger, and where her boyfriend became our new enemy for taking the last of the cheese.

We hate him.

We consoled ourselves with a big bag of Ruffles chips and our apples that we always have in our bags. I'm pretty sure I also bought a giant chocolate because I am me.

There were a lot of steep hills, and Noni's knee and my ankle weren't too fond of all this up and down business.

We passed this memorial thing. It's either pro-Franco, or anti-Franco. My two words of Spanish really didn't help me there.

Our guidebooks said that it was supposed to be 10km to the next town. It was definitely more than that. And the walk was quite ugly too, through logging roads and things. Our feet were killing us!

Such inspiring vistas:

We arrived at the town in so much pain and decided we had earned another night in a private room. We walked into the bar to enquire about accomodation, only to discover that they were fully booked- we needed to have booked ahead. Who has time for that?!

So we went to the albergue next door and booked in there. It was just awful. Huge rooms that connected to other rooms, so when people were leaving the other room they had to come through ours. The worst snorers, Internet that only worked in the freezing cold entryway, it goes on. 

We also discovered that the town had no supermarket. And the only place for dinner was the bar next door, and they didn't serve dinner until 7:30. I don't understand this at all- we're pilgrims! We've woken up early, been walking all day, and then have to eat dinner just a couple of hours before we go to bed? It's just really frustrating. I get the the Spanish had their lunch at 2, and have siesta'd all afternoon, but in a place that petty much only exists for pilgrims, such as this nothing town, then cater for pilgrims! There wasn't even a supermarket in town for us to buy snacks. 

I can only suggest that if you do the Camino, despite what your guidebook tells you, DO NOT STAY HERE OVERNIGHT. We also discovered that the bar wouldn't be open for breakfast. So too bad if you need food to get you going in the morning. 

You know things are bad when you're so bored you go to church...