Montamarta to Tabara (17.01 miles / 27.40 k)

This morning I was all set to have my short 13.5 mile day to Granja de Morerulea and possibly get some well needed rest. I was getting ready to leave when Mikio, the Japanese pilgrim, told me his guide book showed two different ways to go from here. One was my planned route to Granja de Moreulea, and the other was to go directly to the next day stop in Tabara, where the Camino would lead you after Granja de Moreulea anyway. It was only a few miles further and would save an extra day. However, it was all on the highway, N-631. 

I have been a little concerned that I would not have enough time to finish the Plata before having to fly home so any savings in time sounded good. It had also rain last night, and it was suppose to rain most of the day today, so I was also concerned about the surface on the Camino. I had encountered a lot of soft dirt, and with the rain, it would make it tough pulling the Wheelie through possible muddy conditions.

So, I decided to take the road and started off with dark clouds threatening rain. I started a bit late as I had decided it was going to be my slow day and slept in an extra half hour. It didn’t matter much because with the cloud cover it was still dark after 8:30. 

The weather was actually nice to walk in as it was in the high forties. I had put the rain cover on the Wheelie and had my rain parka and pants ready. 

I started at a crawl because my right shin, right above my ankle, was swollen and very painful. I am not sure if it was because I had been favoring my left leg because my knee hurt, or if it was shin splint issue, or even the top of my boot rubbing against my shin. If it were any of them, I am sure it was cause by my limping with my left leg and causing an unusual motion with my right foot.

I knew that my day would be long as I limped through the first few miles. I was questioning what Mikio had told me, but my guide book is fairly limited in information and couldn’t confirm it. I stopped to take a break and Mikio surprised me by coming up from behind me. He had left forty-five minutes earlier, and he is a fast walker. He said he had gotten lost. That should have been my clue. 

When I got to the N-631 turn off I stopped and pondered what I should do? As hard as it was for me to walk, I figured the extra few miles wouldn’t make much of a difference if it gave me a shorter day another time or even a down day later.

So I started on the N-631. Within about a mile I questioned my decision. This was not like some of the sections of the frontage road (N-630) I had walked because there was lots of traffic and there was little to no shoulder. It was also a road where cars drive fast. At that point I had gone to far to turn around and stayed on it.

There were actually some very beautiful scenic sections going across the Rio Esla. The scene at the bridge was beautiful but it gave me some pause as it was a narrow two way bridge. I noticed some traffic waiting for the opposite traffic to cross before they entered the bridge. There was no sidewalk or shoulder. As I started across I noticed a memorial and photo on the bridge for someone that was killed on the bridge. I luckily made it across and even had a few cars stop and wait until I crossed before they entered the bridge. I was moving pretty slow as I was still limping. Phew!

I felt pretty frustrated because when you are by yourself it is hard at times to get out of yourself and think positive. All I could think of was the pain in my knee and ankle/shin with every step. It’s not a first because I have experience lots of highs and lows on my various treks, and usually all it takes is something to break that negative train of thought. 

Then I saw it! There in front of me were two or three hundred sheep grazing in the field right next to the road. But there was no fence? And I’d seen the road signs warning of the animal on the road. 

And then I saw the Shepard sitting in the grass, with a German Shepard sitting next to him. Wow, what a photo! The Shepard had on a wide brim hat, big print jacket, and an umbrella strapped to his back. If there was ever an image of a peaceful scene in Spain, this was it! 

I decide to cross the street and get a candid photo, but the Shepard heard me and stood up and faced me. It was a woman, maybe in her late thirties! She turned to me with a smile and said hello. Her dog ran up to greet me, and she gave it a command and it immediately stopped and laid on the ground. It was a German Shepard but obviously a sheep dog.  

I asked if I could take a picture of her and she gave me a sweet shy smile, straightened her hat, and tucked her hair in a bit. I got a photo of her but I will always remember that first peaceful image of her just sitting there watching the sheep. 

I went back to walking but that negative train of thought was gone. My steps felt lighter and I was not limping quite as much. It started to rain and I still managed to stay positive.

About half an hour later a black car stopped on the opposite side of the highway. Wow, it was my German pilgrim friend Paul! It had been four or five days since we walked together and then went in separate directions. I knew he was stopping in Salamanca, so seeing him was a surprise and a great joy.

He stepped out of the car holding a can of Nestea Ice Tea, which was what I drank every time we’d stop at a store. I had commented that I had more ice teas while with him than I have every had.

We gave each other a handshake and a hung, as I was really glade to see him. Surprised of course too. I ended up sitting in the car with him and wondered about the wisdom in doing so as I might have a hard time starting again.

He had brought some bread and cream cheeses and offered it to me. At first I said no thanks, and then remembered that I hadn’t bought anything because the store were closed. Once I started to eat I realized how hungry I was. 

Paul had seen my blog, and was heading towards Madrid to catch his flight back to Germany tomorrow and saw where I was going today. He drove that section of the Camino looking for me, including some of the dirt roads he said. He then found a pilgrim that told him I was taking this route.

Besides bringing me the drinks and food, Paul bought me a Spanish Sims card for my iPhone so I could make calls there and to the USA for pennies, and also have a lot of data use available. I had added an expensive package to my phone service but it only gave me 256 mb of data and calls to the USA were $1.50 per minute. With this Sims card had 5 gigs of data and $.01 a minute calls to the USA. It also allowed me to make calls in Spain. Having Paul stop to see me was great, and made my day, but the Simms card was fantastic!

Paul offered me a ride to town, which I of course turned down, but I really wanted to take it. He then offered to take me to one of Spain’s bath houses, and that really tempted me. A hot soak for my aching body, heaven! I just knew that if I did, it would have been hard starting back up tomorrow. 

I walked the rest of the day in the rain and finally made it to Tabara a little before five. It was a long day for me because I had walked so slow with my limp. And before I reached town, Paul had driven back out and tempted me once more.

Paul installed the Simms card for me and also installed a Camino app that gives live detailed maps and alberque locations. Even with the new Sims card I can still use all my apps that I had on my phone.

I checked into the hotel as I wanted a private room. All that was available was a private room with a shared bath, 25€, including diner. I got the room and did my usual laundry and hung my clothes to dry in the room. 

I had wanted to buy food for tomorrow, but the mercado is closed today because it’s a national holiday. Getting groceries and food in Spain has been a challenge anyway, and holidays makes it worse.

We went to the cafe for coffee and then diner at my hotel. Food was fair and the hotel was a little less than fair, but that is the Camino, you never know what you’ll get or find. 

For me it started off as a challenging day that turned out to be a great day. I had one of those experience you hear about on the Camino, and that was meeting someone that you connected with in a short period of time. Hopefully we will stay in touch and continue to be friends with even though we live in different countries.

Tomorrow it is suppose to de a rainy day again. Walking in the rain is not what I am looking forward to, but I think it’s better than the heat. My plans are for a short day again but I never seem to stick to my plans anyway.

Best wishes,

Ted

The church and cemetery at the edge of town at sunrise

Early morning on the road out of town

The bridge crossing

The bridge crossing. Note the memorial on the right behind the guard rail

Ruins along the road 

Shepard watching her sheep

Shepard was a she

Paul bring me my ice tea. Reinactment of course.

And then he wanted to give me a giant bottle 

Tabara 

My painfully swollen right shin. Yes, that’s dirt on my leg.