Breakfast was included with our stay at Embalse del Alcantara. Self-serve, the hospitalera left out carafes of coffee and juice, and there was bread to toast, croissants and little cakes to eat. A little like home, having a refill of coffee as you wish and helping yourself to what you like. It passed the time until it was light enough to leave.
It was another special morning as I was able to see the setting moon's reflection over the lake, then once I topped the hill I was climbing, to see the sun broach the distant peaks and in just an instant it was Day. Then I could see nothing for the next hour and a half as the sun was directly in my eyes!
I chose to bypass the intermediary town, Canaveral, but just after there was a lovely picnic area where Anna caught up with me and shared her energy-giving chocolate covered peanuts with me. Luckily too as we were immediately faced with a very steep climb in the now hot sun only to be rewarded with the lovely cooling shade of a pine forest at the top. It's amazing how sound is deafened by trees, how the nearby highway noise can be muffled so one hears only the occasional bird chirping, the wind through the branches, and my gasping for breath!
We descended into a lovely cork forest, (I was following Anna at this point) and after 30mins or so followed the signs off the route for the next albergue and our stop for the night.
We arrived in the one bar town of Grimaldo at about 12:30pm = a very long 20 kilometer day even though I was doing a fairly good pace. There were a couple of detours for new roadworks in the morning, perhaps there was some hidden somewhere there? Anyway, who should we meet waiting at the albergue but Limping Christian! Now renamed as he hasn't walked in 3 days due to tendonitis. He's been taking the bus each day to rest his foot but why stop in this less-than-a-hamlet?
The albergue is very ....basic. Three tiny bunkrooms with saggy mattresses and a bathroom so narrow you have to sidle thru sideways. It's also donativo (donation) but has plenty of hot water, a free washing machine, and a bar next door. The bar was closed when we arrived with a sign saying they'd be back in hour; according to Christian, the sign was there when he arrived 2.5 hrs ago! I was already starving, and had eaten all my little cakes and had just consumed my emergency packet of airline pretzels when the owner arrived. Sustenence was to be delayed, however, and we all had to be sated with beer and olives until the Menu del Dia would be ready at 2:30pm.
During our wait and subsequent meal 6 additional pilgrims arrived, only to find the albergue full! There's only place for 12 so they were forced to take a taxi to the next town. Such is the Camino at Easter time.
Anna and I have been discussing the next couple of days and have decided to play it by ear but tentatively plan to walk two long days to stay in less popular towns and perhaps stay ahead of the crowds. We'll see how it goes. For now we have a bed for tonight, a beer in hand, and clean clothes drying in the sun!
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