On the 19th of April 2013, I walked from Villatuerte Puente to Torres Del Rio, a distance of about 30.5 kilometres if you do not get lost and have to retrace your steps. The mountains had disappeared by now, but the continuous walking was starting to take its toll on me. The blisters on my feet were so very sore and my body felt as if it was in a state of terminal exhaustion – but I kept going. Pilgrimage is a way of learning exactly who you are and that is always painful. I rebandaged my feet and replastered them in the ointments. The pain from my feet remained intense – and the start of the day’s walking was especially painful. Once again, when I arrived at the albergue at the end of the day’s walking, I could barely stand.
By the end of the walk on that fifth day, my body was in shock – even though I had been a bush walker for at least 15 years by then. Walking for a limited number of days is completely different from making your body walk continuously all day, every day.
My wife Margaret thought I was crazy to do this to myself. Those reading this blog might think the same.
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On Friday the 19th of April 2013, I once again started walking before dawn and I took this photo just as dawn was starting.
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This is me while en route to Torres Del Rio on the 19th of April 2013. My feet were much sorer than the day before and the aches throughout my body had got much worse. Although the Camino took us through countryside that was far less steep than on previous days, my body was aching continuously by this stage.
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This is some of the very pretty Spanish countryside that I walked through on 19th of April.
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John and Peter, Australian peregrinos with whom I walked that Friday.
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As an Australian, anything that is more than 100 years old is ancient. Walking the Camino was a culture shock. Knowing in your mind that other countries have existed for centuries is different from walking through countryside that is studded with buildings that are ALL hundreds of years old – or older. This brought home to me just how young Australia is as a country.
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I had plenty of company as I toiled my way through the cold and rain towards Torres Del Rio on 19 April 2013. Even in mid April, there were multitudes of peregrinos walking the Camino, but there were still plenty of beds in the albergues.
Diary Entry Made on Friday 19 April 2013 at 6:12 pm
I am now at Torres Del Rio, after yet another long day. Today was very cold and more or less a continuous grind - interspersed with beautiful countryside. At least the continuous stony ground seems to have gone away for now.
I started walking at 6:30 am in the dark and got here at 3:45 pm. Two short stops for coffee and one longer one for orange juice and omelette roll (boccadillo). I walked for much of the day with two separate groups of Australians. John and Peter were Catholics from Melbourne. A separate group of four pilgrims were from Melbourne and have walked together for years. I am not sure about that particular group.
I walked first with the group of four and then walked ahead to walk with John and Peter. The group of four were behind us - perhaps 100 metres. The three of us at one point came to a T junction where there was no Camino direction sign. We realised at this juncture that we must have missed a turn and we retraced our steps about one kilometre until we found where the Camino had diverged from the track that we had continued on. Later that day I left John and Peter in Arcos where they checked into an albergue. I wanted to travel on but I stopped for a lunch break. The group of four Aussies sat down and joined me shortly after I had sat down. One of them asked me how long it had taken before we had realised that we were on the wrong track. Clearly they saw that we were going the wrong way but (apparently) didn't try to alert us that we were going the wrong way. Perhaps they did try though and were unsuccessful in gaining our attention. Who knows. I would prefer to think that they did make an effort but failed.
I had three blisters on my right foot when I started walking this morning. I applied roll on lubricant, second skin and taped the feet up thoroughly. I was able to walk okay although both feet are extremely sore.
Tomorrow I aim for Navarette, beyond Logrono.
Distance Walked Today: 30.5 kilometres.
Total Distance Walked So Far: 141.7 kilometres.
Soul Song Number 6 - Blistering Cold
(19 April 2013)
Well, you prayed for relief from the heat.
Today you got it.
Although you started the day in your shirt and no jumper,
That didn't last long.
The drizzling rain might have quickly run out of energy,
But the cold was much more persistent.
The bitter cold came as a totally uninvited and unwanted guest.
At least three times you pulled your gloves on,
As shivering finger refused their lawful allegiance.
Yes it was cold,
Still it was a welcome relief from the heat.
By contrast, there was nothing welcome about the blisters.
Your feet didn't need the blisters.
Wasn't it enough that your legs ached?
And ached?
And ached?
Wasn't it enough that your back ached in sympathy with your legs?
You knew it didn't really matter though.
Weren't you growing closer to The Saint?
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