Things are Closed on Sundays.
I decided that since I booked a place 25km ahead, I’d sleep in and walk really slowly all day. This worked out well since it rained all morning! I put my rain coat on and prepared to leave and as soon as I walked out the door, the rain quit! Nailed it! It was so, so, so pretty in the morning light. The clouds were settled on the mountains around and the air was after-rain clear and crisp. There were snails everywhere! Huge ones!
When I walked through the first town of the day (only 3km along) it was completely quiet. Total ghost town! I didn’t figure out why until the next town was also a ghost town and I remembered that it is Sunday. Things are closed on Sundays.
Luckily Puente la Reina is a much bigger town, and by the time I got there some cafes were opening.
There was coffee!
I practiced walking very slowly with a shorter stride for the next leg, moving very slowly. I treated myself to my first slice of Spanish tortilla, Google it! So good. In Cirauqui, there was some sort of wine festival happening. People had these neck-hangers for they’re wine glasses. HILARIOUS. So clever.
It was lonely, lonely trails to Villatuerta for the rest of the afternoon. It was late enough that the crowds had dissipated, and I walked not just alone as in ‘not next to anyone’ but also alone as in ‘no one in sight’. Spooky!
Arriving in Villatuerta, I found the Albergue. I also found that, of course, everything is still closed on Sundays!! No grocery store or restaurants were open. Luckily, I STILL had a bunch of bars and snacks from my airplane travels, and I was able to eat those.
My bunk mate just gave me some cheese, dates, and chocolate as well, so more snacks for tomorrow!!
