Camino Frances Journal – Day 16

A glimpse into the journal I kept for all 38 days on the Camino Frances, including up to 10 photos (not necessarily the best pictures but more that they represent that day in some particular way). Today is day 16 – May 6^th. Burgos to Hornillos del Camino

I’d originally planned to take a rest day here but decided not to. I hope that I don’t come to regret it. My feet are in decent shape with just one small blister and some pain in the arches of my feet. …

Walking out of Burgos was slightly easier than going in. I ran into American Erica and we chatted the whole morning about everything from pop culture to politics. Erica is walking with another American woman, Charlene who is a shrink that works with cops and the FBI. In one of the small towns we passed through, we stumbled across an exhausted looking guy. Turns out he had been in Atapuerca [where I spent the night on May 4] the night before and left in the middle of the night. Apparently there had been a fight between two men re snoring and one kicked the bed of the snorer to wake him up. Patrick left because he says that as an iron worker, he doesn’t react well to loud arguments and fights. So he walked all night. We all walked together to Hornillos. …

The albergue we stayed at in this tiny tiny village was as bad as Redecillo. It smelled, it was cramped, and I didn’t even want to see the shower. Absolutely none of us showered that day. Instead, we got some snacks that was predominately wine, and hung out in the bar, then on a patio, and finally on the church steps. Aussie Claire turned up [she started the same day I did] – I’d not seen her in quite a while. …

After dinner, Erica and Patrick ran off Claire and Charlene once they started talking politics. It was highly entertaining time for me – Erica is very pro-liberal and pro-Obama and Patrick doesn’t trust Obama and votes Independent. …

Not really wanting to go to sleep, Erica and I went over to the bar and chatted with two Danish men. Lars is an artist and he showed us his fantastic sketch book. We had to be back at the albergue by 10pm as there was a curfew. Some of us hung out in the kitchen but the cranky hospitelera kicked us out. Once she left, Erica and I returned to the kitchen and snuck out the window. However, Erica wanted to go back to the bar and hang out with the Spanish men there – and that’s where I drew my line. So we went back to the kitchen and talked quietly by my red headlamp light. She was all hung up about this guy with whom she’d become good friends along the Camino who has seemed to all of a sudden blown her off. I don’t even know how the subject changed but all of a sudden, she was hitting on me and tried to drunkenly kiss me. I saw it coming a mile away so was able to escape rather gracefully. Gay, straight, bi, asexual – no one appreciates being an obvious rebound! Went back to the stinky room, huddled under my sleeping bag, and conked right out.