5/10 Missing Bill

It's been 12 1/2 years since Bill died.  I have gone through all the stages of grief and revisited a few of them.  It is particularly hard for me to see couples together...retired, traveling, growing old together.  I'm doing the best I can, but sometimes I.just.miss.him.  I miss his laugh, I miss his care for me...the me who says in so many ways I don't need care, I miss his love and wisdom for our kids and grandkids.  I think I'm supposed to do something with all of that on this Camino, but I'm not exactly sure what.  I don't think grief is something you can just decide not to have.  

We took the alternate route from Calzada del Coto to Reliegos.  No people, wide roads of soft dirt (well, for the first half of the day, anyway), and another stunning sunrise.

We are staying in a newer albergue in Religios, nicely decorated with modern fixtures.  Uno problemo grande...there is no water.  So...after almost 29 kilometers, there will be no shower.  They don't want anyone using the toilets either.  Could get interesting.

Remember last night's albergue...the donativo?  Well, the man who runs it was very generous when we arrived...brought out a bowl of fresh, cold strawberries that he had in the refrigerator.  He was middle-aged and seemed a little awkward with 3 women.  We were the only ones at the albergue for a long time.  We told him that we were going to find the bar and supermarket and I "thought" he kiddingly told Francine in Spanish to bring him back one beer.  But we left, and shopped, and ate and when we came back he was talking to a young man who was also spending the night.

This morning we were up and ready to go around 6:30 and he had bread cut for toast and coffee made.  So sweet.  And I remembered the beer comment.  I know I need to be better about trusting how I read people...he may have been kidding about bringing him back one beer, but if I had said...with a smile..."I would very much like to bring you a beer," I think it would have made him glad.

We had a drink in the famous Elvis bar that is in Reliegos.  The owner was quite the character.  I loved it.