5/9 A Glass Half Full

We opted for an easy day.  It was supposed to be about 20 kilometers to Calzada del Coto, but we met just outside of Sahagan and made a little detour to La Peregrina.  Total for the day was 25 kilometers.  La Peregrina is a museum of sorts with some pretty amazing artifacts from the Templar period and if you want a "halfway" compostela, you can get one there.  Halfway meaning you're halfway between St. Jean Pied de Port and Santiago de Compostela. Hard to believe I have walked a little over 250 miles in the past 18 days, but I think the compostela in Santiago is enough for me.  Polly and Francine both decided to get the halfway certificates.

Some of those things make you think of Monty Python and The Holy Grail, don't they?  

We had about 5 minutes of very light rain while we were in the museum and thought we would duck into a bar for lunch and give the weather time to return to its sunny self, but the bar closes at noon and reopens at 2.  Siesta time.  A lot of businesses, particularly restaurants in Spain do this.  Gotta pay attention if you want to eat.  

The little town of Calzada del Coto has a donation albergue...you pay what you can.  There is a box somewhere near the entrance for donations.  I don't think they would turn any pilgrim away if the Pilgrim had no money..

We shopped at a tiny grocery store in town for dinner.  The entire store is the size of my living room.  The woman made us bocadillas on thick crusty bread with ham, cheese, tomato and olive oil.  I think the sandwich was 4 dollars.  I wonder how they make a living with a tiny store making few sales throughout the day.

I have been paying attention to how people are carrying their stuff.  Yesterday I saw an older couple and I could tell her feet were bothering her.  She was walking slowly...gingerly...with just a small daypack.  Her husband had a 60 liter pack that was full.  He was carrying all the weight...easing her load.

Another woman did not have a backpack at all.  She had a shoulder sling that held some gear, and a shopping bag that held the rest.  She smiled as I passed her, but her load looked uncomfortable.

New blister today...not complaining, just reporting.  If I am diligent to stop and give my feet a rest, they seem to do fine, but if I press on and on and on without resting, they rebel.  I am pretty sure there is a life lesson in there somewhere.