Castrojeriz to Fromista

I don´´t think I have mentioned it before but I am in cuckoo land. Really. It took me a wee while to work out wtf I was hearing. I would hear church bells but also (sometimes at the wrong time) I would hear a really loud cuckoo clock. Except of course it wasn´´t a cuckoo clock but the real thing - real cuckoos. I haven´´t ever heard one except on a cuckoo clock. Gees they make a din. And today they made a real din for the whole 25km.

Did my 10km, had breakfast, then did another 10km where I found a fantastic spot. When you see a combination of an actual seat, actual shade and an actual fountain you just have to stop. I was going to press on until lunchtime but it was too good. Took my boots off and soaked my feet in cool water, gave my hat a good soaking while I was at it, then mixed up some ofthe electrolytes and sat quietly drinking the lot. By the time I was finished I felt as thoough I had had lunch.

Electrolytes are one of a fewthings that I brought that I am really really glad to have brought. It is very depleting walking without shade in 30 degrees and they feel so good to drink.

While I am on it, other things that I am very pleased to have brought are two good walking sticks. They cost around $100-120 each at Kathmandu and are not usually in their sales. But there was an outlet store near Peka Peka and I picked up two for $90. I tried to persuade Leonie to buy some and warned her off buying any on trademe. I had done that in the past, thinking a pole is a pole but had them crap out on me. Incidentally she was not persuaded, bought one for $20 on trademe which didn´´t even last the first kilometre, bought another cheapie for 12 euros, that didn´´t last 5km. Then we didn´´t see any for sale until just before we parted when she bought two more for 10euros each. I hate to think how many she will trundle through  before she bites the bullet and buys good ones.

One other piece of equipment that is worth its (very little) weight in gold is an eco bag Andree bought me with instructions from Kevin Rudd to go forth and spend to prop up the economy in the recession. It fits in my passport wallet bag and is useful for carrying laundry, shopping for food, and a thousand other things. Thanks Andree!
I have a few things I haven´´t used but can´´t throw out - warm layers and a microfibre towel. I will need these if it gets cold or rainy but so far no rain.

Anyway, back to Fromista.

This was a nice stop, made nicer by being waved into a light airy bar by a Dutch woman I had met with her husband as I walked out of Burgos. She asked if she could buy me a glass of sangria and asked me to come sit with them. Hard to refuse an ice fruity wine drink when it is 32 outside. So in I went. They also had a Japanese man, Mr Wanatabe with them who they had met taking pictures. Of course Mr Wanatabe, lke all Japanese has his protocol to follow and I was pressed to accept postcards of Mt Fuji. Poor man. I hate to think what his pack must weigh if he has to carry sufficient postcards for everyone he has a drink with.

Mr Wanatabe left and a late afternoon sangria turned into late afternoon sangrias and before you know it it was dinner time. This Dutch couple were interesting; my age, couldn´´t have children. She has owned and run a womens fashion store for 25 years and grown it to the point where she now has 18 employees, though not all full time. He has been the psychologist at a university counselling centre. They both love what they do. Their names are Jos (pronounced yoss) and Jose (pronounced yo zay).

All too soon the evening was over as we realised that it was almost 10pm and the albergue would be closing. It will be nice if I see them again though they are taking their time. They began way up in France and have already been walking for 2 months.