It started at Gatwick airport in the UK. It seemed like just about every passenger was speaking in Spanish. Then when I went to board my Vueling flight to Bilbao, it was clear that I was one of a handful of non-Spanish passengers. It is a really good reminder of what it is like to be in a minority and to have very little idea of what is being said around you. I did try out the live translation feature on my AirPods. That was interesting. Some things were really clear, and others were gobbledygook.
The flight was straightforward and without issue. I was at the very back of the plane and was the last one to get off. When we arrived at immigration, it seemed that they had dismissed the majority of the staff for the evening. It was almost 11:00 pm after all. Initially, there was only one officer processing the entire plane. Then a colleague finally joined him, and things sped up. I went through without any issues, and my pack was waiting for me at the luggage claim. So all and all, it was a win all around. It was either 20 Euros for a taxi that would take 20 mins to the hostel I was to stay at or 10 Euros for 3 buses that would take about 90 mins. I caught the taxi. When I arrived, check-in was closed, but the security guard was great and sorted me out and showed me to my bed.
I had to unpack my pack and sort things out and head for a shower. I am so pleased I brought a suction hook that my father-in-law, David, gave me for our GPS in the car. It stuck to the door and gave me the option to keep my things dry while I showered. You had to press the button for the shower to work, no temperature dial, just as it is. Luckily, it was warm. You had to press it every 10 seconds, or the water stopped. I was thinking I could install something similar at home for my teenagers, and it would save me some serious dollars. But I don’t think I would be that popular.
When I returned to the room, all the lights were out and the blinds drawn. So I quietly tried to sort my stuff with my head torch on red. (If you know, you know.) Thankfully, I had made the bed up before I went to the shower, and it was exactly as my mate Blue said: a long, funny pillow with a pillowcase that had two open ends. And a base sheet that was incredibly tight, so I had to bend the mattress to get it on. I think I managed to get to sleep relatively quickly. But at about 3:00 am, the train station opened for business. Not a literal train station but people getting up to go off to their next destination. And the trains didn’t stop coming some were noisier than others, some even yelled out, “Oh shit! Because they must have slept through their alarm. Anyway, at 5:00 am, I decided it was time for my train to leave as well. And from now on, I will be using earplugs to sleep. Currently, I am waiting to catch the first of three buses and a train to get me to Saint Jean PDP.
It is always bizarre to arrive in a place at night and have no bearings about where things are.
I had such an amazing time in the UK, but the last day provided two ironic food moments for me. Those that know me know that I will eat just about anything. But there are a few things that irritate my gut and also my mouth. At the conference yesterday, they had been so thoughtful arranging gluten-free sandwiches for me, which I so appreciate. But I had to laugh when I looked at the fillings. Tuna, I am pretty sure, and cucumber. Now, I like cucumber, but it doesn’t like me much; it can have the same effect as regular bread. But thankfully, the cucumber was so thinly sliced that you could hardly notice it. Sue and Joth, if you are reading this, know that I didn’t experience any ill effects from it all. Then, when I got to the airport after finding that 3/4 of all the charging ports at Gatwick International didn’t work, I finally found one that did. As I sat charging my almost flat phone, I thought about what I might have for dinner. And sushi caught my eye. I love sushi, so I was thinking some good teriyaki chicken rolls will be great, or some katsu chicken, by alas, that wasn’t available. So I settled for some teriyaki chicken on rice, and it had some green stuff mixed with it, and I thought, take the healthy option. How wrong was I? It turns out that the green stuff was chopped-up coriander. Who puts coriander with sushi? I mean, really. Coriander makes my tongue feel furry. There was no mention of coriander anywhere, but I wasn’t going to waste the sushi, so I covered it with teriyaki sauce and forced it down. And then had a furry tongue for the next hour or two. I mean, what are the chances that I get both of them in one afternoon?
Anyway, back to today. I have made it to SJPDP, almost missed one of my buses in Bilbao. But I made it, and that is definitely a place that I want to go back and have another look at. The trip was pretty uneventful apart from one leg that I thought was a bus was actually a train. And one leg that was supposed to be a train was replaced with a bus as there was maintenance on the line. I have checked into my accommodation and had a feed as I didn’t eat for most of the day. I met a lovely Canadian lady called Karen. I sat next to her on the final bus leg. She was so kindly translating what the bus driver was yelling at us all about our bags. Karen is back to complete a Camino journey that she started 10 years ago. The journey begins with interactions with interesting people who all have their own reasons for being here. This afternoon I visited the Pilgrim’s office here in SJPDP to register as a Pilgrim officially. So I am officially registered as a Pilgrim. I have my passport and my first stamp. I am feeling somewhat nervous but also excited to start the journey tomorrow.
Buen Camino
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