Ok well it was good to see Bryce and Ray in Torres Del Rio. Once I had showered we went down and had a drink and chattered for quite a bit of the afternoon. Ray has just finished a health science degree in Ireland and is walking the Camino filling in time he is Catholic and from Ireland. Bryce is a judge in the equivalent in Australia of the employment tribunal. He is Greek Orthodox and started attending church a few years ago and has really enjoyed the purpose and perspective that it has brought in life. We opted for the Pilgrims dinner at the hostel it sounded pretty good. The Hostel had a knights Templar theme which was pretty funny. It was family run and was a little like a Spanish faulty towers. When we went for dinner there was red wine and water on the tables. They brought the first course which was a large bowl of lentils. I presumed that this was the first course but no this was the main course and ten they brought some lettuce raw onion and tomatoes drowned in dressing, and that was dinner done apart a small piece of tiramisu which was very nice, The lentils were actually quite nice as well. After the dinner we went to the village shop to get an ice-cream as the tiramisu was pretty small.
When we returned they were having a sing along with the guests around the piano
It was a little awkward. But they finished relatively quickly and then we were able to go upstairs. We got ready for bed and the normal routine is to make sure that you have everything ready to hot the road early the next morning. Did that and got into bed with my sleeping bag liner thankfully this hostel had blankets because it had turned a bit chilly the last couple of nights and I was col the previous night. This bed also had a bit of a banana feel to it as well. But not as bad as the previous place. I managed to get to sleep pretty quickly thanks to the loop ear plugs that Yona recommended that I get. But even with the loop ear plugs in I was still woken by a very loud group not sure if they were coming of going at about 3:30am and I struggled to get back to sleep after that. Any way I decided to get up just after 4:00am and lance my blister again as the prospect of walking with it filled with liquid did not trill me. Funny story as I was sitting on the toilet with the lid down with my head torch on so that I could see there was an almighty bang and I wondered what the hell had happened. It was the toilet lid breaking into 3 pieces obviously not as tough as they are in NZ and it made a huge noise. Anyway I collected the pieces and put them in the corner and then continued with my task of getting ready.
Once I was a ready I headed downstairs to wait for the others and they came done just after 6:00am. To say that it was dark was an understatement, but we also had this mist of fog that was very fine rain. We all put on our wet weather gear and headed off into the dark trying to navigate or way. Again it was another uphill and it wasn’t easy to find our way but better with 3 rather than one of us. We came accross another couple of pilgrims also heading out and we passed them and continued on our way. There wasn’t much to see for the first hour at least and then the only sign that the sun was rising was that the sky was a little lighter and I didn’t really need my headlamp any more. We forged on I think it was just over 7 kilometres through some pretty step inclines up and down and mud, and water. It was just under 10kms to Viana where we were able to stop and get some coffee and breakfast. The Spanish omelette wasn’t the best one that any of us had, but it still hit the spot. But then we went to a bakery that we passed about a hundred meters back that was very popular with the locals. It was great. I purchased two very small Pain au chocolat they were nice but not as good as the fresh one I had the other day.
We. Hit the road again heading for Logroño, it was about another 10 kms to go Logroño is a reasonable size city so it takes a long time to walk in from the outskirts. As we were walking I felt a tingling on my right heel and I stopped to check and sure enough I had a matching blister for the left side. Not great Bryce put a blister dressing on for me and we headed off again. About another couple of kms down the road I could feel something on the sole of my right foot. So we stepped again took everything off and I had a blister forming on the sole of my foot. I changed my socks and then decided that I would swap to my shoes like crocs for the last part of the walk today. This was a good decision as the blister didn’t get any worse.
When we arrived at 11:30am we went to the hostel that we intended to stay in but they were not going to be open till 2:00pm and it was forecast to rain soon. So we looked on booking.com and I found us a really good pod hostel just around the corner for 27 euros each so we booked it and we could check in at 1:00pm. We went off to have a drink and some food until then. And then headed back to the hostel at 1:00pm. Initially they were no booking and then headed found it with great relief from all of us. We were shown to our beds and I organised our washing 8 euros for all of us to wash and dry our laundry. But dry is a bit generous perhaps! But pretty good, the beds showers and toilets all clean and nice. the showers were a bit cramped but hot and good pressure. Then I put my disposable sheet and pillow case on and that was a bit of a mission. You have to stretch them and lift the mattress at the same time to get them on hopefully without ripping them. After we had all showered we decided to head out for some lunch I hobbled along, after looking at several places with terrible reviews we went to a burger place I spotted and it was very good. Then I headed off to the pharmacy to try and purchase a needle and some thread, so that I could bread my blisters. Now this is a Camino thing you need to drain the fluid from blisters so that they dry out and heal so you can keep walking with them.
But when i made it to the pharmacy and used the translate app they were no you cannot do that you need to dress them and leave them alone to heal. Anyway after a few mins discussion I purchased some sterile gauze and some dressings. And headed back to the Hostel feeling a little deflated at the prospect of walking with them like they were today again. But when I got back to the hostel I decided ask if they had any needles and thread and they did. Now I now lots of you are going no Mike you can’t do that. Well it is ok I had a lighter to sterilise the needle and Bryce had some Meths to sterilise the thread so I setup at the table at the hostel using a coke bottle lid to hold the Meths and curled the thread up to soak it. Then I managed to thread the needle twice and drew the thread through each blister leaving it in place so that it continues to drain. But then being worried about the sterile nature of everything I placed some sterile gauze over the top and then a sterile dressing as well. So hopefully with some rest over night I will be good to go. I was thinking about a rest day tomorrow, but I think i will take the option to send my bag ahead and walk without that tomorrow as I think my feet will cope better. Walking with Bryce and Ray was really good today it helped to lift my spirits and I really appreciated their support.
Anyway that is it for me for the moment I need to go sort my gear and then find some dinner.
Nga mihi
Mike
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