Luckily you don´t know in advance what lies ahead...hehe! Its dark and no brekky or coffee until Hontanas so 11km of clomping until happiness! BUT how rewarded, a super lil cafe bar in the Alburgue in Hontanas smelt sensational of fresh coffee and pastries - so an indulgence of a chocolate croissant and 2 grande cafe con leche LOVE LOVE LOVE! ;-) A break and 40mins and on we go. Thankfully the paths are less rocky and just sandy.
We are also rewarded with the amazing ruins of San Anton which you actually walk through - the road winds through the ruins - spectacular and somewhat eerie and moving. After Castrojeriz we tackle the less than appealing mountain and its started to pelt down with rain....a silent hot steamy walk up and up and up and the flies are teeny and like mini missiles heading directly for the eyes and mouth!!!
The mountain comes and goes....so does the rain but in its wake it leaves sticky boggy clay tracks and it layers on the boots in inches!! makes it a tough leg workout and not one you really need. Its a big attempt today and a hard last 4km slog - its tiring black clouds threaten across the sky and the desperation to get to the destination before the heavens fall open and dump the contents of the very black angry clouds that hover above! We do cross some spectacular landscape though and the colour combinations are amazing.
We finally find the Municipal Alburgue at almost 9hrs of walking and rain was a welcome sight. Luckily with only 1 bed left after we snatch 4. We walked as a mini group today - Yolande (from Colorado) and me with Glen & Brit. We find dinner at a small bar around the corner at another Alburgue and are served by a gruff and somewhat dishevelled looking chap who´s service elegance matched something from Fawlty Towers and gave us the absolute entertainment we needed!! he did end up laughing and smiling - despite his glasses with the arm missing and hanging lopsided on his face!
BIG day but a great end and dinner with great people and a new person we´ve met - Marshall from Holland who´s sense of humour matches us aussies ;-)
Hooray for some sandy trail!! Rain and sticky clay on the boots is a drag, but I would rather have that than the torturous rocky trail you have already passed. Very proud of you Jac!
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