Rabanal del Camino to Molinaseca 26km

Didn’t wake up until 8:30, I must have really needed a sleep. It’s so nice just hearing the birds singing lying in your warm sleeping bag. Definitely makes carrying the extra weight all this way, worth it, I expect. Packed away really slowly, to see if I can get everything dry. The tarp was pretty wet when I put it up and I haven’t used it for three days, can’t be doing any good.

Just sitting around, and the Irish ladies passed by. Its nice how you keep seeing the same faces. I’d identified an easy day today, only 25km, and stopping at the town before the Camino Francés and the Camino de Invierno diverged. The idea was to give me some planning time, to check my plans for the Invierno. This is because the accommodation and food is more sporadic.

I’ll say now, today wasn’t easy, infact I think it became one of the hardest for a number of reasons. The first being to not have a proper breakfast, just an orange and a small packet of biscuits (and not drinking much water). The other reasons will manifest themselves during the day. I packed up the tent (tarp) and was on the road by 10. This was one of the reasons, as all my walking would be at the hottest time. It was really nice walking, all off-road and on reasonably wide tracks, which gradually climbed to the Cruz de Ferro. This is the highest point on the Camino Francés at 1,530 meters, but not my  highest point which was 1,900 or so on the Vadiniense, where I topped out to a surprise car park after many hours of climbing.

It has a really nice feel, pilgrims bring stones and messages from their hometown to leave around the cross. There is a small Chapel and it was a nice place to sit and reflect.

I was still feeling pretty good, as I had stopped for a coffee and cake on the way up, but a niggling pain in my left shin was getting a bit worse. I’d had it for a few days  but stretches and rubbing it had kept it minor. Its still not really bad, but was slowing me up a bit.

It was on the way down, I may have unwittingly (stupidly, and serves me right) exacerbated it. I’d been passing and repassing a guy, with a shell (fair enough) and a white enamelled mug (why!) hanging off his pack. It was fine until one point, he was taking a photo, saw me coming, and suddenly picked up his pack and headed off stepping on the track 3 metres in front of me. Now call me old fashioned but it was pretty rude, he should have let me pass, and then I would have let him go if he was faster. This is in the Camino Highway Code (that I am writing!). Anyway, I had two options. That I should stop, let him get a distance, and then set off at my own pace. OR, I should sit on his ass, clanking my poles far more than necessary, and hound him down the mountain at a suitable distance that didn’t suggest I wanted to pass. I think we may have covered over 3km before he yielded and pulled off. I expect this is the first documented occurance of “Camino Rage”. I said “Ola” as we passed, but he knew!!

It was really nice to be walking without the clanking tin cup. I can’t imagine any purpose for it on the Camino. Anyway I soon became at peace with the Camino once more.

This maybe one of the reasons my shin hurt more, and I got really tired. I have learnt a lesson. Obviously, as he pulled over, I had to keep going, which wasn’t a problem but I did stop after a few kms for a drink. I was having a chat to an Australian and German guy, when he went past with a nod. I thought the descent hadn’t been too tricky, but really should have stopped at the village for some food. The others were looking for accomodation,  but as I had only walked 18 km, with about 7 km to go. I just pushed on. This is another (main?) reason.

The path down from El Acebo to Molinaseca was narrow, incredibly stoney, uneven and really steep in places. Also, it was baking in the afternoon sun. It was only 6km, and I only saw two other groups, a single guys and a couple with camping equipment. We all passed each other at various points where enough shade could be found to stop in. It was desperate, tiredness, complicated terrain, heat and no food (it was like “bonking” on a bike ride). I had loads of water but no food, although I did resort to an energy jel, I thrown into my pack as a last thought. I dont think it did much good, but my sticky fingers, making everything else sticky, occupied my mind until I got to Molinaseca.

Until, the last bit I was fully thinking about planning for the Invierno, but during it, I think I should focus on just finishing the Camino rather than going too far off the beaten track. I had collected some pros & cons to help decide.

Cons – Invierno is 60km longer, Invierno is more hilly, Invierno needs more planning with longer distances between accomodation/food, Invierno is quieter which might be a shock after the Francés

Pros – Invierno is quieter, Invierno is more beautiful, I did say I was going to do it, I was feeling the same before turning off the Camino del Norte, the Francés is busy but you still get plenty of time to yourself, there are more pharmacy services on the Francés.

However, my shin is going to get worse, not better, and easier miles must win over. I can come back some time and spend a week doing the Invierno. It’s a complete walk on its own. Therefore, I will finish on the Camino Francés, 220 km to go. I slept on this, and I’m still sure it’s the right decision.

Anyway, finishing the blog of todsys walk, i saw the biggest lizard yet on the path. It was magnificent, with a bright green body, and an electric blue neck/head. It was about 100mm long. Looking it up, it is the Ocellated Lizard, or Jewelled Lizard, really nice to see and much slower than the tiny wall lizards that scurry away in front of you as you walk.

Molinaseca is a really nice village, with loads of people dipping in the river. I would have loved to have paddled, but had no effort left to clamber down. I found my room over a small supermarket and looked at the damage of the day. One of the tougher days, and many lessons learnt!