Monday 9th June 2014..Camino day 6!!

After dinner and posting the blog I asked the kind and friendly owner for some milk so to add to my luxurious stay I had the added pleasure of tea with milk!!!! Slept like the King of the Camino!!!!! Up at 7am and always I get my stuff sorted the night before and yes I still arrange and re arrange Wolf every day and was on the road by 7.30am you know it is going to be a good day when your first sight is an albeit small but nevertheless a waterfall!!! So let me tell you my plans.....if I go with the book I have been following today's route is around 27 km and the next day around 22 km and Wednesday 11 km taking me into Bilbao.....I have thought about it and contacted Estitxu' my couch surfing hostess and she has so kindly offered me to stay again with her and for extra days....so I wanted to do the hike today plus about 11 km off tomorrow's hike and then spend the night and tomorrow do a longish hike into Bilbao where I will stay tomorrow and then wait for it......have Wednesday as a REST DAY and explore a little of the city. So I knew I was in for what will be the longest hike of the Camino and it was 41km!!!!. Anyway I get a head of myself...the first part of today's walk was flat and by the river and through forests and would you know I had my I pod on and as I walking John Denver came on singing Rocky Mountain High and one of the versus was about walking in solitude with just the trees and the river!!!! Some of these people are crazy with their packs I saw the guy again this morning who had over 33 pounds in weight and he was taking the bus today! Another luck chicken!!!! Rounded the bend and who was there Eliza....she was not doing good and I sat with her for a few minutes but I had to go we said goodbye as we will probably not meet again..she was lovely and brave!! Then came the 1200 feet climb again a tough grind....well I really cannot decide if I prefer walking up hill or down hill...maybe neither!!! Some shots of today!! You can imagine the sng going through my head when i saw this on a wall!! At the monastery the song playing as I was walking through was Domingo singing Ava Maria......this cannot be coincidence!!! I bumped into Matt again AS I was in the hills came across this small house and the man invited me in for a cold drink he was really nice brought me a beer, check the name, and a juice we talked for a while another Camino moment!! Stopped in a small store and bought my fruit and bread and I was feeling good my calf problem from two days ago has gone. I passed the stopping point that the book would have me stay and walked another very tough 12 km up hill to the hostel it looks really nice and was run by a single man he told me there was no room but i could stay here for free!!! Just kidding there was room .one dormitory and 7 other guests!!! These are different kind of pilgrims from what I have seen before they are walking some but mainly by bus they are in the 40's I am still the oldest I have seen so far!! Just hope no one is an Olympian!!!!! I neeed to care of my feet so after laundrty I filled a big bowl with cold water and soaked my feet. The cost of the room was 15 Euros a bit high really but it is very clean and I did my laundry and had a great shower..they offered dinner for 15 Euro but I said no but asked if I could buy three eggs from him and would he boil them and he did so I really was not hungry so I enjoyed the two eggs and will make a sandwich tomorrow with the other one. So they have internet so after i do this I am ready for bed I know today was a long one but I am doing OK I think getting stronger a little bit each day now the other good thing is that as I said before today was the longest and also it is the end of the big climbs!!!! I was often asked why i am doing this and I always could not give and answer and said maybe when I have done it I will know..so far I have learned a few things about myself and some small changes I need to make to improve my life ......in no particular order: Make more time for my friends Eat fruit every day Practise Spanish every day Enjoy the little things in life that do not cost anything Just marvel at what my body can achieve and be so thankful for wonderful friends.. The left pin is where I am and the next pin where i walked from!!! Off to bed Yashi Kochi!!!!