Day 31 on the Via de la Plata
21km to Villar de Farfon
Day thirty-one; officially one whole month on the road. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, but somehow, suddenly, there’s not all that much left to go.
There was the possibility that today could be a long day at 28km; there was a tiny village on the way with a cool-sounding albergue run by a South African couple who had purchased and done up an old building with the intention of turning into a resting place for pilgrims - plus the guide also mentioned a cute cat.
However, they only had four spaces and I largely doubted that there would be beds free by the time I got there. Walking was sluggish and I had a headache too - I hadn't had a short day in a while so perhaps I was flagging a little. I think I got so used to walking in the cold weather (and enjoying it) that the now burning hot weather is devouring all my energy. I crossed my fingers.
There was a slight climb today and I was rewarded with a beautiful dam crossing. If I'd had more time I would've gone for a dip. I should have gone anyway. About an hour from the village, I got a text from Michel that they were all at the Albergue and they were waiting for me! That was unexpected and so lovely.
Even more unexpected and lovely; I arrived not long after to find that no one had claimed the beds. The guys had been waiting for me to find out if I was going to stay or carry on. It was a gorgeous house and had taken a full decade to renovate from a dilapidated traditional Spanish house. There were exactly four of us after all, it was fate surely? I decided to stay and they did too, and so our little Camino family came together another night.
It was wonderful, a peaceful village miles away from roads and noise and stress. My favourite kind of place to be, though sadly it’s not all good for living, and making a living. These kinds of villages are a disappearing way of life in Spain - this one had a population of less than ten.
Having finished early in the day, I rested and caught up with some TV while the others napped, read or did some washing. Halfway through Game of Thrones, I suddenly noticed a tapping through my headphones; it had started to rain and it was coming down in buckets, hammering away on the metal roof of our little room. I’m so glad I decided not to walk on! It hadn't been forecast to rain when I last looked and there hadn't even been that many clouds when I'd moved inside away from the burning sun. We all raced outside to bring in our washing.
I’m frustrated I didn’t write down the names of the couple who ran the albergue, but we all sat around the table with a freshly-made herb tea and spoke at length to the man who regaled us with tales of their former life as missionaries, their reasons for coming here and how they built up the farmhouse, keeping traditional elements they’d found from its previous existence - old, metal farming equipment hanging on the walls.
We dined together again, eating a classic Asturian winter warmer called “fabada” cooked by the hospitalero. A slow-cooked stew of beans and meat, though I gifted away my bits of chorizo as I don't eat meat. It was the perfect dish for a surprisingly cool evening after what felt like a long, hot slog of a day.
During dinner, a knock at the door. It was late for pilgrims to still be walking but we opened the door to find a man and his dog - an incredibly gorgeous young husky who I fell in love with. This day could literally not get any better. He was walking on to the next town - he told us that he preferred to walk later and in the night, and had knocked to see about a break and a hot drink.
I spent the entire time playing with the husky and was sad to see her go. I wondered about walking in the evening; I thought it might be wonderful to walk during the sunset and do some night-walking as well, but I didn’t feel too confident about it… maybe another time.
Until next time,
A x
About me
Hey! Ameena here - I’m a freelance portraiture and documentary photographer based in London. I enjoy telling stories about adventure, the outdoors, and our relationship with the natural world.
In this newsletter, I’m digitally retracing my steps on the Camino de Santiago. From March to May 2019, over 45 days, I walked over 900km along the Via de la Plata (the Silver Way) route of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain.
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The first thing that came in my mind about walking in the night is how I would wish to try it but don't feel confident enough doing it as well :(