30km – 18.6 miles

6:45am to 2:45pm walking time

100 meters – 328 feet elevation gain

I started today off finding a friend from the caching community’s geocache just on the edge of town. Since I started a bit later I was able to lose the headlamp shortly after finding the cache.

Today’s walk had no towns or services (other than a food truck – if you caught it after it opened) for the first 17 kilometers. So I didn’t stop until closer to 10am for my first stop.

I hesitate to tell this story, because I don’t want people to think the Camino is unsafe or a place you have to be on guard (especially as a woman). However, it happened so I’ll tell it.

One of the pilgrims that I’ve seen most of the way so far is an older man likely in his late 70’s, doesn’t speak English, seems very charismatic every town he goes to. Since he doesn’t speak English and my Spanish is limited we’ve only shared limited “Buen Caminos” and so on in passing. Last night I went to a bar to get a beer to take back to my hostel to have with the dinner food I had. He was there and insisted on buying my beer and then insisted on me sitting with him and his other Camino friend. I was exhausted but sat down so as to not be rude after him buying my beer. I indicated that I was tired. Anyway we tried our best to communicate through my very limited Spanish and google translate. It was all normal conversation until he seemed to suggest that the other guy and I needed to be together. The other guy was really embarrassed by his statement and so was I. That guy left and I quickly tried to finish the beer. Then he asks me if I was staying in the albergue and I said no, a hostel. From my limited Spanish and his gestures, I could tell he tried to indicate that he should come back to my hostel with me. I said “no, no, no.” I finished the beer and politely told him I had to go. He insisted on hugging me before I left. It was so incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.

I’d say that over my years of coming to Spain, I’ve generally always had at least one awkward experience with an older Spanish man where there was unwanted flirting and trying to get me to stick around talking to them despite me gesturing that I needed to go on.

It saddens me because it makes me wonder if I just shouldn’t smile at every stranger the way I do on the Camino.

I very much had control of my own situation in this incident and all of the others in the past and didn’t feel like I was in any danger. But dang, if it doesn’t make things uncomfortable.

I also found myself trying to avoid that guy today and I will continue to do so by trying to walk farther ahead each day.

After being so lonely so much of this walk, that experience of trying to connect with a fellow pilgrim in positive way and having it end that way has left me that much more disheartened.

I will continue on though.

Cats always make things better. These two had important jobs at both of the bars they worked at. They seemed to check on each and every customer to ensure they didn’t waste any of their snacks.

After having a tough morning mentally, I took breaks in most towns and had nice conversations with fellow pilgrims from the US and Germany. That helped switch my mood around for the day. I walked a town farther than planned (but didn’t make the extra 9km trek to Sahagún – to the happiness of my feet). I’m staying in a nice albergue with a great outdoor space and it even has its own geocache! I’ll be having a pilgrims meal of spaghetti tonight as I’m staying in an Italian owned albergue.

Overall the walk was easy and the weather was perfect. Definitely not the typical hot temperatures that the Meseta would normally have this time of year.

I’ll need to do some research on where I’ll go tomorrow. Still trying to decide if I’ll try to get to Leon on Friday or Saturday.