Day fifty, Trabadelo to La Faba,
Started @ 7.00am till 11.30am~14 kilometres

Although the Albergue Camino y Leyenda, was wonderful, quiet and friendly, the four Italians I shared the dorm with had other ideas! At five o’clock the first alarm clock went off, and then the three other clocks went off at different times. Within five minutes they were talking and laughing, with NO consideration of the other person still in bed asleep! Sometimes I just can’t believe how incredibly rude people can be! Before my eyes were open, they turned on the light and that was the end of me starting any later than five thirty in the morning! Unbelievable! Hell really IS other people! Jean Paul was so incredibly right about that!

I was grumpy and. In a foul mood. I stormed downstairs, complained to Pio, and grumbled about the coffee he offered! He laughed and thought it was very cute to see me in a bad mood! Of course it didn’t last long! As soon as Pio laughed there was not much I could do but laugh with him! I was out and on the road at seven o’clock! I stomped my feet so fast that I made an incredibly good time, I did over eight kilometres within an hour and a half! It was quiet, not many pilgrims were out as yet, all was still closed, so before I knew it I had reached the BIG HILL part! This is was I had been concerned about. I am not good at going up hills. It hurts my knees, hips and my total body. Never mind the hill was here, and I had to get up there, not much I could do about this! So I just got on with the task ahead and step by step, slowly ever so slowly I made it up the steep hill. It took me over two and a half hours to climb up for nearly five kilometres!

The thing is, although I am slow, I DO get there in the end! I have to be honest, I was very glad to get to La Faba, and seeing the Refugio ?…………..was amazing! My foot had swollen to twice the size, was throbbing and complaining. I booked myself a bed, tried to ring Nina to let her know that I had reserved a bed for her and Martha, but was out of credit. this lovely woman send an sums message on my behalf. I was the first peregrino there, so I made my bed and laid in it!

Just when I was about to fall asleep I heard The owner come in, the women’s voices sounded familiar and there were Nina and Martha. Nina never got my message! So very funny, they had chosen the same Albergue as myself!
I had a small nap, until a very rude Canadian talked on the top of his voice to these two Dutch women. Why he couldn’t whisper like they did is beyond me, especially since I was on the bed next to him, and he could see I was trying to sleep! Later Nina encountered the same problem with the German guy, fond of his own voice talking full volume to Martha right outside the dormitory door! Man, I am so over other people! I always thought I liked people! Well, it is official, I don’t ! I like children, but NOT adults and certainly NOT peregrinos! I am also over the conversations they have, HOW many kilometres did you do today? Where did you start? Hey are you doing the Camino? After fifty days of these conversations I am over it! I lighten things up by saying things like, do you know the first rule of the Camino? Don’t talk about the Camino! This often shut people up, and you can go on to other topics! It is all so competitive and as if it is a race! A little bit like I am more enlightened than you! Ah, you have days off? Well, then you are NOT a serious pilgrim! You only walk twenty kilometres a day? Well, you are NOT a serious pilgrim! And so forth and so forth! You feel like asking, and WHO set up all these so called rules?
Mind you you also meet lovely people, such as the Brasilian girl who gaveme a fabulous massage and was shocked I gave her twenty euro! And the lovely German gentleman, who is walking the Camino , when he recovered from a tumor last year. Of course meeting Nina and Martha has been delightful as well, but to be honest, I need to walk the rest of this Camino ALONE, I have been thinking. If I should just act as if I can’t speak at all! Hm! Good idea!

Today’s lesson: develop more tolerance
Today’s gift: Brasilian massage