Sansol to Viana

So life,  for us anyways, on the Camino is pretty routine now. We get up, get packed and have something to eat and then are out of the Albergues by 8am. We walk and, if we have little towns, we stop for second breakfast and snacks along the way. We arrive at our albergue between 2-5 pm, get registered, find our bed, have a shower, maybe do some laundry by hand, eat dinner either at the albergue or go find something. Bed time is 9pm as we are tired.

Before we left Canada we had this idea of what the Camino would be like. The first two days over the Pyrenees would be hard. It would take us a week or so to get our Camino legs. We were going to carry our bags and walk all the way. Well things couldn't be more different. Every day is tough. Like Roz says imagine walking up and down the malahat twice a day, every day. Put little pebbles under your feet that roll this way and that, or slippery concrete. It is hard. So far I am still looking for my Camino legs. I think they must still be in Canada or walking a head of me. Either way we have discovered after doing two 25 km days that we don't like them. We are tired, grumpy and not enjoying what we are doing. Hence we have cut back to 15km days and have been forwarding some of our pack and occasionally using the bus to either catch up to our schedule or, when there are no beds available in the towns we want to stay in, we have to jump ahead to where we can find a bed. September is a very busy time on the Camino & sometimes finding a bed is an issue.

Also,  over here the Camino by many is viewed very differently. The Irish for 20 euros hop a Ryanair flight and come over for a week or two. We have talked to many who have done multiple short sections of the Camino and come back every year to finish another section. Also paying to have someone move your backpack forward is big business. To me a Pilgrim would have taken a ride on a donkey cart if offered don't you think? We think the point is to get up every day and just keep moving forward.

So this morning I woke up and could hardly walk down the stairs. Roz with her knee experience said I was taking the bus. You know she can be bossy at times. It turned out to be a good move because Roz has some PTSD going on her walk without me. Turns out she likes having me on the trail usually ahead of her.

Picture of the paella we had last night.

It was Saturday so the bus didn't leave until 11:25 which meant in Spain sometime between 11:30 and 12 but you have to be early at the Bus stop because it might come early. The owner of the Albergue allowed me to wait there even though he left. Can you spell boredom? Man was I bored.

The bus stop. I leaned on that right window for about an hour.

Me being bored but at least in the sun.

Meanwhile Roz was going  up and down hills again. And she even took pictures.

At one part there is a very steep incline and in 2022 a 46 yr old man died suddenly. His name was Aaron Hewitt. I understand he was one of those people who just makes friends everywhere. He was moving with his wife to a new job back in his hometown and he wanted to do the Camino between the moves. He was a marathoner, cross fit competitor and all around fitness guru. That morning he didn't feel well and his new friends decided to stay with him. When he was feeling better they set off and at the top of the hill he died. A very sad story but his wife says at least he was surrounded by friends.

I arrived in Viana about half an hour before Roz. She was hoofing it.

And of course the church in Viana.