There’s a story about today, but first some background…

Typically, pilgrims stay in albergues – similar to hostels but more basic. They are mostly run by the church, municipalities or private individuals. They provide the basics of a dry bed/bunk bed (doesn’t have to be comfortable), a shower (most are hot) and a stamp in your credential. To stay in one you have to have a pilgrims credential and you typically can’t stay in one more than one night. They kick you out by 0900 to move you on your way and usually don’t accept people until 1400hrs. There are variances but that’s the gist. The private ones have more amenities such as they offer food and beverages, hot showers, wash machine, and other things (one had a pool). They usually cost anywhere from donation to a prix fix from 7.50€-20€, most being around 10€.

Each Camino has etapas or stages. Usually between 18-40km depending of the services available. Important services are lodging, food, beer, ATM machine, pharmacy, public transport, etc. Ideally you want to be between 20-30km.

This Camino I’m walking now is… different. It’s the Camino Olvidado or as I have been calling it, the Camino Solitario. It runs from Bilbao for 550ish KM To Villafranca where it joins the Camino Frances and then goes for another 180 Km for a total of 730ish KM.

The first day was 24km from Bilbao to Güeñes – a good number of KM. Güeñes has all of the service you would want – except albergues. I paid 58€ for a hotel room – way out of budget. 12km further up the road – there are TWO albergues. But 36km is really tough for the first day of the camino. So I paid for the hotel.

*this is a much longer post that I had intended

Last night when I was planning for today, I realized that there was no albergues in my destination. I called the hotels and no answer or bad numbers (maybe I don’t know how to call locally here in Spain). I like to know where I’m going and fretted about the possibility of no place to stay. So I chatted with a friend of mine who is more intense than I am about planning and just talking to him allowed me to think of other options. I’d just go and figure it out when I get there. And if there’s no where to stay, then I would just take the train/bus/taxi to my next destination which had albergues. Good to go…

Today I was headed another 24km or so to Villasana de Mena (FB wants me to tag my friend de Mena…) probably no relation.

I got the 12km to the place with an albergue, had a beer around noon and the bar didn’t have any food so I dug into my emergency supply I got at another bar this morning (cafes). Whenever I stop I take my shoes and socks off, check them out and let them dry. I might or might not change my socks. I got a blister!!! I then contemplated staying in this town for the night but at only 12km, that would make for 35km the next day. So I went to the pharmacy and bought a gel pad for the blister and headed out.

About 4km from Balmaceda, there’s a split in the Camino with different places to stay that night. I followed the signage and just before I crossed the highway, I realized it was the wrong trail. I took out the map to verify and yup – wrong trail. How far back – only 1km – not too bad. So I headed back to the right trail.

This was my favorite part of the trail today – let’s just consolidate and say: Roman jeep trail, lots of mud, closed gates, no signage, crawled through barbed wire (really new sharp stuff) and a river crossing where I promptly fell in (not really but I did get my feet wet) – not all in this order.

Wet feet and blisters don’t go well so I changed my socks and put my sandals on and what a relief. But the delays mentioned above meant that if I did need to take a train to the next town, I wouldn’t make the train. So I just shrugged and continued on. The Camino will provide…

I finally got to Villasana at 1630hrs and the first hotel was shuttered with a sign saying they were closed this week from Monday-Thursday. Ok they were the expensive one anyway. I continued into town and got to the second hotel. To a sign that said… Closed Monday and Tuesday.

So what do I do? I go to the central square and ask a little old lady with a walker if she knows anywhere I can find accommodations. She wanted to walk me all around town to find a place. I felt kinda bad about that so I bid her farewell and continued on to… the police station which was… closed. Joder!!! What is up with this town…

So.. I missed the train. The next bus was… tomorrow and all of the taxis I called were either disconnected numbers or in the wrong province (state)

I went to the park and the church was closed up. Then after sitting charging batteries for a few minutes I think I hear the word “Albergue” coming from the church. So I walk over and see the priest…. I wait my turn and explain my situation. He was very helpful. He blessed me, stamped my credential then told me to go to the bar – they might have space – alas they were full. So I ordered a caña and the bartender called the owner of the hotel:

Bartender: hey you open? There’s this guy

Hotel owner: who knows what they said

Bartender to me: when can you be there?

Me: after I finish my pint that you just gave me

Bartender: relayed the messsge to hotel owner

Bartender to me: they will be there in five minutes

Me: haven’t drank a pint of beer that fast in many many years.

Needless to say, I’m the only guest in the hotel and there is no staff…

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, but I’m sure I will embellish each time I tell it.

Pics attached with captions