I awoke to my alarm going off at 6 am and rolled out of my comfy bed reluctantly. After taking care of the usual morning business and repacking my gear, I headed to the dining area of the beautiful little place where I spent the night. The table and chairs are made of rustic wood and burls. The Irish sisters, Mary and Jane also stayed there last night. I took a few pictures of the furniture so I could maybe reproduce some of it in my shop when I get back home. After a quick breakfast of toast and coffee we took a picture together and then our driver hauled us back to the Camino where we left off the day before. Mary and Jane are fast walkers and they soon left me in the dust as I plodded along. After about 2 kilometers my ankle started to really hurt. I adjusted my ankle support and downed a couple of Ibuprofen and figured it would calm down when the drugs kicked in. It was a beautiful morning and the trail wound its way through the countryside among the farms and fields. The pain in my left ankle did not let up even with the pain pills. I continued to hobble along and soon came to a pretty little village. There is a church there named the Church of San Pedro de Ardemil. The name of the church supposedly recalls a legendary battle against the moors to put an end to the Tribute of the 100 Maids. According to legend, every year one hundred virgin maidens were given to the Muslim emirate of Cordoba as tribute by the Christian kingdom of Asturias. Fifty were supposed to be of noble birth and fifty were commoners. According to the legend, King Alfonso II, nicknamed "the Chaste" rejected the tribute when he came into power. Of course, that resulted in war which he won at the battle of Lutos by killing the Moorish Captain. That ended the tribute.
A bit further I passed some unique sculptures and displays. Not long after I stopped at a little bar for lunch and to rest my ankle. I had the best chicken filled empanada that I have ever had. I tried to get a recipe, but the lady told me that the person that makes them was not there right then. Oh well I guess I will have to do some experimenting when I get home. I also took another dose of Ibuprofen even those it was a lot earlier than is recommended. Full of chicken empanada and Ibuprofen I was up and hobbling down the trail again.
At 2 pm I made the decision to catch a ride the rest of the way to my next stop. I am planning to walk with my daughter and son-in-law when they fly over in about a week, and I don't want to be unable to do so. I know that not walking the entire way disqualifies me from receiving a Compostela or certificate from the church for my walk, but I already have some from previous walks, so I am not worried about it. How many Compostelas does one man need? I guess I could have said that I waked the entire way and they would not have known the difference, but I would have and that is just not right.
My ride dropped me off in Siguero at my hotel. My room was very tiny but all I require is just a clean place to lay my head and a shower. As soon as I showered, I rubbed in some Tiger Balm on my ankle and elevated it until it was time for dinner. At dinner I met Mary and Jane again and another couple from San Diego, California. We all had a good time eating and visiting together. It wasn't long before we all were yawning and decided to call it a night.
To see the photos that I shot today, follow this link to them in video format on YouTube:
I am hoping the Tiger Balm and rest will get my ankle back in walking shape again for the last push into Santiago tomorrow. So, until then I wish everyone a goodnight and Buen Camino!
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