Day 12 - Saturday, 3rd May, 2014 - 22.5 km
[Oliver the refuge manager proudly showing the picture of his Camino tractor]
We started today in a certain amount of chaos. Our washing had been left out to dry overnight and the Albergue manager, Oliver had obviously been making merry at the village festival, the first of a three day binge. He was not to be seen and the washing was behind locked doors in his private yard. There was only one basin/loo for the sixteen inhabitants and so there was pressure to get in line to use the facilities. The result was a lazy start. We later talked to the manager, Oliver, who explained that he was running the place by building it during the day and looking after the new residents every night. He said that he did not turn anyone away and everything was on a 'Donativo', or donation basis. He was proud to show the picture of his tractor, which he had parked around the back of the hostel. He had repaired it by hand and then driven it from Germany the 3000 km, towing a large trailer containing his dog and worldly goods. It was a sort of motorised Camino. He was a kind of modern day monk cum Knight Templar rolled into one. The food he served was basic, as without knowing his finances, he could not stretch to anything too pricey. We said goodbye recognising that his somewhat unusual hostel had saved us from a night spent on the floor of the church hostel, which would have meant a very broken nights sleep.
[Leaving Rioja for Castilla y Leon]
[joined by Camino cats and dogs]
[Eila, Belorado]
[Johana, Beloado just before leaving to return home to Berlin]
Soon after we started walking we came upon the 'Castilla y Leon' border sign that indicated that we had now left the region of Rioja for this new region of Spain. Johana joined us for her last day on the Camino. She was to walk to Belorado with us and then bus to Burgos to get connections to return home to Berlin. She had stayed at most of the places we had been at from our start in Orisson and had a wonderful presence as she spoke fluent English, Spanish, French and German ( her smattering of Arabic was not needed on the Camino!), but she impressed everyone by linking conversations together and acting as interpreter. The day was overcast and cool, ideal walking. We said our goodbyes in Belorado and headed just down the road 5 km to stay at Villambistia, where I had stayed before. I hoped that most had gone on to Villafranca another 8 km. It would have been nice to stay there, but the Camino was so crowded that we needed to secure accommodation and avoid the popular places to avoid the very overcrowded spots. We arrived late to the dormitory with all the lower bunks full and so Eila, Michael and I are all on top bunks in the three corners of the room.
Buen Camino.
[Villambistia church]
[Eila, Villambistia Alburgue dormitory corner bed]
