Sep 6, 20174 min read

Day 5. All the Time in the world

Day 5. 24.5km 7.5hrs. 37 degrees. Puerta la reina to Estrella.

I have no concept of days now. Day 5 done and we cracked the 100km mark, which meant of course stopping beside the road for a celebratory beer at 10am.

We woke up at 530am this morning, ready to hit the road at 7, but not before a coffee, croissant (ok maybe 2) and fresh orange juice. The boys all got baguettes for us to snack on along the way. Today the scenery was really similar to south east qld, very much reminded me of beaudesert, except not so bogan, and more class.

It was hot, dry, fields we walked through, alongside vineyards where we stopped and ate grapes from the vines. Then berries from the wild bushes.

A lady at the end of my table has just caught my eye, she is putting rollers in her hair!!! Rollers!! Its the camino. Im getting by w 3 pairs of undies, 2 changes of clothes, im even considering ditching the hair brush to lose more pack weight, and yet shes carting round rollers!! Ridicious!

I digress. Our camino family is growing. We have Raf and Nils now. And then today i took in Andrea from Venice and another girl from italy.

I came away wanting to get away from everything familiar and everyone i know and challenge myself a bit. Yet it seems on the camino, the exact opposite is happening. Im running into people ive met everywhere, cant escape them. As we were walking i see a lady with a kathmandu bag ahead. I say buen comino and ask if shes australian. ‘Nah new zealander’ in the thickest kiwi accent. So then i meet Ruth from New Plymoth.I said im australian but had been living in chch And shes like ‘ohhh you! Ive heard about you along the way, was wondering when id get to meet you!’. The camino radio hey…

As i was literally baking in the sun walking by myself for a bit. We walk as a group but at times drop back, rejoin, seperate. I realised something that ive realised is what im not missing is time. I dont use a watch, i wake up when i wake up the only time we have is 7am when we meet in the dark outside the albergue. Im not pressured to be at work on time, im not running late to meet a friend, theres no feeling of having to be somewhere at a certain time or when talking to someone im not thinking just will you hurry up i need to go.

While the concept of time isnt here what i have is quality time. And ample of it. I decided a couple of days ago that im in no rush and that If i pass someone im going to talk to them. What reason do i not have to not give them all of myself, my full attention then and there. Ive no where to be, no time pressure to meet. Im going to learn their name, make sure theyre ok, listen to their advice, learn a phrase or word in their language. I walk with them until our steps get out of time and we split off.

Today i walked with the italian father and son (emeliano) from the amafi coast for a while. My ‘new italian papa’ (seriously getting dads all over the place) is 58 retired, volunteer ambulance driver for the red cross. Emeliano, 30 also works for the red cross. I tried to learn italian & learn about their family. And vice versa. Its so lovely.

Some random just winked and blew me a kiss, ive no idea where ive met him but seems to have remembered me from somewhere.

Oh! Story from last night. So ‘blue man’ the little french man who i call Bonjour. Everyone says he has no time for anyone. Well well well. He calls me ‘cerveza’ i call him ‘bonjour’. last night i was sitting outside a cafe with carherine, When ‘Bonjour’ walked down the lane towards me. Saw me and cries ‘oh cerveza!’ As he puts his head in his hands and shakes it. I get up to greet him. And then he signals for me to sit down. Next minute hes bought me and Catherine a beer! He wouldnt sit with us just wanted to sit on his own at the bar inside. I told him we must have a photo which he begrudgingly did, proof below!. Catherine couldnt believe it! Either could everyone else when i told them back at the albergue.

Also walking today we had stopped in a village beside a fountain in a park. I seriously came close to sitting in it it was so hot, lucky for the fact i couldnt fit in it! Then i look up the street and her comes Sheamus striding down on a mission. I stand at a corner waiting for him and go ‘awww my irish dad!!’ To which he replies ‘my mistore’. Then quickly striding past goes ‘its irish for treasure’. Aww.

So we continue on in the 37 degree sun, stopping under bridges, stopping at trees in the shade. Trying to calculate how much longer we had to go.

Im lucky i have no blisters as yet touch wood. No injuries, except a back that is fine walking but agony lying down (go figure). But others arent so lucky so we’re patching them up along the way.

Ive just had a dinner of bread, chorizo, artichokes and cheese oh and a bottle of wine i got for 1 euro.

R x