Day 21 - Sahagun - 22k

Stopping at the first bar on route, Cathy arrives and I get a big hug “for giving me my feet back”. Nice to know I haven’t lost my touch anyway, perhaps getting some proper training wouldn’t go amiss, at least that’s something that I could do where the customers don’t require much if any conversation, like animals, computers and gardens, my other career choices, they don’t answer back or need anything apart from your attention.

Sahagun is a bit rough round the edges but I’m getting used to that, the industrial areas and outskirts are usually pretty grim wherever you go. Otmar and Herman are at the Albergue but Jess has made a break for it and left her German and Italian ‘Dads’ behind and again there’s noone there to check in with until 4:00pm so I get myself showered and if I don’t fancy it here I’ll go somewhere else, although this one seems to be quite central. I make my way around the town looking for the Albergue in the Monastery but I can’t find it so I suppose I’ll stay where I am tonight at least it’s got a kitchen and I can prepare something for only the second time. Oz bloke James is there too, Cathy arrives.



After a trip to the Supermarket to get stuff for dinner I take over the kitchen and have my first jacket spud in weeks although they were probably the oldest looking potatoes I’ve ever seen, tuna salad cleverly using the sunflower oil as dressing and a beer. I am accosted by a random Belgian who was at the place last night, he’s obviously under the impression that after my marathon stint on Cathy’s feet that I’m a doctor or something and asks my opinion on whether he can carry on, lifting his trouser leg to show me a big dent below the knee. Nonplussed, gobsmacked, I hope he didn’t think I was dismissive and he was able to carry on or sought proper medical advice. I also get a rather disappointed look from James after I greet his request for a foot rub with contempt, um I should really say yes otherwise it looks like I won’t massage old men, just girls, but I decline feeling slightly guilty and then not as much when he shows me it’s just blisters. I give my feet a thorough going over every night as part of my routine, lying on my front with both of them getting done at the same time, I am later told that the position I am in is the Cobra position in Yoga.

Well I was supposed to have met up with Jose Antonio, Fernando and Joaquin last night but stopping a few k’s early to avoid the rain quashed that, they should be here so I take a stroll around the town after food to see if I can find them. It’s their last night but I don’t miss saying goodbye as I don’t like em, goodbyes not the three amigos from Zaragoza which is hard to pronounce properly without spitting or biting your tongue for the uninitiated. I’ll always treasure going to the special Easter Mass in Carrion de los Condes with Fernando, the Nuns’ singing was exquisite and I didn’t realise at the time but the reason Fernando knew all of the words to the songs and prayers is because he’s a priest as well as a school teacher. At least I managed to give him my email address so that he can send me some photos and I him, although getting ribbed by three Spanish blokes when they realise that my name is Jon Walker was slightly nostalgic for me, “Jonny Walker Whiskey!!!” Oh I’ve never heard that one before.