LIVE from the Camino I seem to have a knack for finding fiestas

[DoughnutANZ]

I am in Ciguñuela on the Madrid tonight. I have picked up the key from the local bar and unloaded my stuff. It seems that they are celebrating something tonight. They have a stage and a female singer who occasionally does some Flamenco steps.

She started singing at 8pm and so I guess that she will be going most of the night.

I am waiting in the (only) very busy bar to see if I can get some food. The bar lady is working on her own and has indicated that she may get some help at 9:30pm and if she does then she may be able to make some food then.

I did try earlier in the day but she must of been on a break because there was nothing until she turned up.

I guess that tonight might be a late night for me and everyone else.

They might be celebrating the end of the school year as I see some stuff on local TV that indicates huge queues of cars leaving various cities.

When I signed in I noticed @David Tallan in the register.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I am in Ciguñuela on the Madrid tonight. I have picked up the key from the local bar and unloaded my stuff. It seems that they are celebrating something tonight. They have a stage and a female singer who occasionally does some Flamenco steps.

She started singing at 8pm and so I guess that she will be going most of the night.

I am waiting in the (only) very busy bar to see if I can get some food. The bar lady is working on her own and has indicated that she may get some help at 9:30pm and if she does then she may be able to make some food then.

I did try earlier in the day but she must of been on a break because there was nothing until she turned up.

I guess that tonight might be a late night for me and everyone else.

They might be celebrating the end of the school year as I see some stuff on local TV that indicates huge queues of cars leaving various cities.

When I signed in I noticed @David Tallan in the register.

It seems that her relief has just turned up and I have ordered something, not sure what it is yet but I am reasonably sure that it includes potatoes. The conversation was mostly drowned out with bar noise. This town is pumping!

I really must practise my Spanish more often.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I got: Steak, two eggs and chips.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Where I come from, a person with a knack for finding fiestas is simply called a "Party Animal."

 

[Bradypus]

I got! Steak, two eggs and chips.

Sounds worth waiting for! Que aproveche!

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Earlier in the day, as I was waiting for 8pm to roll around so that I could get some food, I watched the Gunsmoke movie on TV in the bar, dubbed into Spanish. A very surreal experience.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Earlier in the day as I walked to the bar an old guy stopped me and asked if I was a pilgrim and shook my hand when I said yes. He also said some other stuff but my Spanish is poor and it just went over my head although I thought I heard a "good travel" or something similar.

He has just turned up in the bar and ordered a small meal and is waving to me. Pretty much everyone else ignores me.

 

[J Willhaus]

Did you see David T or was he there before you? Enjoy!

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Did you see David T or was he there before you? Enjoy!

We met up for a coffee and chat in Valladolid. He is now well ahead of me because I had a break from the Madrid and have just gone back to finish it off.

Thanks.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I am now in Peñaflor de Hornija and it seems to be Dog City. If you know me then you will know that this makes me hyperaware of my surroundings.

Not only does every man and his dog have a dog but the (only) bar that I am in seems to attract them thicker than flies. I currently have three looking up at me with "notice me" eyes, including one quite large pit bull who fortunately doesn't seem to follow his breed characteristics.

I will see if I can escape without being licked, yuk!

 

[DoughnutANZ]

There sure is a lot of flat farm land around here. First picture shows me looking ahead on the trail towards the distant windmills that are about 4klms away.



Second shot shows what lies ahead of me once I get up to the windmills.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Did you stop to see the cool church at Wamba???? One of the treats along the Madrid route.
And the Museu de Semana Santa at Penaflor?
And tomorrow is one of the most beautiful walks on that route along the canal.
Buen Camino!

 

[J Willhaus]

It is getting hot so be careful! Carry lots of water with you!

 

[DoughnutANZ]

It is getting hot so be careful! Carry lots of water with you!

It is indeed getting very hot with today 3° warmer than yesterday and so I have decided to have a lazy Sunday and I walked to Castromonte and grabbed a bed in the town albergue.

I almost didn't get a bed as there seems to be a bunch of teenagers in ahead of me, I expect tonight might be quite exciting.

The town has a very nice community pool and picnic area and I managed to get my first ever swim in Spain. Deliciously refreshing although I was the only male in the pool. It seems that Spanish men are a bit shy when it comes to swimming. Lots of kids and Mums though.

Here is a shot of the pool when it was relatively deserted.

 

[J Willhaus]

It is indeed getting very hot with today 3° warmer than yesterday and so I have decided to have a lazy Sunday and I walked to Castromonte and grabbed a bed in the town albergue.

I almost didn't get a bed as there seems to be a bunch of teenagers in ahead of me, I expect tonight might be quite exciting.

The town has a very nice community pool and picnic area and I managed to get my first ever swim in Spain. Deliciously refreshing although I was the only male in the pool. It seems that Spanish men are a bit shy when it comes to swimming. Lots of kids and Mums though.

Here is a shot of the pool when it was relatively deserted.

View attachment 151093

I went to the pool too at my hotel, but all men and no women!

 

[David Tallan]

I got: Steak, two eggs and chips.

This photo from Ciguñuela indicates that I got the same thing.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I almost didn't get a bed as there seems to be a bunch of teenagers in ahead of me, I expect tonight might be quite exciting.

It turns out that they weren't teenagers but rather in their early 20's, very arty and they had organised and delivered a film festival that has been running here since Wednesday.

The film festival finished today and all the youngsters have packed up and left.

So, once again I have an albergue to myself for the night.

Edit: Not entirely alone, there seems to be about a zillion very persistent flies that land everywhere including running up my trouser leg and trying to crawl into my shirt.

I cooked my self some spaghetti for supper and two of them committed suicide in the pot of boiling water and I had to fish then out with a spoon before they added too much protein to the dish.