Walking in the Rain | Day 14

I started this morning with a nice Spanish breakfast. Another croissant, some fresh squeezed orange juice and a very powerful cup of espresso!!!!!!

It was dumping rain out, so I put on my rain gear and a disposable rain cover that looked like a garbage bag with holes for your head and arms. I like the bright color, although I don’t think I’m gonna sneak up on anyone.

I got about 100 yards from the hotel and stepped in a rather big puddle. It pretty much rained on me and with high winds for the next 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Normally I’d be miserable, but for some reason I was quite happy, trudging along with the other pilgrims. I think it’s kind of a right of passage to get all wet and muddy. It really does feel good.

When it stopped raining and the sun came out, everyone started cheering. I was crying with joy flinging in my arms in the air. Seriously, a lot of people shed a lot of tears when those clouds moved off to the east. A lot of very emotional people, including me.

There wasn’t a lot of pictures to take because it was raining so hard and I didn’t wanna destroy my phone. You get an idea how flat it is out in the plains of Spain. There were a couple of nice hostels that I passed after the sun came out and I took a picture of the little street where our hotel is located in Mansilla.

We did talk to a couple in the hotel this morning in El Burgo Ranero. The woman had fallen on the spine, that second day past Saint Jean, and probably broke a bone in her shoulder. She was still walking the Camino with a brace and sling and told to get it x-rayed in Leon. She was very determined to keep going and finish the Camino.

I finally got to do some laundry. I didn’t go all the way from Saint Jean to here without clean clothes, but it has been several days. Putting everything in my backpack through the washing machine is a good thing. I wear my pajama bottoms and towel around myself while my clothes dry. 😳