Sandals—That’s the way to go!—Day 18

Sandals, they actually work

I have a new best friends ... SANDALS!

Well, it is not so much me as it is Lefty who has a new best friends. Today I have been on the Camino for 18 days. Until yesterday when I used the expected foot ware for walking long distances—hiking shoes, today is the day I broke tradition; I ventured away from the expected. I became a rebel. I broke the shoe rule. I wore sandals!

But I was cautious ... What if my new-found cure for the unending blisters didn't work? My hiking shoes—fastened to my backpack—came along, just in case.

Slow and Steady Starts

I did not know what to expect walking 20 km in sandals; so, I decided to take it slow. The blisters, especially the ones on Lefty, were still furious with me and they looked mad. And what if Lefty isn't happy with sandals? I joined an elderly gentleman from Australia. We stayed at the same place last night. He was a retired lawyer; we had a good chat.

It surprised me that after a few kilometres Lefty was quite content with his new mate—the sandal—and we walked a wee bit faster. I met up with the group of Canadian Ladies (from both the west and the east) I met before. On the Camino you never know where the next person is from; I ended up joining a couple from North Carolina.

Coffee Break

I am the first to admit, I live for coffee. But, while walking the Camino I did not stop all that often for coffee breaks. Today was one of the days I made an exception ... caffeine! Hontanas was the lucky stop for a break. I enjoyed a delicious latte followed by a much needed WC break.

Hontanas is also home to Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción. This church has been here since the 14th century.

Meet Jessica

Jessica is from Switzerland. She was a pleasant person to talk to; we shared the Camino for about 3 km. I met Jessica just after the ruins of San Miguel. There was one more ruin on the Camino, the ancient Convento de San Anton that dates back to the 14th century. Jessica works with handicapped people. She was excited to share with me that she was getting married in less than a year.

End of the Day

As I entered my stop for the day Castrojeriz, Iglesia de Santa María del Manzano greeted me. The church was constructed in the XII century and features Gothic architecture. There is a museum attached to the church, the museum was quite interesting—I found a statue of Santiago the Moor Slayer.

On my way to find my resting place I met the Irish couple. They gladly showed me where I had to go because it was a little tricky to get to the hotel—the rooms and the check-in were in different buildings. I also ran into the American folks I met on day one. It was good to hear what they have been up to.

Well, it was a good day. I stared with sandals and Lefty was happy.

My journey on the Camino de Santiago started in September 2017. At the time I wrote blogged entries with pictures whenever I could. Now, three years later, it is time to revisit the journey; I am re-posting the entries with a few updates. Enjoy.