Day XV: Carrión de los Condes -> Moratinos; 18.6mi.

🛏:

Today was ..

Pasta for breakfast (and judgement from some of our international friends). Buying a fanny pack and saying the words “I’ve never been this excited about something I don’t need,” turns out I kind of needed it. Cold but not a single drop of rain. Pretty views and flat terrain. The longest stretch of trail without a town that we’ve encountered yet. The day we passed the halfway point to Santiago (not entirely sure how I feel about that reality). All sorts of quality conversation, including the comforts of home we’re beginning to miss (because over a month of walking all day and a different bed every night wears on you). Beaming when we walked into our albergue and realized we’d scored the jackpot value-wise. A private room with comfortable mattresses, an outlet for each of us and a door that locks (it’s the little things). A shower where wearing shoes didn’t feel necessary and it had a ledge for our shower beers. Freshly painted toes and duct taped feet. Wifi decent enough to face-time my parents. Reading poetry in a sunroom. A sunroom. Splurging on a massage (because, the hostel has a massage therapist, to celebrate the halfway mark and because “splurging on a massage” in Spain is still significantly cheaper than America. Side note: she didn’t speak English, but the phrase “ay yi yi” was said countless times throughout, if that’s any indication of how I’m holding up). Leaving my toothbrush in the bathroom over night because turns out we’re the only ones using this bathroom (see above comment about “comforts of home,” once again, it’s the little things). And falling asleep on a comfortable mattress with a mug of tea nearby and my passport and wallet not underneath my pillow (for a third time, it’s the little things).

🎧: Forever convinced this is the best single-artist movie soundtrack out there:

Honorable mention:

Both make my all time favorite movies list as well (probably in part because of the music).