After a long, hot, dusty dry hike, when all you have had to drink are couple of coffees and water from your bottle or hydration backpack bladder (which despite claims from manufacturers still tastes of plastic after over 3 months of use!). What do you want to drink as soon as that backpack is off your back? A cold beer, of course you do!
But, it is slippery slope. It is only 3 or 4 pm. There is showering, washing and thinking about food to be done. The first beer can be lethal … it tastes so good … the shower is delayed, the laundry too. Showering is not such a big deal but should be a priority as most peregrinos don’t smell too grand by mid-afternoon. The laundry, however, is a real priority. It needs to be done and on the line to dry ASAP after you arrive at the Albergue. A cold beer leads to another, and mundane, but essential tasks like laundry and showering drop down the timeline, often behind a snooze!
But the garden is beautiful, or there is a lovely shady terrace or you spotted a great looking bar before you booked into the Albergue. All of these dangers lurk and the call of that cool, refreshing Mahou, San Miguel or Estrella Galicia is hard to resist.
I have discovered a solution that works for me. Unfortunately the showering and laundry still have to be done. But in Spain the growing market for cerveza sin alcohol allows all the refreshment, flavour and enjoyment of real beer but is far more sensible for a mid-afternoon drink. Indeed a sin has been common while actually walking the Camino. It is hot, you’re tired, you need a pick me up or a little treat. A caña of alcohol-free beer is much more sensible in the scorching heat of a Camino afternoon. Salud.
As for today’s walk…. it was real short one today as I really wanted to stay at Refugio Gualcelmo in Rabanal del Camino. This albergue is run by the UK Camino de Santiago society The Confraternity of St James (CSJ or Camino Pilgrim as now branded). It was just 16km, so I decided I was able to add in 2.5km divert at the beginning to pass through Castrillo de los Polvazares – a totally restored Maragato village. The Maragato are a proud people who are thought to have settled in the area either as Phoenician or Berbers over a thousand years ago. They were famous for being muleteers, the medieval equivalent of HGV drivers, albeit with caravans of mules. From there it was a gradual 15km stroll up to Rabanal, all the time aware of the mountains, that await in next few days, closing in front of me.
Finally – remember the Italian that had walked from Milan… well today at CSJ Gualcelmo there is a chap from Belfast who decided to walk from home and has reached Rabanal. On his way he met up with another who has walked from Bristol. And Maggie, the hospitalero here is celebrating her 30th anniversary at the Albergue.
My Long Walk 2019 