Via de la Plata - leaving home!

Nearly time to go! For once I haven't had to get up early and walk to the bus stop in the dark:) I have a dental appointment in half an hour, so I am going to get the 6pm bus to Ourense, then the train to Santiago. I have the choice between the 19.55 TALGO, which takes 42 minutes and costs €19.70, or the 20.15 Regional, which takes 1 hour and 49 minutes, and costs €8.20! I'm hoping to get there in time for the TALGO, it will give me time to check in at the hotel and then go out for something to eat, and still have an early night. I have to get the 06.30 bus to the airport! Actually I could get the 07.00 but I would like time for breakfast.
My bag is packed but I keep thinking of things I have forgotten so I am going to have to re-pack. It is very difficult knowing what to wear, there are still heavy frosts here at night so I'm not sure about Extremadura. The temperature in Seville is 21 degrees today but Caceres is 18, they say it is going to continue getting warmer again, the 'cold' spell of the last few days was very short and not very cold. I've packed the sun cream this time, though my face is already well tanned and my arms still have some of the tan from October's Potugues.
This time tomorrow I will be in Seville, I'm very excited. As the airport bus stops near the old town I will walk from the Cathedral to Triana, that I way I can start off from Triana on Thursday morning. :)
Wednesday, 7th March
I arrived in Santiago last night, in drizzle, but without problems. It was still damp, and foggy, when I got up this morning. I got up in time and got to the airport. I had a "senior moment" with my liquids, I had put them into a plastic bag but forgot to get the plastic bag out of my back-pack. My back-pack went through the check twice but she let it through. Today the Ryanair staff were checking the size of every single bag, I have never seen them do that before, fortunately mine fit.
When I arrived in Seville I went to the Cathedral to find the beginning of the route, I wanted to walk from the Cathedral to Triana. I walked all round trying to find the first shell or arrow, eventually I asked a security man who pointed me in the right direction, the door I wanted was having works done and the ground is covered so I couldn't see a shell there but I found the second one.

The shells here are 'back to front', i.e. the opposite way round to other caminos, I think that may take a little getting used to.

The route is well signed, even within the city, which is unusual, so hopefully bodes well for elsewhere.

I went to Triana and dropped off my bag but it was too early to register and get my credential, so I went shopping! I needed a stick as there are no woods on the way out of Seville. Someone suggested I buy a broom handle! I found a chinese shop and bought: a broom handle; a pen-knife with cork screw; a mug and an excercise book, it came to the grand total of€3.60!! Then I went to the supermarket to buy some food, my emergency supplies.
Once I got my credential I went back to the old town, first I went to the Alcazar, which I have not visited before, it is beautiful, quite as impressive as the Alhambra. After lunch I went back to the Cathedral to get a stamp on my credential. I also paid €8 to go in, I was not impressed with this but she wouldn't accept that I am retired. I didn't really want to go around the Cathedral again but I felt it was the appropriate start to the camino, if an expensive one. The cathedral is enormous and not at all prayerful but I found the right door, for starting, even though I couldn't go through it, I also saw the grave of Christopher Columbus, which I don't remember seeing before, finally I went up the Giralda Tower, that was really worth while and not too difficult as one goes up a series of slopes, not steps.
It was a lot easier than going up to the Dome of St Pauls Cathedral.
Now I'm exhausted, I've been sitting up on the roof of the hostel, it is so warm even though it is evening. I think I have not drunk enough today, I have bought bottles of water but I am going to go and get some lemonade, I feel the need for something sweet. Tomorrow I start properly.

nearly time.

A week today I will be in Seville, ready to start walking the next morning. I have been practising regularly, I walk at least 6kms every day with a couple of days, each week, of walks between 15 and 20 kms. this has been greatly helped by the fantastic weather we have had this month. The weather has just got warmer and warmer, not even frosts at night now, today I walked in a T-shirt! The picture below shows a stream that I couldn't cross last winter! The water came over the stepping stones and poured into the abyss below and I froze half way over, I thought I was going to stay there indeffinately but eventually I managed to get my weight onto my back foot and I returned the way I had come.

Now there is almost no water, it is the same every where. We need water. Whenever I walk 'off road'' I am walking on dry leaves, I think this has caused my hayfever to come very early, something has, and there is no pollen about. The other cause could be the smoke everywhere, my smokey fire in the house at night and fires outside during the day. Lots of permitted fires, so many that even the locals are querying why, and lots of 'accidental fires', as there is low pressure the smoke is sitting like a layer of pollution.

This is a little chapel in the middle of nowhere, dedicated to 'Our Lady of the Snows' though there has been no snow this year.

I took this picture because it showed my village and where I had walked from but it is all lost in obscurity and haze.

The weather forecast says there will be a change next week and it may rain, I hope the rain falls up here and not too heavily in Andalucia and Extremadura!

walking!

Actually the miserable damp weather only lasted a couple of days and we are back to freezing nights and sunny days. I have started walking further and yesterday I excelled myself, I walked about 25kms, much further than I should have done so early in my training. I didn't expect it to be quite so far! I decided to try a new path, or rather, to combine 2 paths I know with a new bit in the middle. The new bit was long:(

I started by walking through the woods of A Fraga, I wanted to do this whilst the weather has been dry beacause, to get to where I wanted, I had to cross a mountain stream, with water-falls, on stepping stones. Last year the stones were under water in the winter and I could not get across, I froze with panic half way across, for a few moments I thought I was doomed to stay there forever! This year there has been no rain and the crossing was easy. I then got onto the road to Navea.

This road seemed to go on forever but the scenery was lovely.

The little church in Navea.

A reservoir beyond Navea.

It was the 'beyond Navea' that became interesting. I thought, naively, that once I got to the village I only had to cross a bridge and do a short walk to Trives. The picture below shows Navea in the distance and the road down to the bridge, taken from somewhere on the 9kms walk from the bridge. In Galicia, if you go down to a bridge you always have to walk back up again!

I did discover the answer to something that has perplexed me ever since I started walking here, that is, why is there a canal across the mountains. Now I know, the canal carries the water from the reservoir at As Guistolas to the top of this hill where it runs down pipes to an electricity station, I suppose to some kind of turbine, rather clever really. The road visible is part of the route I had to take to get back!

The reservoir is then formed by all the water flowing down the pipes and the the water is used again firther up, clever really.

I was exhausted when I got home, I thought I was going for a 4 hour walk but it took 6 hours. I didn't start till 11 and it was still very chilly then but it warmed up, as long as I was in the sun, which I was most of the time. My left hand swelled up whilst I was walking, it has never done that before, and today my hips are painful. Old age is starting to tell

The best laid plans......

So, I won't be in Seville for Holy Week. Dear Ryanair! Once again they have messed me around, flights from Santiago to Seville stop at the end of March, the alternative means going to Madrid and then on and this means even more money, especially if I want to be in Seville for Holy Week, so I have changed my flight to early March. The flight is really cheap and accommodation is much cheaper in March so there is an upside.
There is a second downside! I have a month to prepare and the weather has just changed to being damp and miserable. I have been walking about 6kms every day but this is not enough, I must be strict with myself:) I WILL WALK LONGER TODAY, it's actually not cold outside just miserably damp, but the excercise will warm me and it is cold sitting around indoors:)

2012!

Here we are the beginning of a new year. My mind, once again, is on travel, I can understand why British newspapers always have travel supplements at this time, I wonder if other countries do!?
Actually my mind is seldom off travel, for some time I had been thinking of going to South America next winter, I fancied the idea of getting away from winter, then, around October, I decided that if I was going to go that far why not get an around the world ticket so I had almost planned to do: flight London to Mexico, overland to Costa Rica, flight to Ecuador, overland around South America, flight Santiago to Auckland, overland NZ, flight Queenstown to Sydney, flight to Bombay, overland to Delhi and flight back to London, I had got so interested in this itinerary that I had nearly booked my travel in New Zealand, fortunately I realised in time that it was much too early.
Then financial pressures caused me to shelve all plans but because of this I have been thinking again of the Camino. I had thought to do the route from Le Puy at sometime, as I would love to cross the Pyrenees but know I could never do it on my first day. Now I have had an inspiration! I have been looking at the Aragones and the idea of starting from Lourdes. Common sense tells me that if I thought I could not walk across the Pyrenees in 2010 putting it off untill I get even older is stupid, so ....
2012
VdlP - Sevilla to Cacares in April, after Holy Week in Sevilla;
Camino Aragones in October, starting in Lourdes.
Now I am happy, there is a positive reason for not travelling around the world this year, and I can still look forward to that for next year.
So far I have barely walked since October and the end of the Portugues so soon I must start getting in shape, I will allow myself a few more days of indulgence, it is Christams here until the 6th, then I will start to be serious again but already I am looking at the routes, the book I had for the Frances has maps for France, and the various routes in, and I am reading up on the Forum.
Here goes for 2012!

Finishing!

Day 9 14th October  Pontevedra to Briallos +/- 14 kms

Once the excitement was over I slept really well. I had taken an antihistamine when I got them, in Redondella, and then I took another one before I went to bed, even though the doctor had said to take one a day! Also with walking so far I was exhausted. I used my earplugs and was woken at 06.50 when someone put on the lights. A bit too early in my estimation. I discovered that both the French couple and the German lady had left, why anyone wants to start so early and in the dark, sunrise is about 08.15, I can't imagine. I know it gets hot later but 2 hours in the dark really isn't sensible.

Once the lights were on I gave up and got up. I was going to have a short day and didn't want to leave Pontevedra too early but I also wanted to visit some of the old town before I left, so I got ready and went to find a bar for breakfast. By the time I got to the Old Town it was just getting light. I had a good wander around and went to the Tourist Information Office for info on Briallos and Caldas de Reis. They had very little info on Briallos so it seemed sensible to stock up on food, especially as I had finished my emergency supplies the night before. I found a little shop and bought; a packet of soup, some pasta, a bottle of chocolate drink and an orange, this seemed to cover the basics. Then I had a second cup of coffee and headed out of Pontevedra, then I discovered a Mercadonna! So, I stopped to look. I bought a small packet of 'Chocchip cookies' and 3 small packets of white wine, I would have preferred red as I knew I was not likely to find a fridge but there was no red there. By this time my bag was full so I ended up carrying my 2 bottles of water. I didn't know if Pontevedra to Briallos was 14 or 16 kms, no 2 sources of information give the same distances, but I had it in my head that I would leave Pontevedra at 10ish and arrive in Briallos at 1ish, some rather optimistic calculations there I think. I found I was walking very slowly, everything was an effort, the long haul of the previous day was taking it's toll. I had information on this stretch, which proved to be detailed and correct when I eventually looked at it but I had left it hidden in the depths of my backpack, I put this down to general tiredness and the annoying lights at the albergue. At 12 I came to a bar so I stopped for a beer and decided to have a bacon sandwich, I had no idea how far I had walked, nor how much further I must go. It was already getting very hot. After the break I speeded up a bit and about 1pm I came to a sign that said Albergue, it didn't say Briallos but some albergues have various names, this one said Barro, which rang bells, so I walked up a hill, off the camino, to this barrack type building, I tried a door, which was locked, but there was a phone number so I put my bag down to search for my phone when there was a knock on the window and someone signed to me to go round the otherside, there the door was open. There was a Korean lad here already. I looked around the place, there were 3 rooms with dirty mattresses on the floor, a couple of showers and a clothes washing area, I decided that walking to Caldas would be preferable to staying here so I left and started walking again. I still thought I had walked about 14 kms and had another 7 to go, in fact I had walked about 10! It was getting hotter and hotter, I walked another 4 or 5 kms and came to a sign that said Briallos Albergue, I was so gratefull not to have to walk any further and the Albergue was lovely, really peaceful, modern and clean. There was info saying there is a shop quite close but I had no desire to walk any further so I was glad I had carried food. There was one other person there when I arrived, a German lady, and 2 Portuguese girls turned up later. I did a load of washing as the weather was really hot and the drying area was a sun trap.

I reckoned the Portuguese girls would want to get up early as they only had 4 days and were doing very long walks, though the next day was going to be relatively short for them, about 26kms! I had only a few kms to walk so I wanted to get up as late as possible.

Day 10- 15th October   Briallos to Caldas de Reis 4 kms

A great night. I meant to put my earplugs in so I wouldn't hear the others getting up but I forgot, no matter though, I got up last, by which time the Poruguese had left, in the dark, and the German lady was nearly ready. I had my breakfast and messed about slowly, I was determined not to leave too early, i.e. not in the dark. I believed I had 7 kms to walk. I started just after 8, then realised that I had left my stick behind so I walked back, fortunately the door was still open. I left about 08.15-08.20, it was quite chilly, the first time I have felt at all cold on this camino. I was wearing a sleeveless top, under a long sleeved blouse, and shorts, I came to the conclusion that it was possibly time to wear a fleece in the mornings, but I suddenly walked into warm air, it was quite weird, one minute cold air the next minute warm. I walked back to check that the difference was not due to time (1 second!) but no - in one footstep the temperature changed a good 5 degrees.
I arrived in Caldas about 9.15, a bit of a surprise, I had been walking slowly so it can't have been more than 4 kms from Briallos. I had been having difficulty contacting Ling so I could not go on further but I was not sure what I should do, my one text from her said that there was no albergue in Caldas, I didn't want her to stay in Briallos and me to be stuck in Caldas if I could easily get to Padron. However she eventually borrowed a phone and we spoke, I also found an internet cafe so all was well, I spent the morning on the internet, then went to the Albergue, which is by the Roman bridge. The Albergue was not one of the best I had been in but it was functional. There are 'swings and roundabouts', this albergue had no kitchen to speak of, just a microwave, but there were lots of bars, a thermal foot bath and an internet cafe, Briallos was lovely but I had to carry food from Pontevedra!

In the afternoon I met up with Ling, we went to soak our feet in the hot spa, water very hot! then I went back to the internet place, then finally to the supermarket to buy food for the evening (salad). We invited Suzanne and Jenny to eat with us but they had been invited by Abel, to go out for a meal, so Jenny didn't want to eat but Suizanne joined us. After we ate we went back to the foot baths for another soak, locals were collecting water in all sorts of containers, some for drinking, one young man was collecting the water to bath the baby! After the soak it was back to the albergue, I decided it was an earplug night, especially as the lady next to me was already snoring.

Day 11, Sunday 16th October    Caldas de Reis to Teo 31 kms

Even with my earplugs I heard people shouting outside at about 3 a.m. then I went back to sleep and was woken by Ling shaking me, to tell me that the water supply was nearly non-existent and if I wanted any water at all I needed to get up, but the water was already non-existent, so I cleaned my teeth with my bottle of water and my hands with sanitizer. I had some breakfast, a chocolate drink and and biscuits then set off with Ling, in the dark. Ling had bought herself a reflective jacket and was keen to put it to good use so she walked in front of me when we walked on a road.
We walked well and quickly and started to discuss our options, I had wanted to stay at the Convent at Hebron, just outside Padron, but Ling thought that that would make the next day too long (27kms) so we decided that we would probably continue to Teo (31kms) There is some logic here, allbeit Camino logic, better to walk more when you feel good than put it off to another day! When we got to the turn off to the convent it said it opened at 16.00, as the time then was 12.00 it confirmed us in our opinion of walking into Padron.

In Padron they had an enormous market all along the river, it was really difficult to get through. I really lost my cool, much to Ling's amusement. There was a road running parallel to the market but we couldn't see it because of the crowds, there was also a road running along the river on the other side, the clever people crossed over early. We went to look at the Albergue, it was very nice, but by then I just wanted to go, though I was still keen to eat some 'Pimientos de Padron' in Padron, it seemed too busy but just as we were leaving I saw a Tapas bar so I went for my peppers and Ling walked on. There was also a supermarket opposite so I bought some kiwis and some chocolate drinks for breakfast. Then I set off to catch up with Ling, I had to really push myself but I did it. It was a long walk but we made it to Teo. We got there to find the German lady who had been in Briallos and 2 Portuguese that Ling knew. Ling and one of the Portuguese, Patricia, decided we should all eat together. There was not a lot of food but Patricia is a chef and she and Ling got to work in the kitchen, they managed a 3 course meal! Soup, pasta and a fresh fruit salad. Suzanne and Jenny arrived just in time to join us, we had a really fun meal.

Day 12, Monday 17th October    Teo to Santiago 13kms

We all slept well. I got up about 7.15 and went down to have breakfast, at 7.45 I woke Suzanne and Jenny and put the light on. We started off as soon as it was getting light and got to Santiago in time to go to the Pilgrim's Office before going to Mass. We were looking for a seat when I noticed the Botafumeiro hanging so I rushed Ling back to the transept and found seats there. Then I noticed that the German children were across the aisle, we had a big reunion, it was lovely to see them. They had been in Santiago 3 days, they said the Cathedral had been packed on Sunday but the Botafumeiro had not flown but it was flying today.

Later in the day I saw Vasco and Abel but we never saw Suzanne and Jenny or the 2 Polish guys we had seen from time to time since Ponte de Lima. We went to the Parador for the evening meal, it was a very strange bunch. When we got back to the Seminario people were already asleep and the lights were turned off very early.

Tuesday 18th October.

We got up and went for breakfast at the Parador, there was only one other person, a New Zealand lady who had done a long camino but didn't want to tell us much about it. Then we went to the bus station to get the bus to Negreira. From Negreira we walked back up the Camino to Ponte Maceira and had a lovely lunch. Then we walked back to Negreira to see where Ling got lost last year!

Sunset over Santiago

Wednesday, 19th October
Back home. I had quite a lot of time to kill in Ourense so I went to find the hot spring at As Burgas, I think the water was even hotter than at Caldas!

more camino portugues

Ponte do Lima

Day 4 continued.

Reading back I seem to be saying everything is lovely, I must find another adjective!
In the evening, in Ponte de Lima, the Potuguese said we should all go to a restaurant and try the local speciality "Arroz de Sarrabulho", it was various unmentionable pig bits cooked with rice in pig´s blood, the meaty bits were then served separately, it was actually quite tasty!

Day 5 - Monday 10th October
Ponte de Lima to Rubiaes 19kms
I got up 7ish, along with everyone else. I have been bitten and my arm has swollen and I have very itchy ?dermatitis on parts of my hands, the dermatitis is much more bothersome than the few bites, not sure what has bitten me, there was a mosquito buzzing around in Rates and I lay down on the grass in Portella!

Not a long walk today and through pleasant countryside but we had to go up a very steep hill. Part of the Via Nova again, Antonino really made his soldiers suffer!

Abel, one of the Portuguese chaps, was to cook supper, the previous night had ended in an "argument" as to who was to pay, in the end we all gave money to Abel and he said he would use it to cook today. The albergue is in the middle of nowhere but he has friends around and he reckoned he could get someone to transport supplies.
I got to the albergue at 12.30 and sat in the shade until it opened at about 13.20. A good albergue, plenty of space and a well stocked kitchen, like all the Portuguese kitchens it also had a fridge/freezer.
During the evening we had some concern, there are 3, 12 year old, German children, travelling with their grandfather. The grandfather had gone out, telling the children that he was going to get drinks for them, he was gone for a long time and everyone was starting to worry, I went to look for him, I found him coming back from the bar, he was totally oblivious of any concern he would cause, and he hadn't got drinks for the children.
We had a good evening, good food and good company.

Day 6, Tuesday 11th October
Rubiaes to Valenca 19kms
I started at 7.45 again, I much prefer the cool of the morning, I stopped after about 5 kms for a coffee and again after another 4. It is still warm, sunny weather, today was a pleasant walk, most of it off road. When I got to Valenca there were very few arrows and no signs for the albergue. I followed what arrows there were until I got to the bridge for Tui, when I realised I had gone too far, so I went up to the Fortress and walked the entire length.

Inside the fortress is super, an entire town, from the outside it just looks like a load of stone and grass.

Eventually I found the Tourist Information Office, but it was closed, then I had a 'camino' moment, I passed a little chapel and stood in the door and said, 'Please show me the albergue', then I walked out of the gates and there was the albergue! Suzanne and Jenny, the 2 German girls were sitting outside waiting, it opened at 13.00 and it was almost opening time. A little later Abel turned up and said that the rest had gone on to Tui, I was a little surprised as Ling had not texted me, it seemed we were going to have a quiet hostel, but a little later Ling turned up! She had no idea anyone had gone to Tui, she reckoned she must have missed that part of the conversation. Then, to everyones surprise, Vasco, Hubert and the children arrived, they were all hot and tired and very fed-up as they had been walking backwards and forwards in the heat.
Suzanne and Jenny had offered to cook dinner, there was a supermarket near the albergue and we all went mad in there, we also all did a big clothes wash as the garden was a sun trap.
After dinner we were all relaxing when one of the boys cracked his head on a ceiling joist, the boys were jumping from bunk to bunk!
Johannes told me, but said, 'Alles en ordnung' nevertheless I got the 2 German girls and we went to investigate, Moritz, the lad was sitting with an ice pack on his head, looking very shocked, the other 2 looked pretty shocked too, he obviously needed medical attention but no-one seemed to know what was happening, there were no adults with them! Then Abel came back with bombeiros and an ambulance, apparently the fire service run the ambulances. God knows why the adults had left the children alone and not told any of us. Jenny went with them to the medical centre, to support the boy, no-one else seemed to be. The grandfather is too old and really not fit to be taking 3 12 year olds on such a long walk. The 2 children left behind were very concerned, especially as one was his twin sister!
Fortunately they were not away too long, Moritz had his head stitched up!

Day 7, 12th October
Valenca to O Porriño +/- 20 kms
We all got up early as we were going to lose an hour going into Spain. This was supposed to be the day when we all split up as a group, Hubert and the children were giving up on the Camino and Vasco said he would go to Tui with them.
I had breakfast then started walking, Suzanne and Jenny started just before me but they were going to visit the Fortaleza on the way out.

View back over Valenca

View of Tui

Tui cathedral

 I walked to Tui and visited the old town and Cathedral, they are beautiful, from here the walk was up the side of a road, a country road, or, rather, a road in the country, but a main road, then we walked for a while through woodland, which was pleasant, for me anyway, Suzanne and Jenny split up and Jenny walked through on her own later, she was propositioned by a man who then walked off and masturbated in front of her! Later she passed him in his car and again he asked her to have sex with him.
After the wood there were a series of villages then 7 kms of industrial estate, it was drear. Suzanne was walking ahead of me but she was also bothered by a man, on a bike, that she couldn't get rid of, in the end she walked back to meet me and we walked together. She was a girl on a mission and we walked fast, we were very pleased to get to the Albergue. She decided to rest outside as she wanted to walk onto the next albergue at Mos, 5 kms further on, so she waited for Jenny. Then Vasco and Abel turned up, then Hubert and the children arrived by car.
Ling and I ate in. Ling cooked all the pasta she found in the kitchen, I wanted to cook my pasta in my soup so Ling fed Vasco then the 2 boys. The kitchen had plenty of big pans and glasses but very little of anything else, so I has to use my pans. I used up half of my emergency supplies and the wine I had bought in Valenca

O Porino town hall

Day 8 13th October
O Poriño to Pontevedra 34 kms
I had a bad night, I itched and more blisters came up on my feet that hurt. In the end I got up at 6, got my stuff together and went to the Medical Centre. On the way a woman came out of a bar to see where I was going, she thought I was lost! The doctor prescribed an antihistamine, then I went to a bar for breakfast, I had a delicious fresh croissant and coffee. Then I started walking but very slowly as it was still dark. It was OK in the town as there were street lights and pavement, by the time I came to the out of town stretch it was almost fully light but I was a bit worried and very grateful to turn off the main road, unfortunately I also had to cross the very busy road.
Lots of ups and downs today, I had a second breakfast in Mos then carried on to Redondella. I got there at 11.30, went to the chemist then went to look for the albergue, it was a lovely old building right in the town, I had a drink but it was still a wait until the albergue would open so I decided to move on and investigate the 2 albergues that I had names for, between Redondella and Pontevedra.

The camino from Redondella to Arcade and on to Ponte Sampaaio had some incredible scenery, lots of ups and downs as well. Arcade had lots of delicious smelling restaurants as well, I was tempted to stay and eat but I had hope of finding the albergue shortly so I carried on, after Arcade there was very little in the way of possible stops, though I did manage to fill my water bottles. There were no albergues advertised so I could only imagine that they do not exist and I had to keep walking. I had lost my page of instructions for that route so I had no idea where I was I just had to keep walking. Eventually I came to a sign that said 2.4 kms to go, every step was a pain but I got there. I hoped to stay 2 nights but they said "No", from conversations I can understand why as lots of people were wanting to stay. The albergue was on the edge of town and I was too tired to walk into the old town then so I decided to do a short day the next day and visit Pontevedra in the morning.
Hubert and the children arrived by taxi, they had walked as far as Ponte Sampaio which was a long walk. Finally, nearly 9, Suzanne and Jenny arrived, they had had a good day, lots of rests and they had been walking with 3 Spanish boys!
I went to bed with the intention of playing Sudoku till I was sleepy but the light in the dormitory was on an automatic timer and went off every 5 minutes, it was just too annoying. It was a large dorm with about 48 bunks and almost full so the light needed to be on but 2 or 3 had gone to bed early and were very cross every time the light was put back on, A French woman was threatening to put the light on at 6 but a Spanish man got cross too, saying 21.00 was too early for the light to be off, which, in all fairness it was.
Eventually the lights went out, then we were all disturbed by a young man being sick in the rubbish bin by the door, then it was 'all action'. The German woman by the door was up and shouting, someone else was explaining that the lad was ill, which was great to know, I would rather he had been drunk, it's not catching! Finally a Spanish man I had seen various times during the evening, with his wife, got up and went to the door and asked; 'How is the lad?' He also assisted with the cleaning, using a disinfectant. A real Christian, a real Pilgrim. I'm afraid I just lay in bed and watched!
The man in the bed on my left, close to the door, was using some kind of respirator/humidifier which was plugged into the wall near where the boy was sick, he was worried about his plug. On my other side I had a man whose bed was so close I felt we ought to introduce ourselves before we slept together! When I got into bed his sleeping bag was touching mine! I pushed his mattress as far away as I could, which gave us about an inch!
Finally all quietened. Suzanne and Jenny went and slept in the sitting area as they were too close to the sick boy for comfort.

During the night the lad next to me rolled over and landed on top of me, all together an eventful night.