. . . 30 km on the map, so we set off early . . . 7.30, still dark . . . too early for breakfast at the bar . . . the next village, we are told . . . we go fast . . . the coffee like a carrot to a donkey . . . 4 km, 45 minutes . . . the village looks quiet . . . I explore . . . an alsatian loudly lets me know the limits of his territory . . . his owner calls him in . . . hola, is there a bar here . . . no, the next one is Tiebas, 10 km, do you want some bread? She insists . . . half a fresh baguette . . . these are the special moments on the camino . . . we press on . . . Tiebas, coffee, bomba (chocolate doughnut) . . . the road widens, we chat for a kilometre or two . . . Pep asks a cyclist the way . . . you are off the route . . . just what we need on a 30 km day . . . cross the Madrid road and railway, pick up the camino again after half an hour . . . the weather is perfect for a long walk, cooler, overcast, a few drops of rain . . . on and on we go . . . my mind focuses again on the pack . . . Pep's is lighter, all thought out . . . a litre of water is one kilo he says . . . thin layers, one pair of walking shoes . . . decide to take a rest day, sort out the pack, slow down . . . jumper can go, sleeping bag . . . the inner bag is enough, there are blankets at the albergues . . . wear in the shoes, then maybe lose the boots . . . it is so much about trusting the universe . . . there is a French bloke here, an apprentice priest, travelling without money . . . it all works out . . . so here is Pep, started at Montserrat, heading for Santiago . . . invites me to his house near Barcelona . . . tomorrow he and Sergio carry on, I have a rest day . . . the albergue at Punta la Reina is busy . . . the route from St Jean Pied de Port, Ronscevalles, meets the Aragon route here . . . French, Lithuanians, Germans . . . rain forecast . . . another good reason to take the day off . . .
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