Hotel comfy enough, though breakfast very late for pilgrimming ... still, it's included in the price and Santillana is easy enough, Cobreces easier still ... plenty of options with preferred sailing from Santander on Monday ... early wander produces some sunrise images, including lesser known Gaudiness ... Comillas beautiful and internet full of photos if you want more ... Andy and Natalie share some philosophy and decline photo, not for usual reasons of shyness or fear of losing part of their soul, but concern about recent data pillaging from FB ... hmm, not sure about that, or the perfectly reasonable suspicion that we are simply doing the work of security agencies by sharing our images, ideas, friends and other details ... imagining that social media is a social service in a capitalist world maybe naive. .. if we are using it for free, then it is also using us ...
Yesterday's reference to Camino Angels is further reflected upon ... the day before Andrew said he had recently heard the term and recognised the phenomenon. .. today's Angel appears on the track just about to be missed outside town, posing as a pilgrim ... later, at another junction unclear to backward walking pilgrims, Henry appears to point to the one true path ... appropriately enough, since he is a confirmed Catholic, with rosary, crucifix and conch, as well as mobile device with each step of the Way online ... Californian, studying religion in Washington, he smiles kindly at the heresies proposed in a brief exchange ... next year he's studying philosophy, who knows how that may turn out?
Woodland route very peaceful and easy enough, though Cobreces somehow bypassed in favour of earlyish menu del dia a few kms on and just 12 from Santillana ... a risky red wine seems reasonable and ambience authentic and relaxed ... after which arrows are missed or mistaken, including before lunch, which was off route ... sometimes stepping off the path pays off ... Santillana is hard to miss though, with sea to the left and main roads to the right ... and after some upping and downing it's into town by 4.30 ... long enough for 22 km ... a brief chat with friendly German couple from supper last night, car borne tourists enjoying the afternoon Sun ... to tourist info, where the Convent Albergue is identified as favourite ... two beds to each nun's cell, shared bathrooms for €12 ... breakfast optional at €3.50 ...
Peter and Kia, from Germany, started their Way in Santander and made the 37 km today ... no ambitions for that ... halfway will be fine tomorrow, but first the pilgrim blessing ... this is a convent after all ...
that Gaudi structure with the light coming through it is stunning. As is the shiny something on the hill. I laughed at the "arrows missed" after the risky red wine. That sounds like the wine was playing with you just as it plays with me. I am sorry to be missing this Camino in Reverse, an Onimac.
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