Day 17 Fuenterroble de Salvatierra to Morille – 33km

Yesterday, in the early evening, one of the volunteers took most of the pilgrims on a tour of the local church. He could only speak Spanish, but one of the pilgrims, Winnie—who is fluent in English, Spanish, and French—did the translation for us. She was fantastic! 

Apparently, 20 years ago, the church was derelict, but now it has been completely restored. I believe it was the parish priest who organized the restoration and also set up and oversees the running of the Albergue. He came by in the afternoon and then again in the evening to the church, where he took over from the volunteer. He gave us a mini service, a lesson (interpreted by Winnie again), and a blessing. It was a lovely service. Afterward, we all went back to the Albergue for our communal dinner.

I had planned to give my donation in the morning when I got up, but I was well down the Camino before I remembered—and I felt quite guilty. I tried to call Damien to ask him to pay for me, but I couldn’t get hold of him. I've resolved to pay double the next time I stay in an Albergue that accepts donations.

The forecast for today was heavy rain, and I think we were all quite apprehensive. Eleven kilometers from our Albergue, the route splits into the main route, which climbs up to the ridge on the mountain, and an optional route, which stays lower down on local roads all the way to our destination in Morille. I thought, 'There’s no way I’m going up to the top in rain and wind!'

When I left the Albergue, I was surprised it wasn’t pouring down. There were a few drops of rain, but nothing significant. I had my cagoule on and set out. By the time I reached the choice between the main route and the alternative, it still hadn’t rained. So, I decided to take my chances and go for the ridge walk. I was rewarded with beautiful views of the countryside and the wind turbines, which were taking full advantage of the stronger winds up there. I was so pleased I had made the effort.

During the early morning, I had also missed a turn on the route and didn’t notice my mistake for over 10 minutes. I had to retrace my steps. In the dark, I had just missed the sign and didn’t see the correct path. I was frustrated with myself, but also relieved it hadn’t taken me longer to realize my mistake.

By late morning we had only had a few very brief showers so I thought I would take off my waterproof  and put it in my bag. I should have known better because 3 or 4 minutes later it started raining and continued then until Morille was in sight. At least the rain wasn't too heavy and the day turned out a lot better than forecast.

I eventually made it to the Albergue, only to be told by the manager that I needed to check in at the local shop first. I eventually found the shop, and the guy there—who spoke good English and used to live near Manchester was happy to check me in. He copied my passport details, stamped my credential book, and processed my payment for the night’s stay. I also took the opportunity to buy some provisions.

I had lunch at Marco’s bar and then returned to the Albergue to relax and write up my blog.

Tomorrow is a short day’s walk to Salamanca, and I’m really looking forward to wandering around this very historic city.