Cóbreces (Spain) | Trust in the Good in People - Day 99

 

Santillana Del Mar is a unique little town in my travels to Spain thus far. It is adorable! A bit touristy, but this morning the streets are empty, and it is pretty charming.

Day 14 takes me from Santillana Del Mar to Cóbreces. The stage is short today, only 12 km (7.5 mi). The path follows pavement again with rolling hills. The maximum elevation of 140 m (459 ft) is reached after leaving Santillana Del Mar. 

Before leaving the Albergue this morning, I visit with the others who also made the long march yesterday. First, Efo and Lap. How are you feeling? "I'm tired, man," says Ivo. After telling him what I learned about the wave of Peregrinos and the lack of beds in Comillas, Ivo says, "Screw that man. I'm not doing another 34 km day. Twelve sounds much better." The general consensus with everyone is that we are tired and only have two options. Walk a short day or turn it into another long day. We decide that Cóbreces is where we ought to go. Even though it is only 12 km, it will give us a 25 km (16 mi) average for the two days. Exactly what we need.

After breakfast, I head out the door. The cobblestone roads in Santillana Del Mar feel much better today on my feet. This little village has a ton of charm. The rain is very light this morning and intermittent. I opt to start the day without my rain gear.

After about 10 minutes, I notice I have a small rock in my right boot, so I stop to take it out. Paul passes by while I'm taking my shoes off. "I didn't take the right path leaving the hostel this morning, but I found my way here," he says. I remember that Paul wanted to focus on spending less time following others. I tell him how you got here is not important. It is the fact that you are here that counts. He gives me a thumbs up and keeps walking.

I look at Santillana Del Mar as I climb away from the town.

At the top of the hill is this little old church. I decide to try and stop to see if it is open. A French man returning from Santiago is camped on the lawn in the courtyard. He rode his bike to Santiago via the Camino Frances and is returning via the Camino Del Norte. After chatting with him briefly, I decide to move on. The church is closed, and his energy level is a 12 this morning, while I'm at a peaceful 3.

It begins to rain, and Céline notices a small building. Inside we find three other pilgrims from Croatia. As we begin to chat, I ask them about Croatia. They recommend hiking the Via Dinarica but say it is very remote and difficult. "There are trail angels that will help along the trail," one says. Trail Angels are people that help support hikers by bringing food and supplies or giving them rides to town from the trailheads. They are an invaluable resource to hikers across the globe.

"Avoid Split in Croatia. It is very beautiful but full of tourists.", the other says. "Try Sibenik about 60 km (37 mi). It is charming and not full of tourists," the third says. Soon after, they put on their hiking ponchos that cover them and their bags. They wish us a Buen Camino! As they head out Stephen, another pilgrim from Germany arrives. Céline and he speak for a while. She speaks German and I don't. The rain finally quits, and we resume marching, leaving Stephen in the shelter. This is the road I traversed this morning, heading towards the mountains.

Today marks 2-weeks on the Camino, and I am not quite halfway to Santiago. I feel tired and am glad that it is a short day. I have no desire to walk anything more than 28 km (17 mi) in the future. It is simply too long. Most days, I start walking around 7 am. I didn't enjoy getting to the Albergue after 5 pm.

As we walk down the road, Céline and I, reflect on how the waves of pilgrims seem to operate. We discuss how easy it is to get sucked into them on the Camino. We have friends in front and behind us from France. Right here, it is mostly people from Germany and Netherlands. I can't explain why it works this way, but I find it interesting that the waves also parallel the many parts of the Camino.

We also discuss how, a week ago, we had a similar short day when we entered Portugalete. That day was so rewarding. Maybe today will be similar, another short day. The schedule for a short day and rest seems to have fallen into place once again.

We arrive at the Albergue in Cóbreces and find Ivo and Lap finishing lunch. It is good to see them again. Their pace is much faster, so we frequently part ways in the morning. I don't want to walk that fast. After they settle their bill, we all head in to get our beds in the Albergue.

While having lunch, I notice a Peregrino with grey hair and a ponytail walking down the street. Then he returns several minutes later. He walks into the restaurant and continues uphill. About 10 minutes later he returns down the hill and heads into the Albergue. Then heads up the hill again. Finally, 10 minutes later, he walks by again in the opposite direction. I flag him down. It appears he's looking for a place to sleep. "The Albergues are all full. There are 120 students coming tonight," he says in broken English. We try to tell him there are plenty of beds at the Albergue across the street, but he dismisses us quickly. I shrug, as I think he is confused. There are clearly beds available from what I have seen. I watch him walk down the street again. There is nothing more I can do for the man, he must find his own way.

Several minutes later, Cami arrives. She is stressed, it is her second full day. "I don't know where to stay. A grey-haired man told me there are no beds," she says. I look at Céline and start to laugh. There are plenty of beds, and he is confused, I tell Cami. Shortly after, the clerk from the Albergue passes by and Céline asks if there is still room. He says, "Yes. But you need to be aware there are 120 students arriving later."

I immediately drift to the grey-haired Peregrino. You can take a horse to water but you can't force it to drink, I tell myself. There have been countless times in my travels where unsolicited strangers have offered me nuggets that have helped me with my travels. Maybe I benefited from these because I approached the situation with an open heart.  Just like today with the three women from Croatia. I trust in the good in people and believe they are there to help me. Other people are not as receptive and miss out on these gifts from strangers. This exchange today is a reminder to allow others the opportunity to help me.

After everyone is settled, we all head to the beach. Lena, from the Netherlands, also joins us. When we  arrive, I laugh. "We have the whole place to ourselves!" Cami responds, "I love the enthusiasm from people in the United States. Your laughter is contagious and when I hear you, it makes me want to laugh with you." I thank her for the wonderful compliment.

The water is refreshing, and Ivo and I outlast everyone in the water. This is undoubtedly what makes the Camino Del Norte unique. I plan to take advantage of it whenever I can.

After the beach, we all return to the restaurant next to the Albergue, the only one in town. Fortunately, the food is great! I tell everyone, tomorrow when we go to San Vincente, it will be 100 days that I've been traveling. I ask them to celebrate with me. Of course, everyone is excited and eager to share the experience with me. It's fantastic to be surrounded by such wonderful people. I am blessed to be on this journey with them.