DAY 30 To Filloval

I can't think of a worse start of the day on our entire Camino to date.  At 4am, the three older Italian men decided to awake and have a Ben-gay party.  The smell of menthol quickly suffocated Heidi and me.  Poor Heidi was in an upper bunk above one of the balm slimers.  To make matters worse they were using there digital phones and headlamps to illuminate the room.  It looked like a scene from Close Encounters.  They packed stuff, crinkled plastic, slammed doors, and talked loudly in the restroom.  My much needed sleep cycle had been trashed.  Finally at 7am I lost it.  I told them how they were the worst people I had ever been in an Albergue with and that I hoped to never see them again.  They didn't understand a word I said, but could tell I had had enough of them.  They soon scurried out of the Albergue.  Who takes three hours to get dressed and out of an Albergue?

We quickly dressed and my shoes were still wet.  My gloves were also still soaked.  Urgh!  My blood is now boiling.  It is cold outside, but I'm burning hot.  I stomped all the way up to O Cebreiro.  We grabbed a quick Coke and were soon joined by the two happiest women in Denmark, Hanna and Edith whom we met in Trabadelos.  Hanna asked what was wrong. I let her know.  She wished me a better day and off they went.  You gotta love Hanna.

We left the bar to find the folks that had used a bag hauling service to carry their bags up the mountain distributing their bags.  Wimpy tourists I thought! We hurriedly went passed them and headed over to the last big challenge of the Camino,  Alto de Poio.  Thanks to those Italians, I could stomp all day.  The climb up Alto de Poio required us to stop several times to catch our breath.  Vic was ready for me to slow down.

Over the top and we were on our way to Fonfria.  With the socks on my hands that I was using for gloves, I adjusted my hoodie.  I had raised my walking sticks and taken my eyes off the path.  This negligence is soon punished.  I tripped over a large rock and hit my knee.  Vic asked if I was ok.  I realized I was and that the fall had caused me to refocus away from the events of the morning.  I was actually much happier after the fall.  Talk about your pattern interrupts.  I  only wish it would have happened earlier in the day.

We were thinking about staying at the Albergue in Fonfria.  We discovered it is located in the middle of a farming community that reeked of manure.  We walked on.  First to Bidueda and finally stopping at Filloval.  We rented the private room in the Albergue and went next door to the bar.  Peregrine pay attention, this bar has some of the best food on the Camino.  It is truly an Oasis.  They also have wifi that actually works.

We met two women from Hong Kong in the bar.  Isabel and Sym were staying in the main room of the Albergue.  We talked for a long time and shared a lot of laughter.  Just what we all needed after a long, hard day.  I must say that the vast majority of peregrinos are really nice people!