May 23, 2023
Banos de Montemayor – Fuenterroble de Salvatierra 43.4km
23 May 2023
Upon returning to the Camino path, we encountered a lot more pilgrims, both hikers and cyclists.
Our plan was to stay in Valverde de Valdelacasa, but we pushed on to Fuenterroble de Salvatierra. Greg and I have been sampling ice creams along our travels, Greg seems to stick to his favourites, however I like trying new ones.
The albergue there was quite unique, like a museum with low lighting and numerous collectibles. Ester, the cheerful host, completed our booking, recorded our passport numbers, and stamped our pilgrim books before offering us garlic soup and water. Mum declined the soup, as it had lumps of bread, which had turned really soggy. Greg thought it might have been seafood but he wasn’t sure either. Ester informed us that there was a communal dinner at 8 pm, which made me a little nervous. As a backup, I hoped to have a two-minute noodle up my sleeve.
As the showers were only cold water and the weather was quite chilly, we unanimously decided to skip showering and embrace our natural scent. Meanwhile, Taylor took up the task of hand-washing our clothes, while Penny completed our daily Duolingo session.
Exploring a quaint church within the narrow streets and stocking up on biscuits from the local supermarcho. It was crucial to bring along small snacks as some towns were quite far apart and lacked open cafes or shops. After a brief siesta, Mym was awoken by commotion as Taylor frantically searched for his bag, rummaging through his panniers and making a racket. Amidst the chaos, pilgrims chatting and Greg’s alarm ringing.
The afternoon was filled with conversations with other pilgrims at the albergue and reconnecting with familiar faces from previous days. The much-anticipated pilgrim dinner arrived, and Greg appeared anxious. As Ester rang the bell, signaling the start of the meal, all the pilgrims gathered.
I was the youngest pilgrim to have stayed, I was lucky enough to receive two extra desserts after being served a scrumptious first course of beef bone and potato soup, followed by a plate of tortellini and salad. To top it off, I was served a creamy custard accompanied by a ginger biscuit and a light sprinkle of cinnamon. It was a yummy dinner!
With very tummy’s we all tucked into our bunk beds and off to sleep.
Rising with the sun to fuel up on breakfast, we loaded our bikes once more. We bid farewell to our German and Spanish companions, pondering if our paths would cross again during our journey.
