When I went down to breakfast I came too early but the older man, the french pilgrim, was there. I spoke with him a little. He told me that the french part of the pilgrimage had gotten too popular. And some of the pilgrims are getting disrespectful with the local farmers, taking fruits and vegetables from their gardens without asking. So, he made it clear I would expect some tension. It sounds like too many pilgrims and no one has got a infrastructure in place to handle them, so the local people are suffering and I am sure, so are the pilgrims...He also warned that unlike italy food would not be as plentiful. He said I would run across towns only every 30kms or so, so I should always carry enough to eat. He did say I would not find it hard to do camping, so that is good news. So he made me a bit dubious about the french portion. He warned me not to tell people I was american because I would just get riped off since americans are notorious for paying too much for things. Also the french dont like americans, I let him know I was well aware of that. He said by the time I will arrive on the actual Santiago pilgrimage it will be quite crowded but fun. He said it would only take a month to do the actual path. (if I am hiking 30kms a day or more, if I am doing math right) so he made me feel both happy and worried... not an uncommon combo for me. The breakfast was a quick affair no ritual or prayer... I went off to pack and hit the road by 9.30. at first I had this feeling I could not leave town..signs starting and stopping..then finally a road that did lead down hill into the valley... today's walk was not the visual feast i've come to expect. I was walking a long a car road, again not too intense.. but yeah i'd rather walk a country road instead of the side of a car road.. I am surprised that I see a lot of cyclists... I even saw a group of same clad cyclists with a team car following them. So I wonder how many of these guys are training professionally for races. My walking gate seems to be strongest after the first hour... then I am strong for two or so...by afternoon things change again. And I have to take breaks more... as I arrived Pontedera around three I knew I was not going to walk much more that day.. I thought the town was pretty ugly... or just boring modern... but then I realized I was entering the more industrial side of things.. as I kept walking and asking for hotels or albergos I finally found the town center ...it too was an old town smoothly transitioned into modern shopping experience. People here, like all bigger places it seems, were into fashion. And all it's accessories.. I still could not find lodging...it seemed there were many modern sculptures including by a church and fountains.. I think I was too tired to really give this town my usual attention. I finally found a hotel it had four stars and the lobby was full of amazingly tacky but in its way wealthy looking furniture. I was kindly referred by a handsome queer, to an Albergo down the street that I could afford.. it turned out to be the home of a former art teacher at a Florentine art academy so the walls were decked with his art and collections he'd acquired including indian art. The mother and daughter were running the albergo. I got a small room showered and tried to find food. It was way too early for restaurants to be open and the gyro place was out of falafel so pizza again.. I had some for lunch as well. I was not thrilled since my diet is too much cheese and bread because it's always easy and available.. I had a danish beer called 'Strong beer' and it sure was. I went back to room feeling quiet buzzed. It seems lately I have to buy internet cards which have limited use time and are not that cheap..but I need my fix... I slept fairly well but woke too early because someone upstairs went to work early...clippity clop clippity clop...
No comments:
Post a Comment