A rebel without a clue.

Another boring day. Perhaps without the wind directly in my face I'd not be pushing myself to arrive so hurriedly to the end of the walking day! There was a small highlight when I crossed through a small regional park with dwarf oak trees, leaning together against the frigid winds, where I stopped for lunch huddled against their shelter from the gale which gave me a chill yesterday when I stopped for food!  Once passed this promentary I had the longest straightest boring-ist section of 7 kilometres I've every had - actually Landes was far more boring, except for the tree cover! Now I'm in Pétrola and I can't be bothered to move - some fine olives and a beer, but I feel weary suddenly! *** In every Albergue a different challenge. This one I can't recall how to light a calor gas fire. I'm holding down buttons and I'd made sure the canister is full. But I'm lost. It used to be the time the button was held down ... But really it's so long since I sat nex...

It's freezing this morning - la Mancha for it's temperature ups and downs. Heading across the road for breakfast of champions: tostada con tomate and to listen to the jumble of voices I cannot fathom - their conversations could be witty, dense, deep or banal and I will never know. Politics in Spain heading to extremes it seems: haven't we been here before? Could there be a military Junta in the 21st century? If only all politics could put aside their differences to find the common ground, but humans don't like to compromise. We want to control existence in all its guises! Something didn't digest so well during my sleep and I work up with palpitations, sweating heavily and thinking I'd left with the keys! How strange as I was still in bed! Less intense day today. 20 something kilometres. Apparently there is a pilgrim a day behind me: the host of the Albergue wanted to give me a lift forward yesterday but I refused and he informed me. If I take a rest day at some ...

Saved by the vines. It was the longest day! 35 Kms into a gale. It's the hardest day I've know. Gladly it didn't rain. Some ominous clouds along the horizon, but they, somehow, stayed there! Today was exceptionally tough. Now I am enjoying local Jumilla wine, but the locals seem unimpressed by the wonderful thing they have all around them Monastrell grape is divine to eat and the wine is definitely helping me off to a warm bed! It's only old men holding up the bar I stumbled into and the first one I struck, before I was taken to my bed for Sunday, the girl behind the bar is their granddaughter and she's totally in control. The tapas is good and the vino is exceptional. I'm heading to the Restaurante near where I'm sleeping and if it's not open I keep warm until another day beckons! *** 101 years since the end of the "war to end all wars" and wars are still happening as the result of western imperial arrogance, Russia ignorance and, usually, mal...

The same old questions. Why keep at this? The relentless pushing pushing to reach what exactly? Over just the next crest of a hill is the truth I seek. Searching for what? Which moment of truth am I hoping to have spring out of the mind in which it's locked away? Stop here for a cup of tea. Then I start up a usual high street. Where two routes converge. The one from Benidorm meets the one I'm on from Alicante. The sign of the Camino says stop again. So a copa vino Vinalopõ and tapas. I will continue again shortly. Unexpectedly today I had to find a bush in emergency and then, more or less, directly afterwards a migraine. My body rejecting some melancholic disposition as a different way lies ahead? Or simply a few days of too much meat with little vegetable, fruit and too many excellent wines? Soon I will be in La Mancha tilting at windmills like the buffoon I am! *** Food was calzone. And I'm yawning. But I'm kind of caught in the other Spanish obsession: Barcelona or R...

Well, no I didn't sleep well.  Firstly the bar next door was loud until early Saturday morning. The room has no Aircon or if it has it only appears to be warmer with it on. Just like on another Friday night, not so long since, I simply couldn't find a light switch or the toilet door in the pitch dark so did a pee pee on the floor! The room needed the shutters and blind down, as there is a bright street light next to the window in the passageway between two streets. Stumbling around this room, because I'd forgotten how it was orientated, I ran out of time on my bladder. Perhaps drinking too much doesn't help? I do feel tarnished. What is wrong with me? I know why I am in Spain: to leave behind the other person I dislike so much! After all I am walking for better mental health. So now I am aware of how easily I forget why I come away to throw my body at gradients, paths, dust, rocks, mud, etc because it really works. The real walk begins today. Remember this is the way ba...

 "In  Sax,  there  is  a  famous  medieval  castle…  that  I  never  visited,  because  I  was  too  lazy,  staying in  my  luxurious  hotel  room  or  eating  ice-cream  in  one  of  the  bars  in  town." After thirty odd kilometres I too won't be heading up to the Castello either! Checked into the Hotel, which is a sting at €35, this does include a proper breakfast, however I can't have it until 8am. The room has Aircon shutters and blinds so I expect I won't have a problem sleeping until the beep of my alarm, which I've set for 7:30: last night was pretty bad for an albergue as the street lights poured in, the bed was very short and the wind was intense! Tomorrow I must find a more reasonably priced option. The list of places suggests Caudete. In which case this is the way I'm heading. In Caudete there is a member of the Camin...

Walking out of Alicante gave me a slight problem breathing with sheer number of cars, trucks, etc. First thing this morning I have to get to next town for Desayuno as Orito is very small, without even a shop. Five kilometres on Asphalt to a very desolate town for breakfast - these types of towns exist fairly often on the Camino, but not as frequent as the historic ones. Monteforte del Cid. Day two is a little tedious so far as I follow the train tracks between Alicante and Madrid to my left. Soon I'm sure to leave the thundering of high speed trains behind? Finally away from asphalt to Via Pecuaria - which I think translates to drovers path? So after a lot of ups and downs, over a aqueduct where I dared not but walk straight ahead, no eyes Looking down, I'm in Petrer. Hasty Tapas and beer. Need to slow down and eat leisurely. They're doing me Menu del Dias early, thankfully, as I've another few kilometres ahead this afternoon - perhaps 10 - before I reach Sax. The touri...