One of the most important lessons one can learn from the Camino is to flow. If it isn’t happening, don’t force it. Go with the flow, wherever it takes you.

Take Casa Botines, for example.

We had been wanting to see it the past few days, but there was always something that wasn’t right.

On Sunday, only the lower floor was available for viewing. On Monday, they were closed from 2 pm to 5 pm, and Rosan had a yoga class she wanted to go to at 5:30 pm. Today, the guided tour was at 12:30 (- we were meant to check out from our hostel at 12:00), plus they couldn’t assure us that it would be in English, especially if they had more Spanish-speaking guests than English-speaking ones.

In the end, the only tour available to us was the five-euro one and, while the Goya etching exhibit was dark and intriguing, I don’t think I would have kicked myself up the arse if I had missed it.

We should have been content with our close-ups with Gaudi.

I weeded out two kilos of unnecessary stuff from my pack and sent it off to my Airbnb in Madrid (- seven-plus euros, box included). And then I proceeeded to buy maybe three to for kilos worth of food that I totally don’t need. Doh!

I could immediately feel the weight of the backpack, first on my knees, then in my shins. And then I could feel it all the way up and down my thighs.

If I had kept carrying my pack from Day 1, this would be a piece a cake by now. But nooooo… At Day 17, it might as well be Day 1 for me.

12 km. isn’t much, especially on the Camino, but it was 12 km. of torture for us wayward peregrinos.

(I think we may be the only peregrinos to gain weight on the Camino. We now call ourselves the Manash A Trois. manash = gay speak for bloated or swollen)

We only intended to walk 7.8 km. to La Virgen Del Camino. But the albergue we wanted to go to was closed…

… and the others wanted to charge us the same rate as our hostel in Leon, for accommodations that weren’t up to par.

We were so tired that we were almost tempted to either bus it back to Leon, especially since Raffy and Stephen had finally arrived there, or stay in one of those God forsaken hostels in that dreary town but, at the last minute, we chose to walk on to Valverde de la Virgen, four kilometers away.

Now we are happy as clams at La Casa Del Camino one of the best albergues on our trip, so far. It’s managed by Alba, an eight-time peregrino…

… and the family that owns it is very endearing. They’re very involved in the running of the business and obviously want to do well.

Accommodation:

La Casa Del Camino

8 euros per bed, 10 euros for dinner, 3 euros for breakfast.

There are wider bunk beds for couples.

They give you those disposable paper sheets to put over the existing sheets – “for hygiene purposes”. Thick blankets are also available.

There are no windows so, apart from one night light, the room is completely dark, which I like.

They also have a kick-ass charging station:

There are separate showers and toilets for men and women.

They offered us a glass of wine before checking in and kept the wine flowing all throughout dinner.

Outside, you can soak your weary feet in their “foot spa”.

They also have a pool, which should be welcome in the summer…

… and a cozy hammock area.

Inside, they have a fireplace.

Can you tell that we absolutely love this place??? We also might be a little bit drunk…