Sardines, Schpetzal, and the “Fancy” Bodega

Today was a great day. I think the best part may be that I found out I've lost 12 pounds since arriving in Europe. I don't really know how that's possible, but it seems to be so – I hope I don't have a tape worm or anything!

Rebekah took Libby and I into Sahagun again today so we could go back to the Internet place and Libby could get her bus ticket to Barcelona from Bilbao. She'll be leaving tomorrow evening after we spend the day in Bilbao and then returning home to the US on Monday from Barcelona. I was also able to download all my emails from Google into my Thunderbird Application on my laptop so I could better sort through all of them. The multiple messages from the Couch Surfing website and the Yahoo Peace Corps group I'm a member of were just too cluttered to try and read online.

Saturday it turns out is also market day in town, so we took advantage of the stalls in the main street and got some bacon, sardines, trout, chorizio (sausage), and brie. We also picked up bread and a newspaper for Paddy. Back at home Paddy cooked up the sardines and some salad for our lunch. It was the first time I've eaten sardines that weren't out of a can or on a pizza, and I can say they tasted okay. A little too much work for something that didn't taste amazing, but they made a decent lunch along with some leftover ratatouille. Libby and I then took a nap – I really love siestas! - and after we woke up Rebekah called and told us and Paddy to come over to the bodega sight to see one of the neighbors' bodegas – the “fancy” one. It was the bodega with the pretty bricked door and a TV antennae. Inside they had done an incredible job of remodeling it, and it was quite the party room. A TV, a bar, an oven and stove, a wood burning stove for heat, electric lights, remodeled walls, tile, steps, and a wine storage area.

Sebastien and Berndt spent the day over at The Alamo doing work in Jame's place. They tore down a wall between two rooms, and Berndt made a walkway around the main area with boards as it had turned into quite a lot of mud. It seems here in Spain, workmen don't have any sense of urgency or regard for their profession. I'm not talking about the two pilgrims, as I think they've done more for James so far than any of the so-called professionals have, but the actual plumbers, and carpenters, and electricians. Rebekah and Paddy are having the same issues, in that no one here seems to understand the concept of contracting when working on a remodeling or construction job. It's really aggravating for someone from the US where our economy thrives on a sense of customer service and satisfaction.

Rebekah had me do some things around the house while she and Paddy went out for a walk, and after I was through the sun came out a bit so I sat in the courtyard and wrote a letter to my grandparents and did a little research on walking the Camino. Rebekah suggested I check out an alternate starting point to St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port which adds about 2 days onto the entire pilgrimage, but takes you through a wonderful part of Spain that a lot of people usually miss. This alternate start route is called the Aragon Way. I'm really excited about walking, and to practice a bit am going to load up my sack and start hiking back and forth between Moratinos and Sahagun which is about 9km, one-way. The longest stretch along the Camino will be 38km, which equates to a little under 23 miles. I think the changes in altitude (walking up and down hills and the like) will probably be the toughest part of the hike. Also, from talking to the Pilgrims as well as James and Marianne, I think I'm going to start the Camino in early April instead of waiting until May. My original plan was to stay with Rebekah until April, travel around Spain until May, and then do the Camino from May to June. So now instead I think I'll start the Camino in April, go to Italy and France from May until July, and then spend the rest of July and part of August seeing Spain.

Berndt had gone into town to get his glasses fixed and picked up things so he could make dinner for everyone tonight. He fixed veal meatballs, kale (red cammage) which was cooked down with appples, and schpetzal (sp?) a German dish similar to noodles crossed with dumplings. It was very good, and I was glad to try some schpetzal that didn't taste like dirt! Before dinner James and Marianne stopped by and surprised Sebastien with a new guitar which they had bought in Leon. He had one along the Camino, but then it had been stolen. He was so happy and played some music for us after dinner. To end our day, Rebekah drove Libby, Sebastien, and I back into Sahagun and we found a bar where we enjoyed a beer and watched a little of the football (soccer, not American football) game that was on this evening. We chatted for a while and then headed back to Moratinos. We're going to Bilbao in the morning and will be seeing the Guggenheim, and then sadly saying goodbye to Libby. She has to go back to the US on Monday. Now though it's time to go to sleep because I need to get up early. I'll have plenty of pictures from our day tomorrow.