So, I thought that trudging through mud in a bit of rain was probably the
worst of it. Before that, it was the inclines that had me huffing and puffing. And everyday, I think my feet are going to break apart with each step as I get to the last hour...

But today, all this was trumped by walking 5 hours straight through non-stop wind and rain. (cold enough to freeze my camelbak watertube, which I thought could only happen in Winnipeg.)

I was up by 6 am before everyone else in my room (who all were in bed and sleeping by the time I got in at 9:45pm, funnily enough) and was out the door before everyone at 7am. But I had heard the rain as I was packing, so I waterproofed-up and headed out, no breakfast or coffee.

By the time I arrived in Ventosa (a mere 6km away from Navarette) my very thin pants were soaked and leaking onto my socks, and what I would assume by capillary action, started to fill my boots with water.

I stopped in the empty Ventosa albergue ( I would guess it was about 8:30am) to attempt to wring out my socks and POUR OUT MY BOOTS. I put on just about everything I owned to stave off the cold wind, and started out for the next leg (about 10 km to Nareja.)

I stopped for a cafe con léche grande (that one was for you, geege) and a pastry, then I made my way through Nareja with a strange oomph.

Maybe it was the fact that I had the coffee; maybe it was the fact it was so cold there was nothing but to keep walking fast to keep warm; maybe it was the fact that I just couldn't get any more wet & the water in my boots acted a little bit like a cushion (think of walking on a waterbed). Or perhaps it was the iPod, which I finally after the week of saving podcasts and such for the last hour walking: I gave in, plugged in, & listened to my 'new camino tunes' playlist. (thank u snowflake, for the Camino Tunes: the 70 minus 1 aka "69" song & "Je ne veux pas travaille" song made me LAUGH OUT LOUD.)

I don't know what it actually was, but I FLEW to Azofra (5.5km) and I almost danced the whole way. In the rain. :)

"Je ne veux pas travaille
Je ne veux pas le dejeuner
Je veux seulment oublier
et puis... je fume."

(thank u snowflake)

I smiled the whole way to Azofra and I'm still smiling.