The Camino offers its own variation on Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every steep and rocky ascent, there’s an equally steep and rocky descent. For me, the descents have been troublesome. On Day 3, I slid down part of the shale trail on my shoulder and knee. I treated the swelling with ice and Spanish ibuprofen (600 mg per dose!) and soldiered on, although I frequently pointed out the bruises and swelling to Rich.
The rocky ascent up Alto de San Anton yesterday proved problematic for Rich. As he attempted a mountain-goat-like leap across one of the gullies, he rolled his ankle. Wouldn’t have been a problem except the 10 miles he put on the ankle after rolling it.
We limped into Azofra and agreed that today would be a day off. We did laundry, had a lovely lunch and dinner at Restaurante La Gallina Que Canto, and hope that between the rest, the tape and the ibuprofen we’ll be able to press on tomorrow.
Dessert for a day off
The restaurants along the Camino offer something called a pilgrim meal. It includes an appetizer, a main dish and beverage; often, it includes dessert and bread, too. Tonight’s meal was spectacular: white asparagus from the region, pork ribs with fried potatoes and grilled red pepper, bread, a bottle of red wine, and chocolate tarte. All for 12 euros, or about $14 each.