October 10 2019

Today’s hike was pretty meh. It can’t be all sunshine and rainbows. So I don’t have a ton to say about today’s hike

1. Woke up late on accident
2. Had some issues with my shoes
3. It got grossly hot today- the one day I wore pants instead of shorts
4. Went from vineyards to lots of brown dirt and grasslands and FLIES. Mother effing FLIES

HOWEVER, once I finally got to the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, things gravely improved.

Amazing improvement #1:

I decided to splurge a little more and stay in a place with a kitchenette so I could cook. 

My place is ADORABLE. I think Miranda Gaines would really like it. Textured stone walls. Exposed wood beams in the ceiling. I thought I had to share a kitchenette but got my own!

There was a grocery store around the corner that had perfect selection of things, which brings me to Amazing improvement #2: it had A PUMICE STONE.

Now why is this important. Per lessons learned, calluses are bad and I haven’t been able to get rid of the one on my poor baby toe because I haven’t been able to find any sort of file. And thus battle royale with toe tape happens every day for five hours as I apply and re apply. But now that I have the treasured pumice stone! I can now rid myself of said callus. I will refrain posting a photo of my toe as you will not have any ample time to look away if you wanted to, and I am a nice person.

Amazing improvement (AI)  #3: the balls of my feet had really started to hurt. Along with it – killer shin pain on the left side that I resolved with tiger balm and Panadol today. However, as this was a bigger city- I set out to find a shoe store to find inserts. What I learned wassss my lovely Salomons are great trail running shoes (yes I knew this), but not good for walking days and miles on end because they’re actually quite thin and lightweight to be more speed cross friendly (damn did not know this). So I got more appropriate shoes, Merrells. And tomorrow I shall be shipping my Salomons from the post office at 830am to Malaga. 

Means I’ll get later start than normal buttt figured I don’t want to carry the weight and the improved shoe situation is worth it! 

Plus shipping flat rate in Spain is very simple and affordable as I’ve found out already!

So all in all- a very mediocre hiking day, ended quite well with: nap, yoga, home cooked meal, and new shoes to boot! (I have been kind of anti social the past two days since the Icelandys left but tomorrow night, Grace is coming to hang from Sweden for 4 days! )