"For our path in life is stony and rugged now,and it rests with us to smooth it.We must fight our way onward.We must be brave.There are obstacles to be met,and we must meet and crush them !" - David Copperfield
We finally arrive in Toledo after crossing some 500 Kms of the vast plains of La Mancha!
Last night we could not find anywhere to stay and our UK "extraction team" were unable to make their way to Almonacid to pick us up. We therefore took a bus (the only one) to Toledo, after having to wait six hours, arriving late evening. Our plan was to try to go back this morning. Unfortunately (or otherwise!) the bus timetables did not work out for us and so we have decided to scrap this bit from our itinerary. It is the first time ever we have taken a bus on a Camino but we felt there was no alternative. Sleeping with 'roaches is not something we are prepared to do. In 1992 following the demise of Ceasescu in Romania I went to help severely mentally handicapped children in a home situated in Cezieni some 200 Kms south west of Bucharest. On my first trip we stayed at the Bishops residence in Bucharest. That night I went to the loo. Thinking I should not wake others who were sleeping I did not switch on the lights. Suddenly I felt things starting to scurry around my feet. I switched the light on and found to my horror literally hundreds of cockroaches swarming from a grill on the floor, all over my feet. I still have nightmares about this! I swore then, never again!
I am glad to say our hotel in Toledo is as far away from that scenario as it is possible to get. We had our credenciales stamped at the Cathedral and have done a lot of walking to compensate for the few Kms we have missed. Ana Maria has been tending to her blister by pinching it with a sterilised needle, then passing a piece of thread through it leaving the thread exposed. This will allow the blister to bleed properly. A good dose of antiseptic cream finishes the operation. We have decided to rest here 48 hours to enable full recuperation! We also need to stay at least until tomorrow when hopefully we collect a replacement for the IT bit of equipment that was stolen from us in La Gineta and which our son James has rushed to us to the Poste Restante here. Fingers crossed that it has arrived!
It is a good time to be in Toledo as it is near the feast of Corpus Christi and the town is fully decked out with flags everywhere, in anticipation. Great atmosphere
Enjoy your well deserved rest. It's lights-on for me from now on when visiting the bathroom in a strange land :-)
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