The break continues...

Well, this is interesting...
My two days in Boadilla del Camino were great. The place was really literally like an oasis in the desert, and the hospitaleros were absolutely lovely and took care of me as if I was at the same time a hurt little bird and a long time friend. It was almost painful to say goodbye to them yesterday morning.
But, as I was getting ready to walk 25km, yesterday, I noticed that my feet were still swollen. Less sore, true, but swollen.
So I thought: I'll walk the first 6km, and if they are sore then, I will stop and stay there for one or two nights again.
And sure enough, as I arrived in Frómista, my feet were crying again. So I stopped, had something to eat and some coffee (you wouldn't believe how much coffee I drink everyday here. And Spanish coffee is soooooo nice!!), and, as it was only about 9am, I started to try and look for a place where I could stay for one or two nights. I didn't feel like staying at the albergue, so looked for a pensión or casa rural instead, trying to find one that wouldn't rush me to the end of my finances either. So I walked around and walked around, saw one, thought nah, let's see if there are others, but it wasn't flowing. Either there were no single rooms left, or no one to talk to at all. So I went back to the first one I had seen, and rang the bell. A lovely lady came down, told me there was a single room for two nights, and gave me an affordable B&B price. So I stayed there.
And I slept about 2 hours in the afternoon, and still went to bed around 9pm last night.
I can't believe how much I have been sleeping in the last two-three days. I must really have needed it, as I am still happy to go to bed around 9 or 9:30 pm, and don't feel like going out partying at all. I think my feet were the weakest link, but if I had gone further and ignored what they were telling me, my whole body would probably have crumbled down as well!
So now I am quite thankful for my feet to be such excellent indicators of tiredness and health boundaries.
Of course, I am not in an albergue, so this break is a bit more solitary, but I think I need that as well. Now I haven't walked properly for 3 days, and I am starting to miss it. Also, I feel like I am a bit out of the whole pilgrimage path. I am not quite a pilgrim, and not quite a tourist either. It feels a bit weird. Hopefully I won't have time to truly find an identity as "the-pilgrim-who-is-currently-resting"...
As my feet don't seem to truly unswell, I thought I would treat them to some therapy. So first, I bought some salt and vinegar, and bathed them. Now they feel all soft and happy, but still swollen. As I have plenty of salt and vinegar, I'll give them another couple of baths today, to see if it helps.
Then, I have booked a massage in a therapy centre. I am not sure what they offer, so we'll see. The massage is scheduled tonight at 6. If they do some reflexology or foot massage, I am sure to go for that. I can't wait to see how it goes.
That's the thing, you see, my job is to walk, and then there is a whole routine that comes from walking: first, getting up early, having some breakfast, getting the rucksack ready, making sure I have enough water, saying goodbye to the hospitaleros if some kind of relationship had started, and then walking, taking breaks, talking to other pilgrims, stopping somewhere for coffee and a sandwich if possible, then arriving at the next albergue, signing in and paying, having a shower, wash clothes, eat, and relax and then find a nice place to have the pilgrim menu in the evening, before going back to the albergue, brushing teeth, and going to bed. All of that really takes most of the day.
So when I don't walk, that means the whole morning is free, there is little if any clothes to wash, and only few pilgrims to talk to, so the day ends up a bit empty.
Hence my delight when I found Hermann Hesse's book Siddartha in the last albergue in Boadilla. I am already half through it, even though it is in German. It suits the camino quite well actually.
So these days, when I am not walking, I am really taking my time to do everything. To read, to eat, to walk around, to shop, etc...
OK, I'll let you know soon how it goes. In the meantime I will take some time to write a few emails before my internet connection times out.