Day 18: Playa Oyambre to San Vicente de La Barquera (12,4k)
- Frida Stavenow
- Sep 25, 2022
- 2 min read
I wake up first. Just me, the beach and the sunset. Gradually, the boys start to stir. God I want to brush my teeth. Around us the debris of a late-night picnic in the dark: empty wine bottles, end bits of cheeses, crumbs, sticky knives, rejected tomato slices. We pack up camp and walk to a bar at the end of the beach. I order a cafe con leche. BLT suggests a beer. I suggest we take some time apart. At least for the morning? The German Camping Gang has given me some amazing days of jokes, challenges, adventure and occasional deep talk, but I am starting to feel like I’ve had my fill of hourly beer stops, bi-hourly “That’s what she said” and a constant feeling that my Camino is about to turn into an unairable episode of Jackass.
So separate we do. They walk off, and I stay at the bar to charge my phone and catch up on writing. I am so sandy. I am so cold. Nothing is dry. After I finish my coffee I go into the bathroom to sort out the disaster that is my bag and self, but being inside feels wrong. Instead I go out and join the surfers. Hobofication complete. Showing your tits to everyone is totally normal in Spain. I get changed in aire libre next to the tourist office, then set off with everything in order.
I don’t walk long. About an hour later I’m hungry. I enter Surf Land, also known as Playa Meron, and sit down at a cafe to plan my next moves. Turns out, the following 20k only have private accommodation. It be like that sometimes.
Though my feet felt happy to be liberated from their trainers the day before, today I can feel those 28k of flip-flop walking in my heels, so I decide to treat myself to a 7k day and stay at the albergue in San Vicente de la Barquera. It’s a good choice. I meet lots of people I thought I’d lost, have some sardines, get on with life.
20 Beer Points: find a single instant soup without animal in it
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