Stage 18 – the day I drank to Elvis

Start: 6:20, 11 ºC, sunny

End: 13:45

Distance: 31/428.9 Km

Stayed at: Las Hadas albergue had cats, so… La Parada

OST: Un figlio di nome Elvis

It turns out that Las Hadas has cats – and I am allergic. Switched to La Parada, which was excellent.

Reliegos hosts the Camino’s best known bar, the Elvis Bar.

The owner is quite a character. Here I connected with Colleen, a fashion designed from South Africa. We opened the bar at 16:00 – after experiencing “Spain’s best sandwich” at a shop down the street – and I only left around 20:00.

Colleen was quite fit, she had just finished the Camino Portugues before starting the Frances. I thought my improved physical condition was helping me catch up with my “camino friends”, the reality was different: there had been a few “party days” where the group I met in Burgos had stopped to party and drink for 24-48 hours.

Ah, to be 35 again!

Well, I could not spare days for partying, but I was now able to catch up with several peregrinos I had previously met, so it was all good.

Elvis Bar was wild.

I was probably more tired than I thought, but there was no doubt now: I could comfortably complete the Camino, something I had been doubting just a week earlier.

Did I mention this was another 31 Km stage? I had done 83 Km in 3 days, well beyond the 25 Km / day average. A misguided sense of confidence took me.

At Bar Elvis I left my mark – “Your mother was conceived here”.

Middle-aged British guy (the other one), Tomas and Colleen made me company for the next stage as well.

The Camino was a lonely affair for the most part – it was great to see the same peregrinos again and enjoy their company for a bit longer.

Next stage: Stage 19: Reliegos – Leon