Stage 9 – the day all shops were closed in Spain, like every other day

Start: 8:00, 9 ºC, sunny

End: 15:45

Distance:  22/214.4 Km

Stayed at: Apartamentos Mirador de Granon

OST: Almeno tu nell’universo, Mia Martini

From 32 to 23 Km. Rest day? Very much NOT. It took me longer than most stages.

It makes sense: my ankle had started recovering, and caution was needed.

So much pain – but this time, I know the worst was behind me.

There’s something funny about Spain: if a business can stay shut, it will. The lack of open shops, especially on weekend days, has been a real challenge.

When I arrived in Granon there were almost no shops open. Only the local Union Bar gave any signal of being open – at 16:00.

Without a pharmacy, a miracle saved the day: a vending machine. With Compeed products. And dry ice.

Dry ice!

Aaaah, tecnology. My life was saved.

(spoiler alert: I ended up never using the dry ice, its cooling effect was mainly psychological)

At this point, I had started listing the “friends” or “common faces” I met on the camino.

Angelo, the ancient Italian guy.

A lovely Canadian guy, with tattooed calves.

A Spanish lady chased by her boyfriend – who engaged in deep, convoluted sofa-based conversations in any albergue where we coincidentally ended up staying.

(her boyfriend was driving, of course)

And, of course, Koreans. Koreans everywhere. Demographically, Spain is a South Korean province, the evidence is overwhelming.

In Granon I found love: the owner of the Union Bar took pity of me and served me dinner, which was very clearly leftovers she had put aside for herself. My heart melt.

Anticipating the need for recovery, I had booked a private apartment in Granon. 3 bedrooms, lots of unnecessary space, it did its job.

Most importantly, that apartment gifted me a Key Item: the yellow “recicla, peregrino!” bag, which quickly became my precious bag for the dirty laundry,

Next stage: Stage 10: Granon – Espinosa del Camino