Bonus

I thought I was staying in a small hotel, and when I was walking here yesterday, basking in the sunshine, I entertained visions of a nice glass of red wine at the bar. Maybe a little lunch (it was about 3:00 pm, so, yes, that's Spanish lunch hour).

Imagine my horror when I walk in -- JUST WALK IN THE FRONT DOOR -- and the family is sitting around the table, having THEIR lunch! Worse, after I retreat to my room, I hear them singing the Happy Birthday song!

There was no clue anywhere that this was a B&B.

And I had just walked 5 km from Astorga, where one might find the nearest open restaurant on a Sunday night in late November. I wasn't about to go back, in the dark, to wander around looking for some place open as early as 7:00 pm. So I ate some almonds I had in my bag and went to bed.

But not before I washed out my socks and undies. This also proved a challenge. Call it … I don't know what to call it. I pushed down the built-in drain stopper, filled the sink, dropped in my smalls, and took a shower. When I got out, I realized I couldn't figure out how to drain the sink. I really couldn't. My heart sinks.

There seemed to be a little stem behind the faucet. I got out a safety pin and threaded it through the hole in the stem. Pulled. Nothing. I begin to panic.

I crawled under the sink, looking for the mechanism that manages the sink stopped, thinking I could manipulate it from there. All I got was a whack on my head from the towel rack and the towel I was wearing wouldn't stay on. It was like that episode of Seinfeld: some things shouldn't be done naked.

I tossed the wet clothes in the shower. Found my pocket knife. Tried to pry up the drain stopper. Was unsuccessful with that, but did manage to slice my thumb.

Now things are getting desperate. I don't want to have to go downstairs and confess to the birthday family that I can't work the sink.

I'll have to start bailing it out.

There's a drinking glass provided. Real glass even. So I carefully scoop out the water and pour it into the shower. It takes a while. I'm almost done bailing when a thought occurs to me: I closed the drain by pushing down the stopper. Maybe … wait a minute…

I push down on the stopper and VOILA! It pops right up. Sink drains. Problem solved.

So much for enlightenment along the Camino.


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Location:Murias de Rechivaldo, Spain