11. Viana to Ventosa 17/7/12

I would have loved a cig in the morning but hadn’t smoked since 7.20pm the night before (just before I met up with Bob and Janelle). Wondering what to do with myself, while waiting for the bathroom to clear out, I decided to fix my puncture as I was not sure when I’d next find a bike shop to buy a new replacement tube.  I used the wash bucket in the laundry to find the hole and then went and sat with some bikers to ask how to do it.  I said to them that I thought you rubbed the place where the hole was, then you put on the glue and then you stuck on the patch.  One said that this was right and added that I needed to wait till the glue dried before adding the patch.  I did that and checked with him if the glue was dry enough and he said that next time I needed to use something to spread the glue as it didn’t look like I'd put it on evenly – but he thought it would be okay.  So I fixed my first puncture. 

Making sure the patch stayed on

Outside the albergue saying goodbye to the Dutch couple

After everyone cleared out the dorm room I went and got packed up and left about 8.30am. I was worried about being locked in the place as I would not have liked that.

Here are some pics from on the way to Ventosa. 

The albergue at Ventosa had been recommended on the Camino website by a few people and the minute I entered the place I knew why. It was gorgeous.  It had great rooms, a lovely shady garden and spotlessly clean bathrooms. I lucked it here and got a dorm to myself.  I told the hospitalero that I couldn’t sleep on the top bunk but there weren’t any bottom ones free so she opened up another dorm room just so I could have a bottom bed – but didn’t put anyone else in with me. It was bliss.

My very own room for the night

This Dutch couple are doing the Camino and are 70 and 67

The garden

The elderly couple having dinner. I thought they were great.

I was happy to see a German woman and her daughter smoking in the garden. I didn’t think anyone would be smoking in there so had intended on going to the pub down the road for a cig – but I didn’t need to.  Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I took up smoking again after I got lost in the city I passed through.  When I get lost I find it’s best if I sit and order a café con leche - and of course that goes best with a cig!

Dinner that night was in the one restaurant in the town.  It was lovely. I was in bed early and it was great to be in my own room. 

On the way to the restaurant for dinner there were many people sitting in front of their houses. I'm not sure if it was because they didn't have a garden to sit in or whether they just liked sitting on the street watching everyone else sit in the street.