14 apr

Salamanca, that’s where the second part of my journey towards Santiago starts. With a real backpack and sleeping in Albergues. At least that’s what I hoped for. When I finally found the albergue in Salamanca, somewhere behind the old cathedral, but even finding the old cathedral was hard, it turned out it was full. But no problem, according to the hospitaleros, he dug up a matrass from somewhere and now I can sleep in the living room. No snoring and other awkward sounds from my fellow pilgrims.
Just getting towards Salamanca wasn’t easy. There are plenty of ticket machines in the Madrid station, but when you type Salamanca they give you a choice of 25 stations, including Leon and Cordoba. There was no other choice than to go and wait in the enormous line for the only ticket desk that was selling tickets for today’s travel. The other 12 decks were selling advanced and international tickets. There was nothing to do in front of these. Another way to jumpstart the spanish economy. Start to organize things a little more efficient.
In Salamanca an older woman who had said next to me asked me where I needed to be. In the pelegrino albergue, I said. Follow me she indicated. She hardly spoke english, but i managed to find out that she was retired, used to be a nurse and now preferred vacations to Africa to go and see lions. When I told I was a journalist, a word she didn’t know, I made a handwriting motion, she told me she was an artist. A painter. And sure enough she stopped at one of the souvenir shops wher they sold cards of her paintings of salamanca highlights. I am afraid the paintings will never reach the reina Sofia museum in Madrid, but i have to say that I preferred her efforts more than three quarters of the disturbed art at that museum.
Salamanca is the old university town of Madrid. It is the best proportioned city I’ve ever seen. A friend wrote me her late father used to say that the plaza Mayor was the best of Europe. I can see why, because it is large enough to be imposing and the buildings around it are so well sized that it still feels cosey. But it is a little monotonous for my taste. I still prefer Veurne.
But also the streets around the square are just perfect in size. In many of these streets, only accessible for pedestrians, there were rows of tables to dine in the middle of the road. Very fun. Spanish restaurants have the habit to cut their meat very thin, but my pork loin was still undercooked. It was tasty enoI also had the best french fries I’ve had in Spain, but they were still awful. I do not think they know they can heat up their oil to 180 degrees.
And now for some real pelegrino experience. It’s still bloody hot in this living room, still warm outside in fact. Ah well, the ideal circumstances for a good early start.