Not the ideal start to this years Camino. The train down to Gatwick was running 20mins late but with no rush to be at the accommodation I’d booked, I just went with the flow.
I had booked an en-suite in a guest house, 20 min walk from the airport. I dumped my stuff and went into Horley, the little town nearby for a pint. I stopped at a lively pub for one before moving onto the more rustic pub ‘Ye Olde Six Bells’
A couple of drinks and some food I returned to my digs as it would be a 2.30am start.
I made my way through the dark streets, none of the lamps were on – luckily I had my head torch. Soon I was at the airport checking in my backpack, to find my flight had been delayed by 2 hours!
This was a spanner in the works. This meant I wouldn’t be able to get the train I planned for, that would allow me to get into Zamora before the last bus to Granja de Moreruela – the starting point of the Sanabrés.
It was a long 4 hours waiting around in the terminal. The plane didn’t take off until 8.30am – 2.5 hours behind!
Once through border control, I beelined to the train station to find all the later trains were full. I felt like I was in ‘Race Across the World’, changing my plans on the fly.
I tried the bus companies, and there was only space available on the 6.45pm one. This meant I’d get into Zamora at 10.15pm – defo will miss the bus to Granja.
Being that late to arrive, no albergue will accept me, which meant I had to fork out for a hotel room. On the plus side I now had the afternoon in Madrid.
I took a stroll around the ‘Parque de El Retiro’. Soaking in the sun, the many fountains and monuments. I grabbed a cold drink from a stall and found a shaded bench.
I then moved on towards the bus station calling into a supermarket for some food while I wait. Stopping at a small park near the station to eat.
Keeping with the theme, the bus was an hour late, meaning I arrived in Zamora 11.20pm way after Check-in.
Luckily the hotel gave me the door code so I could check myself in. It had been a long day.
Stu's Camino 