06/18/07 VIANA 2

So, I am in the city library fo Viana where the internet is free and I was told at the tourist office would be open some time around 3, a little before, a little after, who knows!
So: by the time I got to Puente-la-Reina my back was killing me, I drank the beer, took a nap and ran into the New Zealanders. They were nice, but had no idea what was going on except that the America's cup which they said New Zealand was winning was taking a break during that time. Along with them there was a German who had moved to the states in the 1960s and had done quite well for himself which he made sure everyone around him knew about. The next morning my back was pretty good but by the time I had walked the 22.5 km to Estalla I really was in misery and was thinking that if it was going to be that bad then the walking had lost its shine for sure. I did some work on my backpack and made it so I could pull the shoulder straps closer together in the front of my chest and change their position on the muscles on top of my shoulders. This back problem is an old one from when I played football in high school and had a rib popped out. Up to this day the rib and the ensuing muscle cramps are still a problem. Sometimes more, sometimes less: now seems to be more presumably due to the extra weight and pressure on it.
When I got up about 6:30 the next day I could see that it had been raining and during the time that I packed the backpack it started to really pour. Out the window I could look up the street which went up fairly steeply and then at the end of the block turned into pedestrian stairs. The water was coming down those stairs like rapids in a river and flowing down the street to a small lake around a rather large drain grate. Wow, this did not look good! It was Sunday morning but after the rain had abated a little I found a place where I could get some coffee and a little bread for breakfast. During that time I remembered the first rule I had learned in France. DON'T WALK IN THE CAMINO MUD IF YOU CAN IN ANY WAY AVOID IT! So, I looked at the map and saw that a road went directly to the next stop at Los Arcos. Now that there are new freeways these older national roads are not used much except to travel back and forth tbetween the little villages. So, on the edge of the road off I went and it was quite wonderful. The bicyclists, who are going with traffic in contrast to me who walked facing traffic would drive by and shout 'Buen Camino' and the drivers would honk and/or wave. There was very little traffic and I hardly got wet at all. And the fiddling with the backpack was able to keep me from jumping out of my skin from back cramps. This is not the first time that I had thought that I had fixed this back pain/cramp problem with the backpack and as I sit here my back is hurting quite a lot so we will see.
Last night I went to a mass for the pilgrims at the local huge wonderful church. As I know little about the dogma it was very interesting and seemed by the tempo quite like the Episcapalian service. The priest was quite charming and looked like he really liked talking and interacting with us all. There were lots of people from many lands I can assure you. This walk today was pretty good and the back, if not perfect, was bearable. I am getting now to parts of Spain where one can see long distances, but I notice that there is another mountain range in the distance. I fear that means up and down again. The 'up' is easier than the 'down' for me as the right knee rebels on the down slope.
Poor Mary is feeling pretty lonely there in Salamanca. All work and very little play can not be that much fun for her. She has been doing some of my reservation work, calling and finding me a place to stay, as I still am trying to stay in hotels and the like when I can. It seems to work out better for me. I really appreciate her work as often it is impossible for me to get someone to do it for me where I happen to be and when the person at the hotel starts chattering at me I have no idea what is going on and don't know if I have a reservation or not.