Tired, but Moving Forward

Daily miles: 28.83 | Total miles: 14,692.29

Well, I didn’t sleep well.

After about an hour, the wind picked up, and the sound of the tent fly fluttering kept me awake. Normally, after a long day, I fall back asleep quite easily—but not this time. I searched for my earplugs, pushed them in tightly, and after what felt like a long while, I finally drifted off again.

When the alarm rang, I packed up. Cold coffee, then crawling out of the tent.

A beautiful sunrise greeted me. Everything was damp, my fingers ice cold—but it felt good to move, to walk along the gravel road and find my way back onto the main road. A long day ahead.

Fields stretched endlessly, broken only by ruins and small towns with their quiet, weathered houses. As I passed through Castroverde, just before leaving town, I came across an “Obama Park”—a small, unexpected detail that made me smile. At mile 12, I stopped at Alberto’s place for an espresso.

There was a lot of thinking today. In a way, it felt like a hard day—but at the same time, I knew the weather was good. No reason to complain. Harder days will come again.

Just before reaching Benavente, I met Jordi. He told me he had traveled the world by bicycle when he was younger. He wasn’t much older than me. He was kind, open—and without hesitation, he said he wanted to give me a present. He opened his backpack and took out a carton of 12 eggs. Such a simple, generous gesture. I would have loved to take them—but without a stove and no way to cook in the next days, it just wasn’t possible.

In town, I stopped at a supermarket—closed. Then another—also closed. I thought maybe it was siesta, but after checking, I realized it was a regional holiday.

So I went to the hotel. A very simple place, no reception. I had to figure out the code they sent after the online check-in. Once inside, another small challenge—stairs. Getting the buggy up took a bit of improvisation, but by now, that’s almost routine.

In the room, I started recharging my devices, drying out my tent and sleeping bag, and then went back out to find something open. Eventually, I found a small halal shop and a gas station.

I’m very tired today.

But days like this remind me—progress isn’t always about feeling strong. Sometimes it’s just about continuing, step by step.

Thanks for checking in, Andrea