Whats on my mind, it says. Well, Toledo came and went in a flash, of lightning. The previous day we walked and walked and walked, the threatening clouds that had pressed down on us finally let go of the burden of teasing us all day and dropped a mghty wash on us that pushed us down into the slimey clay and stone track. So we knew there was no camping, and I knew Id lost my only lighter, which meant no smoking and no cooking, so the only option was to keep on walking. We crossed a soggy lumpy field and traversed a dodgy ditch and clambered over a crash barrier onto the national main road into Toledo, hawling the loaded facilitator over and somehow managing to maintain control of the soggy Fred, and poncho flying open in the wind, and cold water thrown at us from passing cars and the whoosh of everything as a lorry steams past. And on we trudge, dark and sodden. An hour or so of such self inflicted torture and we see in the distant half submerged night time blurr the warming and welcoming orange glow of a Cepsa petrol station. Thats it boy I say to Fred, he lookes up from under the flapping poncho as if to say good o boss but really thinking thank fek for that. We finally wheel our way in but avoid the pumps as we run on carbohydrates, and head for the cover just aside of the entrance to the shop/paypoint. We park up and I go in to see what imediate replenishment is available. On seeing a shop bearly stocked of the kind of instant gratification one normally encounters in such establishments. After scanning the whares on offer I select a litre of beer and 100grms of cured ham flavour crisps. I chat to the young cashire, as one does, enquiring as to the sparcity of nutrifying goods on offer. He explains that since the opening of the autovia/motorway not more than 100 mtrs yonder, trade has plummited, and that it was only a matter of time before the garage would close. Anyway, lonh story short, he gave me a lighter so I could have a smoke at last, and was happy for is to nest near the entrance until dawn so we could dry off and I could sup my beer and scoff my crisps. Next morning we continue in the downpoor into Toledo, were so cold and tired and wet that we havnt the heart to explore the old town. We sit in a little bit off shelter for an hour. Fred nestled under the poncho giving off a little warmth creating a sauna effect. A man passed and looks and is thinking. A few moments he returns and profures a 5euro note, he asks if I would accept it, very polite. I say no, no thank you, and explain our situation and that money is the one thing we are not short of. He thanks me as I thank him and an assured exchange of looks and on he goes. A gap finally appears in the weather and we make our escape from the city, which takes all afternoon. Toledo does not want its visitors to leave on foot. Anyway, a couple of days on, were dry, tired, walking our arses off gunning for home. Albacete is next big target.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 19:16:50 +0000
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