The Wrong Sort of Pilgrim - Type 3

This is really beginning to annoy me. What is it about me?

In Leon, the woman running the albergue accused me of all sorts of things. Street bum, alcoholic and worst of all; a tourist.

Where are all these new rules coming from and why do the cheating pilgrims get allowed in when I don't? It's all very strange. Last night (with flu) I ended up sleeping in a sheltered corner outside the cathedral. Obviously, I'm feeling a bit fucked now, but I'm OK. Could have been much worse. Bitterly cold wind. I 'slept' with 2 x T-shirts, 1 x shirt, 1 x body warmer, 2 x weather prooh coats and a sleeping bag. I was still fucking freezing. Not doing that again. Lesson learned: don't rely on albergues for accommodation. They can be a power crazed, choosy bunch of twats thinking they're going one step higher on the church hierachy. Fuck off! If you truly believe then you will be going to hell :D

Anyway, Leon ended a bit badly, but I enjoyed my stay and paid for half my hostal fees with sketches. I met some very nice people despite the albergue experience. A very BIG thank you to whoever it was that gave me the pilgrim souvenir T-shirt and Ibuprofen. Both greatly appreciated. In a half hallucinatory flu state, you appeared and vanished like a vision of an angel. If I wasn't wearing the T-shirt now I would believe I had imagined it all. Lovelly person :)

I'm back in Astorga. I'm going to have another try at getting a bed in the pilgrims albergue. Nothing has changed with me and my credentials, so I guess I'll get refused again, but I might get a better explanation as to what is going on.

Back on the hiking trail tomorrow afternoon. It's very windy and snowy up here in the mountains of the north! At least I have a very unique umbrella to take with me. Sketched brollies don't sell. Shame, because they're great fun to sketch on. Lesson number 2 learned: don't go investing all your cash in an unproven sales idea. Expensive mistake that. Still, I've recovered and I'm back on track. Sort of.