On Being

On Being, probably way too difficult to write about even for "him". So something tractable, "On Time in Spain".

A few posts ago there was a photo in the dark of the aqueduct in Merida, taken about 5:45 clock time. I was up much earlier and had been walking for 20 minutes or so.

Local natural time, or local solar time would have been about 3:30. Us peregrinos can be an early mob.

It is the heat that comes soon enough.

On the days leaving small villages I can have a coffee with the locals about 4:00 solar time - they want to start in the fields about dawn.

Now in Caceres for a few days. Monday morning went for the local idea of breakfast at 9 ish - few places open, still early with the sun not so high, but found one for the early office and very early shop workers. Shops typically 10am clock time.

My idea for this trip was to walk modest hours, finish by midday or a little later, still way before the real heat of the day, and to explore the local town, before an early sleep and an early start, and repeat. A key objective was to see a slice of Spain, not just walk through.

But we are having a weather pattern much hotter than the climate averages I looked at when planning this walk. The pattern has been walking (with rarely a sensible option for a longer day if need be) and being semi-comatose all afternoon.

About 9pm the locals and walkers can come to life. 

The wine and beers can be good. A glass of chilled Rioja with 2 large frozen grapes. Less walking is happening at the moment.

I spoke to a mad English man the other day. He had just cycled in this.