Day 11: Azofra to Grañón - 22.4KM

 After coffee with Arlington Lisa and a civilized hotel breakfast, Mi-Suk and I talked and sang through my longest and latest day yet, facing drizzle, sun, and a thunderstorm finale along the way. We saw vineyards, peas, and fields of wheat.  We even saw a scene that looked like that focus thing you do at the eye doctor. 

In San Domingo de la Calzada, we saw the zombie chickens in the Cathedral. 

We carried on late in the day, dragging ourselves to Grañón where we collapsed, wet and exhausted in the best of ways. I think I’ll keep to 18 KM for now! 

Year 11 was an extremely important one for me. I had no trouble remembering and treasuring it as the year that my then-stepfather adopted me and legally chose me as his daughter.  He had been my father already for sometime, but that’s when it became official, and I changed my last name. I can’t possibly express how much his love means to me. Even now after his death, I feel him with me every day, and I know how proud he is of me, particularly on this grand adventure.  

With the name change, came a party at school to celebrate, and I was no longer Bridget R. to differentiate me from my friend Bridget S. Now I was Bridget P.

Shortly thereafter a photographer from the local paper, The Pictorial, took a picture of me riding my dad’s homemade iceboat and published it with my new name in the caption. It hangs on my wall at home.