34: shopping in Deba

I was starting to learn a few things about shopping while being a pilgrim in Spain. For one thing, the shops were all closed for several hours during the afternoon, so as not to disrupt the traditional siesta time. This meant that they were open later in the evening.

But there was another difficulty. As a pilgrim, I was traveling light. I had no cooking utensils, and I did not want to weigh down my backpack with food that would spoil or become an unnecessary burden. This meant that my eating options were limited. I realized, walking through the supermarket in Deba, just how creative and/or frugal I would have to be over the next month.

Yoghurt was only sold in four-packs, leaving me with the option of either overeating on yoghurt or carrying some of it in my backpack, where it made for a somewhat hazardous load. But I figured that buying it in the evening would be the best option, since I could finish two yoghurts tonight and two in the morning before heading out.

I also bought bread, and a tuna can, and a bar of chocolate. Fruit were to eventually become a problem. There were basically three categories: those that had to be washed (like apples), those that were a sticky mess (like oranges) and those that are sold before they are fully ripe (like bananas). Bananas were the most infuriating, since the other categories can be easily enjoyed wherever there's a water source around. But bananas are sold when they are still green, the idea being that you leave them in your fruit plate at home for a day or two before eating them. But of course if you don't have a fruit plate, you have to either eat them while they're green, or you lug them around in your backpack, which is another risky proposition for the rest of your backpack's contents.

The local library offered free internet access for a full hour, so I caught up on my eMailing and blogging. I spent some time looking for a shop where I could buy a hat, since I did not relish the idea of exposing my face to sunlight for the rest of this pilgrimage. I eventually found a Billabong hat that, for all its Australian outback look, also had that distinct floppy look of a traditional pilgrim's hat. The saleswoman seemed to be having trouble getting rid of these, because she let me have it for 12 Euros, even though the price tag said 18.

I returned to the shelter, tried to wash and dry some of my clothes, ate half of my food provisions, and tried to get back to sleep. I was still not happy about how the day had gone -- the very short night's sleep, the long walk through mud and rain and constant promises of rest "around the next corner", the mangling of my sleeping bag in a malfunctioning dryer, and being awakened from deep sleep by a pair of inconsiderate roommates -- but I was not really angry any more. I only hoped that tonight, for once, I'd be able to sleep well.