Walking across town from the Hostal Virginia (€30), where I had shower and relaxed an hour under the welcome Aircon and it's all about different pharmacy led displays suggesting the temperature is climbing steadily towards the mid thirties.
Imagine walking in the afternoon without any shade along the side of that canal - It'd kill me for sure.
Is there somewhere in Spain where the thermometer is not gradually increasing so I can hide away? Staring at four walls isn't ideal, although there is some physical relief, but bordem levels increases and I get a little neurotic about tomorrow. Now I am lacking motivation to carry on on the Camino del Ebro. It's too hot to do much, but I can't control it. Imagine working in it?
Perhaps I stop the Camino... There will be other times. Perhaps I head back to the coast and stay near the sea? I know there is a sea breeze and the sea to take the edge off.
Tomorrow the suggestion is to walk as far as Benifallet and make a decision about which direction to follow: the GR99 follows the river, where the Camino del Ebro goes up to the mountains: where I will find no respite from the scorching hot sun.
Tortosa is the end of the train line which heads all the way to Barcelona. Perhaps I chuck it and head there? It's been years since I stayed anywhere close to it...
This is fizzling out.
***
And that's all folks!
Bed bugs crawling all over my body! It was just gone midnight when I felt irresistibly itchy. It's the third time I've been in a similar situation, but the first where, as I was about to go to find the hostalleros, I locked myself out of the room! Luckily I was dressed, at least from the waist down!
In the lobby I called the hostess and she understood no English and I no Catalan. I had to knock on the nextdoor neighbours door and then the hostess and husband came and I could show them the whopper of a biter I'd discovered... I'd killed a few who where clearly full of my blood leaving the squashed bodes on the white sheets.
The room, although small and without a view of any kind from the window, was clean and functional so bed bugs were truly unexpected!
So I got moved to another room and slept well and now I am heading back towards the Delta rather than put myself in harm's way with nowhere to stay. I stop walking after I've returned along the GR99.