“Who’s the most famous artist from Vienna?”

After a night of fitful sleep, I left Santo Domingo de Calzada just after 8 a.m. I hiked with Bill until lunch, engrossed in stories about his father, who flew missions for the Army Air Forces over Normandy on D-Day.

We stopped for lunch in Villamayor del Río. Bill sipped a café con leche while I devoured a Coke and a chorizo-and-cheese bocadillo. Eager to tackle some chores before check-in at Belorado, Bill set off early. About 30 minutes into my solo trek, I ran into Alex and his Hungarian friend Sylvie. We walked together for seven miles to Tosantos, where they stopped for the day.

I pressed on alone for another 4.5 miles to Villafranca Montes de Oca, where my bag was waiting. At 21 miles, it was the longest day of my trip—a real grind with more of the same landscapes. I’m pushing to boost my daily mileage average to ensure I can hit all the treks on my itinerary. A 20-mile-per-day pace should let me cover everything with about 10 rest days.

I’ve got some mild sunburn on the back of my calves, but wearing long pants for the next few days should mitigate any problems.

At the hostel in Villafranca, I dined with a budget analyst around my age, recently laid off from the FDA after 17 years. His entire division was cut, and with insufficient government tenure, he missed out on a buyout. We swapped stories, bonding over the unexpected turns life sometimes throws.