Hot feet and Hot Women

Steve has said for many years that he thinks I am  a space alien because I can go without sleep for days and still look 20 years younger than him, I do not need to drink water (wine will do) but most of all because unlike most women, my feet are so very very HOT at night. I eat enormous amounts and stay at more or less the same weight and this is due to no great accomplishment of mine but, I believe, the presence of brown adipose tissue which burns it all off. Well my brown adipose tissue must all be in my feet because I can generate enough heat at night to need no heating on in any bedroonm at any time of year!
This is all well and good but where is the old bat going you may wonder with this. The Albergue in Viana did not have bunk beds but triple beds and I was at the very top, up in the sky, touching the ceiling. It was a long way down and the metal rungs hurt your feet- even more so with blisters. One of my worries pre Camino was what would I do at night with my feet as my sleeping bag does not open up and I cannot sleep when they are pumping out heat. Sure enough, the only night it became an issue was the one when I was 3 flights up a bed. At 3am there I am on the top bunk, knowing I will get no sleep unless I get an iced water bottle or failing that dunk them for a long time in cold water, with that satisfying sizzle that you get when you put a hot pan in cold water. I begin the descent from the heavenly places trying to wince quietly as the bars dig into blisters but worth the pain when I duely get to the bathroom and run the tap- endlessly, as there is no plug. Ah the relief! I also get to see the blessed Koreans rising as I return to bed for my nights sleep. Still look on the brightside- they hadn´t woken me up this morning.
I met Luis and Martine coming out of Beldorado. I had observed them early in the morning holding hands on and off as they walked the Camino and smiled at their affection. They were both from Barcelona and took the  'Óla, buen Camino', as an oppertunity to talk more. They quizzed me at length as to my origin,marital status and children. 'Oh your poor husband' they said, 'at home with 4 children' and when I stated that 3 of the children were at University, Luis exclaimed 'Were you a child when you had children? You are no more than 30. Your skin, your eyes, your body, you, you are so beautiful. Look Martine isn't she beautiful? (what is Martine meant to do at this point other than agree with him!) But she plays her part well- yes beautiful she is very beautiful and you will now walk much quicker to keep up with her as you only walk at a decent pace when you are with other beautiful women!!' Since I had been up since 5.30am and I was dripping with sweat and my hair hadn´t been washed for a week, I think it is fair to say he was exagerrating.
We talked for an hour or so as Luis had spent a year in England working as a chemist at ICI, but he was in his 60´s and his knee hurt badly and walking the Camino at your own pace is vital, so we agreed to meet for lunch at a cafe in the next village. Martine rushed off to walk with the donkey walking the Camino and whilst we chatted briefly IN FRENCH!! (yes my children, I will speak it when you are not poking fun) we laughed about married life and male motivation.
We all hit it off so well that we swapped addresses for a future house swap at some time!