Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun May 26

The day started very cold - I wore gloves- but it sure warmed up nicely! Some people find the Meseta boring and a hard slog, but I like it. No big hills to huff and puff over and miles of waving grain fields. In addition to the vague outline of the mountains on the horizon to the north, we now have a suggestion of mountains to the west; the end of the Meseta in view.

 

I have met a few Perigrinos Perros (dogs), and last night 2 slept in the courtyard. One was with it's owner,nwho pitched a tent,the other slept outside by the boots, waiting patiently for its owner who was snoring soundly inside.

Dogs foot pads are not that tough, and this smart owner had fitted out its dog with boots. He didn't like them too much so as many pilgrims do, the boots came off at the rest stop.

It was a great day to walk, the winds had died down and the sky was blue. The sun was hot and promised good weather for sitting outside in the afternoon. There were lots of small villages to stop and take a break at, Ldigos, Terradillos de Los Templaroos, Moratinos and San Nicolas. The hit at Moratinos featured bodegas (Wine cellars) built into the hill - no it is not hobbit town!

The long and winding road... Not really, long, yes, but pretty straight west.

Before long we passed the border of Palencia and the Region of Castille y Leon in the Province of Leon, and the day's destination was in sight. Sahagun was visible in the distance for a full hour before I actually entered the city.

On the outskirts was this very nice Park around the Ermita de la Virgin del Puente (there is a bridge over the Rio Valderaduey nearby). A good place to take a break and enjoy midday shade in the hot Spanish sun.

 

The Abergue - Domus Viatoris was great for 7 EUR. It was both a hostal (sort of motor hotel) and an Albergue.

 

I purchased a train ticket to Leon (70 km away) for the next day - what a deal for 6 EUR!

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Villacazar de Sirga to Calzadilla de la Cueza - May 25

Blog Uploaded May 25th - only 1 pic due to slow internet.

 

Today was another wonderfully sunny day, nice temp for walking not so much for sitting outside. Last. Isn't I went to sleep to the sounds of a street party, as the town was having a fiesta honouring their Patron Saint. I was tired enough that it didn't keep me awake and safely tucked into my upper bunk I. My sleeping bag topped with a blanket, I had a nice sleep.

This morning's treat was boiled eggs! At the Albergues which provide breakfast the usual fare is bread and jam and coffee and that is about it. At this municipal Albergue the Hospitalaro provided hard boiled eggs and juice - a much better option.

After a brisk 6 km walk I was in Carrion de Los Condes and my breakfast stop. I had a coffee and a pastry and then finished off the half of yesterday's bocadilla that I had saved. The spot I stopped in doubled as the bus stop and advertised bus service to Leon leaving at 11:30. Before long there were a few pilgrims wandering in who planned to bus forward. We all had a great chat - these were ladies I had spent time with at various of the Albergues enroute.

The town, population 2,200 was a reasonably size but did not take too long to walk through.

The next section was 17 km through the countryside and by 10:00 I had left the town and was walking the long country road westward.

It was really a nice day to walk such a stretch. To the north, we could see the siloette of the mountains to the north, but mostly it was just the lonely tree lined road and fields (no houses).

There were a couple of rest stops, treed areas with picnic tables, but no water fountains and no toilets.

I arrived at the small village of Calzadilla de la Cueza at around 2:00 and checked into the Municipal Albergue which had -guess what! - a swimming pool! That said, the only thing it was good for was as a cold foot bath as it was unheated. Good if your feet were hurting as it numbed them in about 30 seconds.

 

I wandered around town for a bit (took about 3 minutes to walk all the streets), and then ended up at the town Cafe//Bar/Restaurant chatting with other pilgrims.

 

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Puente de Itero (San Nicolas) to Villalcazar de Sirga - May 24

Breakfast was at 6:30 and we were grateful for the coffee, bread and jam before setting off. I was very impressed with the 3 men (did I mention they wouldn't let us help with dishes after dinner?). They bid us each farewell with a besso (kiss) on each cheek and beamed at us proud that we were setting off and continuing our journey.

The morning was miles of beautiful fields and fluffy white clouds. The weather was much the same as yesterday, but with a bit less sun.

I had my morning bocadilla at Boadilla del Camino and carried on with thoughts of trying to get as far today as I did yesterday.

The town is known for it's Dovecotes. Not sure if they still have doves living there but I saw this more modern version a bit farther down the street.

I am fascinated by the irrigation systems they have here on the Meseta. We walked along the Norde Canal de Castilla, which directed the waters from the mountains to the north to the grain fields of the Meseta.

The major town (the overnight stop for Pilgrims keeping a 20 km daily distance) was Formista. It was pretty sleepy at 10:30 on Sunday morning. I decided to press ahead after stopping for a drink of KAS Limon (a cross between go rite and lemonade). I had only gone a distance of 15 km and so had lots of steam left.

The next several hours were pretty much on a path paralleling the highway to Carrion de Los Condes. It was pretty easy walking and the time passed quickly as I listened to my iPod. There was a tiny village every 5 km or so and so was pleasant walking,

Notice the trees in this plaza. It is something I have seen a fair bit Since Sain Jean and first saw on my last Camino at Zamora. The branches are cut short and joined with the tree next so as to provide ample shade in summer. I believe these trees must be late budding. Most had only 8 or so inches of growth and leaves. It would be great to see what they look like once they have grown through the summer.

Ancient Pilgrim and Modern Pilgrim

Do you see the little dog in the wagon?

After another 15 km I decided to quit for the day and stay at Villacazar de Sirga, a village of about 600 folks. I had travelled 28.6 km and it was the second long day in a row and my feet were starting to hurt. Best to relax and catch up on my blogs!

I have checked into the Municipal Albergue, which is a donativo (no dinner or breakfast though). After showering and washing clothes, I chatted briefly with Mike from Michigan, who is the Hospitalaro, before high tailing it to the bar to find food and WIFI.

We will see how far I go tomorrow. I probably shouldn't push it. I don't want to do in my feet at this late stage

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Hornillos el Camino to Puente de Itero (San Nicolas)

Well it has been a few days since I have had decent WIFI so I have a bit of catching up to do. As I write this I am sitting in Bar Las Cantigas, in Villalcazar de Sirga, sipping some vino tinto (red wine) and having a small dish of Salada Russo (potatoe salad) and pan (bread), since at 5:00 pm it is too early for dinner and the bar has only pinchos - little dishes of savoury food. The selection is quite limited (this is just a small village of s few hundred people at most) and I took the potatoe salad really out of curiosity. I think there are anchovies in it - it has a great flavour and a bit of a bite. The bar is quite a happening place with both locals and perigrinos enjoying the Sunday afternoon. It is the only thing open in town and it has free WIFI.

Yesterday, the 23rd, was a spectacular day for walking. The sky was blue, the wind moderate and the temp just perfect for walking. As always there was an uphill bit as you leave town and then the walk was straight through fields of waving barley, wheat and silo grasses. I made very good time for this first 10 km and reached my breakfast spot at Hontanas in short order and stopped for my morning coffe and a bocadilla. This town seemed to be built in a gully between two hills - one road through town lined with houses and uphill every way you looked.

Looking down on Hontanas

Can you see the little dog sitting on the donkey?

After that it was more of the same beautiful fields of grain and pretty much flat for another 5 km when I reached the ruins of San Anton and the Archo (Arch of San Anton).

Castrojeriz from a distance

The town of Castrojeriz is a long sprawling town which winds around a major hill at the top of which is a ruins of a castle. I could see it in the distance, probably 5 km away as I walked the tree lined road to the east side of town. I had decided to walk through the town and carry on, since it was only 12:30 and I had found it pretty cold sitting around yesterday afternoon, so I might as well carry on walking to the next Town and Albergue. At this point Inhad walked just over 20 km.

I stopped to eat my Naranjen (Orange) and stopped to chat with a Norweigen lady who was walking with her daughter. She was at least 3 hours ahead of her and was just sitting in the sun and passing the time,

I wasn't so happy when I saw the ridge I had to climb after I left the town- and over 10 km yet to go before the next Albergue!

The sign says it all. 1050 m with a 12% incline! I was pleasantly surprised with my stamina as I was able to march up the hill without really any discomfort. I guess I am getting fit!

The view back to Castorjeriz was spectacular!

Then down partway - only 350 m but an 18% decline!

The walk though the Meseta on the other side of the hill was awesome. Pretty soon I was at the Puente of the Rio Pisuerga and found the Ermitage of San Nicolas - the original building had been restored and was now an Albergue. I was pretty tired having done 30.6 km (altitude adjusted), so when I was offered a mat on the floor of the alter, I didn't have to think for more than a second before I said yes.

The Albergue was manned by 3 very happy Italian gentlemen and they set about making us 16 pilgrims comfortable while they made dinner. The Albergue was a donativo (which means you decide how much to pay) and it included both dinner and breakfast. I took a walk to check out the Puente a few hundred m down the road.

What a beautiful field by the river!

At 7:30, before dinner we aall gathered at the alter sitting on chairs I a semi circle. There was a ritual foot washing ceremony and they went from pilgrim to pilgrim, one man pouring water over the pilgrim's foot held over a copper bowl and the other Hospiltalero dried the foot while the 3rd recited a prayer that asked that our feet be healed and that this night would give us strength to continue our journey. It wa very touching as the prayer was recited in our own language.

Dinner was a feast of salad, pasta, salami, cheese and fruit accompanied by ample vino tinto! Lots of chatter between the Perigrinos while the Italian gentlemen were perfect hosts!

After dinner they dragged mattresses up to the alter and we made up beds for us "overflow" pilgrims. There were 6 bunks at the far side of the room for those who arrived earlier.

I slept wonderfully, glad I had decided to stop here at this Albergue,

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