Monday, July 29: El Burgos Ranero to Mansallia de las Mulas

18.9km today. 

It was a cool foggy morning. But the sunrise was just beautiful. 

Remains of an old house. 

More hobbit houses

Apparently this bar is recognizable from the movie The Way. 

The town here is inside the medieval walls and pilgrims enter through the doorway of St James (what else would it be called...?). 

 A decent size grocery store on the camino means it has the food divided into multiple sections or even has two isles. Most of the "stores" have one refrigeration case on one wall, two walls are shelves, the forth is the door and there is enough room for like 5 people inside. There are two really decent small grocery stores on the same street as the albergue. Between the two I was able to find all the ingredients I needed to make chicken piccata with pasta. It would have been perfect if I could have going carrots too. 

Chicken-€2.25

Lemon Juice-€1.55

Chicken Bullion, all natural-€1.95

Pasta-€1.00

White Wine, 1L box-€.99

The wine was the cheapest. As I didn't need it all I gave it to other pilgrims to drink. 

I cooked it all up and shared some with Katrin from Belgium who in turn shared some curried veggies with me. I even had extra for dinner later. 

I stayed at the Amigos de Perigrino for €5, did a load of wash €3 and just read and relaxed. 

Sunday, July 28: Sahagun to El Burgos Ranero

Walked 18.1 km today in 5.5 hours including breaks. The high for today was 69deg and there was a strong breeze. The cool weather helped make the walking easier and I actually wore pants and a long sleeve shirt all day. 

This morning I had to say goodbye to Lilian and Cora. I detest goodbyes and I teared up as I hugged and kissed each of them.  Apparently I was there the first night if their camino this year (they are doing 1/3 a year during a few weeks each summer). I was there the last night and many nights in between. We never told each other our plans. It was alway sheer coincidence. 

Cross and bridge leaving Sahagun. 

The camino here runs along side a paved road that parallels the interstate ~200m away. All day long. Not very scenic. 

I love the sunflowers! With plenty of thinking time on my hands I compiled a list and in order my favorite flowers are: gardenia, sunflower, hydrangea, lilies (all kinds), orchids, roses and daisies. 

Skull Micky appears on the camino frequently. 

What else do I think about during hours and hours of walking by myself? Well the Beauty and the Beast song Be Our Guest has been playing off and on in my head everyday for weeks. I now have the lyrics saved so at least I can learn the correct words. (Yes, I already know I'm weird.) 

I got to the town at 12:30 and put my backpack in queue for the donativo albergue. That means it is donation only. You pay what you want. I almost always give the same as I payed the night before. There is a big kitchen and dining room but not enough forks, go figure. For a place that holds 30 there are 8 showers and 4 toilets. That's a lot! 

The camino kids are here camping outside in the rain next to the albergue. They have a dog with them now. The kids just love on that dog. 

A lot of the group from yesterday is here today. There are like 5 other Americans, Texas and Washington state I think. Several Italians, Spanish, French, and a Canadian or two. 

For a late lunch Gloria from Italy made pasta with zucchini and a little carrot and onion. It was delicious! We had bread with Nutella for dessert.  Normally we all split  the cost but she said that today it was like we were at her house and the meal was on her. That was so very kind. 

I love siesta. It is a perfectly culturally acceptable excuse to take a nap in the afternoon. Every person in my bunk room partook. 

Dinner tonight was cucumber and tomato salad and fettuccine Alfredo from a packet. 

The same large group is here today. Most are associated with a seminary school in Rome, which somehow ties to Father Anthony who is from Washington state but works in Texas. He has as some other Americans tagging along with him. 

Saturday, July 27: Terradillos de Los Templarios to Sahagun

14km today. Not a total easy day but the walking was quick and flat. 

I left at 7:15. 200m down the road it started raining. I turned around and walked back to the albergue, back to lay down in my warm dry bed. A bit later I joined Cora and Lilian for breakfast. I had a piece of what could be considered coffee cake. 

We headed out into the drizzle. The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plains. Well, I don't know about that but it did rain on the plains today. 

I did get lost once. I followed a guy through an underpass thinking that the camino continued there. He joked that the town's name, Sahagun, sounded more Japanese than Spanish and asked me if I was a samurai. I said no because if I was that trained I would be in Santiago already.  It ended up the path we were on was just a farm road and I could see the camino on the other side of the highway. A bit further on I climbed the embankment up to a dilapidated overpass, across the highway and back down to the camino. 

Hobbit holes!

And more sunflowers. 

The as soon as Sahagun seems close the camino veers sharply away from the town for a quick detour to a church. The lady inside had a brindled boxer with her and was doling tourist info. My Spanish is getting good enough so I can understand most of what people say asking as the conversation is about food, lodging or historical sights. After her spiel she motioned for me to follow her. Then she showed me how to ring the church bell and let me ring it all by myself. Pretty cool. 

These guys guard the path as it leads to Sahagun. 

Sahagun considers itself to be the center of the camino. Every sign that say how many kilometers to Santiago counts differently. So while I have no idea which one is correct the map on my pilgrim passport says that there is 356km to Santiago which means I am more than half way. Yippi! 

I easily found the municipal albergue and got in line to check in. The check in office os also the tourist information office. €5

 Right after I checked in I see none other than Cora and Lilian come in. It is getting down right funny how often we see each other. They are so nice and I will miss them. Today is their last day on the camino. They started last summer and will finish it next summer. 

Cora and Lilian had been to the train station to try to get to Bilbao but the trains were booked for the next four days. They were trying to use the computer to book bus ticket. Between the three if us we must have tried like ten times but it would not take any of our credit cards. They were getting scared that they would be stuck here forever. Eventually we managed to pay with my Paypal account and they just paid me cash.  

The albergue is in a huge derelict building that has been repurposed as an albergue. It is really cool. The albergue is on the second floor. The new wood floor and stairs have just been stuffed into the old building. All the bunks are enclosed on three sides making them like little caves. I had a top bunk. The ceiling was still twenty feet overhead and I could stand on my bunk and see out over the sea of bunks. 

The group here seems to know each other well. Everyone was cooking and eating communally. I asked one guy Michael from Texas and he said they were all part of a church group. I asked if Father Anthony was with them. Surprised he said yes. This was the group Vance knows (Vance was traveling one day ahead to meet his wife in Leon). I met Father Anthony and told them the saga of the roast lamb. 

Cora, Lilian and I went out to get food and drinks. Cora likes the camino much better after a glass of wine at the end of the day. We sat outside at a restaurant on the square. The TV showed graphic replays of the train crash. It is very sad, all those lives lost because of such carelessness. 

We split a pizza loaded with toppings. It had so many toppings the center wasn't done enough to support their weigh. Thus turning the thing into a giant cheesy mess. But it was really yummy. 

We took a siesta back at the albergue. Not hungry for a full dinner later we picked up stuff to snack on: bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese. The albergue kitchen was packed again with people cooking. Boy does this group cook all the time.  

Later everyone climbed on my bed to see the view of bunks all around. 

Friday, July 26: Calzadilla de la Cuez to Terradillos de Los Templarios

Walking only 9.5km is called a rest day. 

I got up at my regular walking time but Anne-Julie "convinced" me to go back to sleep. She was cold so we took all the extra pillows from the empty beds and bundled her up under them. And we both went back to sleep. 

I woke up at 7:45, sheer luxury! 

Three days ago I picked up a lost sock on the camino. I clipped it to the outside of my pack to see if anyone would recognize it. I asked Anne-Julie if it was hers. And wouldn't you know it was! She was so excited. She had brought only two pair and now she was down to three socks. She was very glad to get the fourth one back. The camino provides and takes care of us. It is really amazing. 

Sunflowers always make me smile. 

Walking along boring nothing stretches of interstate do not!

The albergue I stayed at tonight, Albergue Jacques de Molay, is one of the oldest private albergues on the camino, a whopping 20 years old. It was really nice but the people were not very warm. I don't like when albergues don't have a kitchen so that you have to eat at their restaurant and they also have the only store in town. It is like a little monopoly. €8 for a bed, €10 for dinner and €4 for food for the next day's breakfast and lunch. That is expensive for the camino. 

I spent the afternoon chatting with Lilian and Cora. 

I ate dinner with Lilian, Cora and three Italians. The Italian ladies were saying how they have lost three kilograms so far on the camino. One lady went onto say how this is not a good thing because she likes to be "rotunda". She probably weighed 120-130lbs-ish so she is not a big lady. But what American would ever complain about loosing ten pounds. Too funny!

 Dinner was one of the worst pilgrim meals yet. The first course was a choice of garlic soup or cold green beans with potatoes and carrots. The garlic soup was hardly eatable and far inferior to the versions served the past two nights. The main course was a choice of fish and salad  or meatballs and rice. The meatballs and rice was just ok. The rice was a little underdone and the meatballs were from the freezer section. Dessert was vanilla pudding. It was good but its really hard to mess up vanilla pudding. 

After dinner I "fixed" the down Internet by unplugging and plugging back in the wireless router. The ladies from Holland have never heard of this before and were stunned with my technical skills. 

Thursday, July 25: Carrion de la Cueza to Calzadilla de la Cueza

I walked 16.8 km today and boy was that enough. 

San Zoilo on the way out of Carrion

This area I am walking through now is known as the Meseta, the high plains of central Spain. It is known for being long, straight, flat expanses of nothing. That is what it was like today. It was a straight path as far as you could see with wheat fields on either side. Trees were few and far between. It looked like it went on forever. You could not even see the village until you were right on top of it.

There are snails everywhere on the camino. Why have I not seen escargot on a single menu? I so want to cook these guys up with a little garlic butter. Yum. 

I walked while reading my kindle. I finished Peter Pan today. I had never read it before. The book is the kind of story that is written to be read aloud. Peter is a much more likable character in the movie than the book.  

I stayed at the Albergue Perigrino. It has a pool and wifi, no kitchen. I payed €4 to wash almost all the clothes in my pack. The sun here dried them so fast there is no need to use a dryer.  

Resident birds

I took a delightful two hour nap. Then I went to the town bar for dinner and ordered a pizza and diet coke. I managed to covey that I wanted it cooked longer and extra crispy. The guy was happy to oblige and I think made a joke with his about  me being a girl who knows what she wants. Yup that's me with food. 

Cora and Lilian from Holland are here. So is Anne-Julie the girl with the pink and black hair from Quebec. There are also a lot is Japanese and South Koreans. 

My bunk is right by a window overlooking the patio. My bed is holding open and you would have to move the whole bunk with me in it to close it. Yes! I hope it's a cool night. 

What do I earn at the end of a day of walking: a bed, a good meal and a pool if I'm lucky!

Wednesday, July 24: Adventures in Roast Lamb

We met at Bar España and Jose picked us up again at 7:00. He had called the restaurant ahead and convinced them to open a 1/2 hour early 8:30 instead of 9:00 but we still had some time to kill. 

Jose drove us to San Zoilo church/monistary on the other edge of the village. It has a beautiful 15th century cloister done in the Plateresque style which is known for tis ornate ceilings and carving on the top of the columns. 

The sarcophagi hold the remains of the Beni Gómez, the local rulers who held the rank of Count and date from the 11th to the 13th century. 

The doorway is Romanesque, the baroque organ dates from 1716. 

Jose's niece, Anna, with her triplets daughters just arrived in town so we went to meet them. The triplet girls are seven and just adorable. Two of the three are identical and the other is fraternal but you would never know by looking at them because they look just alike. They were a bit shy but Jose asked us to ask them simple questions in English so they could tell their teacher back at school (They start teaching English right away in most schools here. Get on board America). We asked them their names, how old they were, what they liked about school and if they liked ice cream... 

Their mom Anna is a lawyer, sweet lady. She said were had too much energy and weren't limping enough to be real pilgrims. So I showed her my feet and my blisters and she said "yes that's a real pilgrim".  We all laughed. 

Vance has been like a dog with a bone, obsessed with learning everything about the lamb and  how to cook it. He had eaten the lamb in his wife's home town of Mallorca cooked by a chef from this region.  Vance spent the next 6 months trying to figure out how to get the lamb imported from here to Alabama.  He really wants to make it for his family back home. The lamb is a breed called Churra. They only "use" the lambs that have yet to be weened and have never eaten grass. 

This particular restaurant, called Restaurante Masón de Villasirga,  is famous for it lamb. The restaurant was founded by our server/owner's grandfather. They do tons of weddings and events and have even served the King and Queen of Spain.  Before the chef cooks the lamb sits in a salt rub over night then it is cooked in a wood oven for about 2.5 hours. 

Dinner was amazing. We stared with garlic soup which was even better than the one last night. Plates of churrizo and black pudding (that's the British name for it), salad and french fries were shared family style. Everyone was given his/her own huge hunk a leg of lamb. Not that I have eaten roast lamb often, but this was excellent and I can easily say it was the best I ever had. 

The waiter brought out a plate of cookies for dessert and camino scallop shells for everyone. Vance slipped the waiter his credit card and paid for the whole meal before anyone had a chance to argue. That was very sweet of him but not necessary. Thanks for the delicious dinner, Vance!