Leon to Villa de Mazarife – day 22 – 20.72km

Actually, I cheated a little and only did 10.7km as the bed for the night was at the halfway point and a shuttle backwards, so I thought I’d give the legs/feet a rest day before a big 30km day tomorrow…of course I am here too early and cannot get into my room!

So back to last night…

Walked to the cathedral at 6pm to meet friends for dinner and a quick tour of the inside of the cathedral…..

The photos don’t really do the leadlighted windows justice

It was more of a museum – rather than a functioning church…. With all the alcoves iron fenced off….€7 for about a 15 minute run around…

The inside courtyard, was rather impressive…again fenced off from the public…the Dinner…I was starving…but as usual most restaurants do not open until 7-7.30pm, however we did find one…and there were 7 of us…

The options were interesting…beef (raw) and a hot plate to cook to your liking…

The smallest lamb chops I have ever seen, felt guilty eating these “little lambs” just served with fries, no veges!

Fast forward to this morning….breakfast at 7am – actually got eggs and bacon today, so a good start! Was meeting Jean at the Paradour de Leon…so was a 30 minute walk from my hotel….chilly start this morning and not sure I had layered up enough…but walked smartly pretty much along the river…

These Spanish, people art, statues are dotted around this city too….

Through some parks…following google to get me to the meeting point at 8am…

River views…and the lions….

I’m guessing the symbol of Leon (lion) guarding the bridges….to….

The Paradour…one of those structures one can’t really miss…the history of this building is rather multi coloured….

Built in the 12th century as a convent and hospital for pilgrims, San Marcos ended up being one of the main headquarters of the Order of Santiago.

It is, however, a building with centuries of life, a multitude of uses and historical episodes, During the Civil War and the first years of the dictatorship, the building was used as a concentration camp, becoming one of the harshest prisons in the northwest of Spain.

Over time, the memory of those who suffered in San Marcos has been rescued thanks to research and testimonies.

It is now a very posh hotel!

Here as I was waiting for Jean, Hipatia walked past…a lady from Guatemala , also walking alone and heading to the same place as us…so now we were three…A Kiwi, an American and and A South American! .., just as we were navigating our way out of the City…the wind got up and the skies started to cry….surprised us all as we’re not prepared for a wet day!

We spied a LIDL…one of those supermarkets in Europe that sell everything….we hoped…and opening in 15minutes! We took a coffee…

Then queued up with the locals, at 9.00am, opposite this butchers…full of hanging legs of something (definitely not the tiny lamb I ate last night! )

No Jackets available and no ponchos … but Hipatia suggested rubbish bags – A roll of them for €1.49!!! We then attacked three with my scissors (emergency 1st aid kit) and made our own….

Ponchos….as we left the rain was really coming down….next thing we needed was an umbrella…which we found in a sweet shop (kids ones) so off we trotted looking like we had raided the trash cans…but very happy as we had wind and rain shelter! Around the 6km mark, just before the church of the Virgin del Camino…we found a work outfitters shop with lots of wet weather gear!!! Where Hipatia (who had a jacket) bought a Poncho, and a Jean and I (who didn’t have jackets) got the best buy of the trip – €25 for a warm, hooded,waterproof jacket!!!

We left there, after some time, we really were mucking around, and as we were nearing the end of the towns…we took a coffee (and free cake)…just enjoying our day…

This little chilly puppy, tied to a door handle looking rather miserable…as we were now both warm and dry!

Here, the last post before hitting the Camino track, stood the Saunctury of the Virgin del Camino…

Hard to see, but there she is in the middle!

And out on the track…

Past these Bodegas… the ancient fridges for food and wine storage…

To reach Villar de Mazarife, via Oncina de la Valdocina, we took the alternative Camino route, now deserted as we were so late in the morning…everyone else would have been way ahead…we were glad we were three!

We passed the kilometre to go “Milestone ”… almost 300….from 800! Wow, where did that go! (For us all mostly under foot)

About an hour in, we reached my destination…note the matching jackets! I stayed at my Albergue and the girls carried on…

Roses Roses, even in the smallest of villages, and this one is Small…no option but to eat dinner on the premises tonight which suits me….as I want to transfer or taxi before 7am to meet the girls for a long day tomorrow! We will have to get our serious walking heads on.

I’m really getting into this walking every day…even if not for the whole day….Forrest Gump comes to mind!

Mansilla de las Mutas to Leon – day 21 – 18.66km

Last evening…. It is a quiet town of Mansilla… couldn’t get into the church…

Every thing is locked in the afternoon…took a beer in my Albergue garden bar…

Caught up with Sarah and Perry….and my Camino friend Jan who had caught me up, for a drink and dinner….then off to sort my life out for today’s walk!

As I was lugging my suitcase down the Stairs, I met a lady called Jean…who has been having a tough time…going off trail .. we took a coffee together and headed out around 8 am..,

Leaving the Roman wall …

Crossing the bridge…..

And the sleepy village of Mansilla behind us! We had a common denominator….my friend Sue from Michigan had walked with Jean a couple of days…so off we went….

Out into the countryside….now let me say here…everyone said to take a bus into Leon…and I am so glad I didn’t….

This guy..Trish he is for you!! Just sleeping with the geese…and looking adorable!!!

No sign of the promised industrial walk!

Just kind of close to the highway….but far enough away on regional sidewalks…

More Cows!!! A bit of real kiwi feeling going on here! Around about now, my friend Jan caught us up….as I was taking my time taking snaps…and then there were 3! A Dutchman, a Kiwi and an American…Jean was happy to enjoy a Camino walk with yellow arrows and blue shells….none of these she had had for her first 20 days!

There they are….chatting!

Over rivers and through trees …

We were getting closer to Leon…ready for a coffee break(me at least)….

I tried…to take the stepping stones…but some gaps too far apart! (And we do not need a broken leg)

And finally a village…Arcahueja…10 kms in… great coffee, bathroom break and pilgrim yarns!

A Roman/Spanish washing machine….historical of course…and 5kms out we got into the dreaded industrial estate…

So this is the real world of the working folks of León..and it was very short lived , certainly not enough to destroy a great day!

A little road construction…. But then it was over, as we spied León over a rise…

Now beside a main highway but well up!

We kind of keep bumping into each other (Jan and I) ….

And closer to the city… a short 3 km walk to the cathedral… the end point of today’s Camino…

Finally some street art for the day!

And Storks and babies (the bird kind)…hanging out on the church steeples, that they seem to be attracted to!

And of course, over the bridge..

A bit of a scramble through town…until we spied the cathedral de Leon….gothic style!

And super impressive…as far as churches go! We made it just in time to get our church stamp…but not to see in side the church…

We did manage to sneak into the courtyards , once again, as with the monastery, impressive masonry artwork!

So the day that everyone said take a bus, was a great walking day….meeting lots of familiar pilgrims along the way!!! Of course a beer was in order…took a while but was very nice when it did arrive, check in and going to meet my Camino mates for dinner!

El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas – day 20 – 19km

How to write a story about long (like really long) straight gravel paths….for 18 of today’s 19km pilgrimage!

My gran baby (Luka) taught me to look up and today the skies were talking to me …. Kisses from heaven (Russ!)

The day began at 6am….lugging suitcase downstairs…breakfast of champions at 7am (coffee and ciabatta toast) and transfer at 7.30am back to El Burgo Ranero, where I finished yesterday…once again moving forward by 8am!…

Chilly start as there was a cool breeze and the sun was struggling to break through the clouds! And as far as the eye could see…

This and….

This and…

The odd toe testing spot….still looking up…not a lot of privacy for the necessary bush wee…slightly exaggerated by the amount of water sipped to pass the first 13kms before the prospect of a coffee stop!

Flora today was mainly yellow…with a few strips of tree planting to break the monotony…or maybe just to hide the next few kms of straight paths! But wait…

There was one corner…with a big arrow, just in case we had forgotten how to deviate off a straight line!

And then under a road bridge which framed a postcard vista with the upcoming mountains in the background! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…. As I passed under and stepped out onto the path…I heard a loud scuttle and there was this little green fella…

Actually not so little..longer than my hand and fingers…he posed long enough for me to get picture…I have been hearing lots of rustling in the undergrowth …. So maybe this is what I hear!

Finally an oasis in the shape of an Albergue…open to the coffee drinking humans! …. at the beginning of the first (and only) village on today’s journey of Reliegos…

Run by a Frenchman, who was a character …, and made a great coffee!! It seems my reputation (?) is preceding me as I have become fondly (I hope) known as “Kiwi Sue” and was greeted my some new pilgrims…”this must be Kiwi Sue!” Anyway a few more acquaintances… and off I set to chew up the last 6kms…

Through the town…hunting for some interesting images to share…

A shed full of farm implements…

And the clouds mimicking the trees…before more (yes you guessed it) long strait paths!

Just a final mural to send us on our way!

Until getting closer to to Mansilla (et al) there was the familiar sound of Mooing!!!(for a kiwi at least) The first Cow I have seen in 20 days!

Over a highway bridge…a fellow walker snapped me in all my glory…followed by another long straight, a toe rest and a bush wee before….

Entering the town of Mansilla de las Mulas… one more leg and I am in the city of Leon …

Found my rather quaint? Tired? Albergue (this kind of means boutique hotel) … in this case I think it just means “Old”

Shower time and off to explore!

Sahagun to El Burgo Ranero…Day 19…, 17.24kms…

Leaving after a coffee and a toasted ciabatta I followed the odd backpack in the distance out of town so I didn’t have to think (which way to go) …

Across the Railway bridge, yes we are getting closer to more high density civilisation at these end stages of the Meseta….the town with no water, becoming a distant memory (or not)

Street art

More street art….

The archway to the church ….

And the bridge leaving town…I was on my way…the path at the side of the road shaded by trees and a very pleasant morning for walking!

A few kilometres of this into the farm areas…

Freshly planted fields of maize …. Ten attempts to catch the rainbow!!!

And I walked and walked…solo this morning…

Under motorway overpasses…

Past rest areas, surprisingly enough I didn’t need a toe rest at this stage…arriving 10km in…. before I knew it at 10am…at a very welcoming Abergue…

The entrance pathway lined with roses!

And the building welcoming passing pilgrims…not only accommodation but great coffee!!! Just before the town of Bercianos del Real Camino…with only 7 km left to go! The first foot stop….

Thru the town and out the other end…

Past a hay barn in the middle of the street and finally a glimpse of livestock rather than wheat…

This horse hovering in the corner in the last bit of shade!

Another bit of street art to bid the village leavers goodbye…before…

There you go…vineyards and

Wheatfields and poppies (no surprises here)

The last 7 kms required another two toe stops, but no re bandaging today so things are hopefully improving in that department…

The final stretch into El Burgo…included under passes beneath a concrete jungle of railway lines and freeways!

A little positive graffiti…to spur us on to the finish line!

And the entrance to the town by midday…the town already asleep apart from hungry and thirsty pilgrims…I was being transferred at 3pm back to my accommodation where I had left from in the morning…..so I had a few hours to kill…

A signboard of what I thought were cocktails!! What more could a girl want! So in I went and ordered a pina Colada for lunch!!! Only to realise it was a smoothie…however this was rectified by ordering a shot of white rum and a glass of ice… could have made it myself…but wait I did!

Met up with another couple who were on the same track as me..waiting for taxi…he contacted the transfer company and we all got collected and hour earlier…getting back to my hotel and catching up with Sue 1 (the original team) who had played it forward a day and come for a Camino girls reunion…with Micki and Rosanne…

One more task for the day, I was off to get my halfway certificate from the Church of the virgin pilgrim!

A km or so away and up a hill, pharmacy supplies (blister plasters) and new hiking poles! Then I met all the girls at a restaurant for dinner!

Here we all are sporting our one and only evening outfits!!!

Nice dinner, full tummies…I’m packed ready to move on at 7am tomorrow …

Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun – day 18 – 22.92kms….

Last night I had dinner with Sarah and Perry from Toronto….sea bass, preceded by a delicious garden salad and followed by apple tart (wine and water included for €16)

However…intermittent water supply throughout the whole Albergue (hostel) and no flushing toilets or showers…and no fan or aircon….very hot in rooms…a cold shower was desperately needed!

I woke this morning at 5.30am….dealt to toes (blister plasters…and Vaseline on feet) and went downstairs at 6am…breakfast wasn’t until 7am…no water, luckily I had bottled water to at least clean my teeth! Just as I was wondering if I would skip breakfast and hit the road while it was still cool, my friends Perry and Sarah (from Toronto) appeared also very frustrated with the “dry” situation…and we left together!! As the sun was rising…

Still nice and cool…over the token bridge out of the deserted village of Calzadilla de la Cueza!!! The town with no water!

My first toe stop (I will call them toe stops as the broken toe needs to be released periodically) was about 6km in…Perry and Sarah carried on while I released the foot and watched the sun rise….not many on the track at this time…in fact saw no one…

I then carried on to the first village, Ledigos, being a Sunday .. still asleep at 8am…. But needed another toe stop to repair the bluster plasters….foot was happy for a while…so off I went…still no morning coffee insight until about 8kms in at Terradillos de Los Templar’s, I spied my friend (the taxi team gals) Gail from yesterday…sitting on a terrace outside a very nice looking Albergue…I popped in to say hi

Gail was waiting for her taxi again today…as her huge heel blister is prohibiting her from walking and her hubby and team had already left….the proprietor made us a great coffee…then Perry and Sarah appeared, I had passed them in last town, they joined us (Sarah is a coffee gal too)… and suddenly the Albergue was doing a roaring trade in coffees and a clean functional bathroom!!!

Snap dragon flowers welcoming everyone in!!!

Perry and Sarah and the token Kiwi…and then we all continued on our way….

Leaving this town, waved on by an iron Templar (knight)

Opening up to stone paths and fields of green…until another toe decided it needed some attention…dealing to these guys immediately….means the day goes well…but note: it is not just all about toes(although one would think so)

Side of the road operation…lucky I carry all the necessary bits with me!!! Then 20 meters down the track …the perfect place…

Sarah and I still took the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor furniture…. Before carrying on …until… in the distance a hill that looked like hobbit town!!!

The tiny village of Moratinos…and its bodegas…

These Bodegas are set in the hills , historically used for wine making and storage of wine, cheeses, hams etc….when the world was without fridges!! …. Below the sign on the hill…saying these are not hobbit houses…the first thing I thought of, when I saw them in the distance!

Cute diversions….followed the arrows through the village …everything closed in a Sunday..

The locals lapping up the sunshine!

Leaving the village and back into the countryside…388kms to go…nearing the official halfway point in Sagagun!

Poppies still prevalent in this area…dotting the green with red…one more village …9kms out from our destination and the second coffee stop…San Nicolas del Real Camino…

A great bar adorned with pilgrim memorabilia….reminded me of the Puhoi pub near my home in NZ…treasuring the old…

And not just the old humans passing through on a daily (hourly) basis!

The last part of the journey…was those hard cobbled stone paths…while providing peace and serenity…knocked the joints and knees around….oh just saying at this point after folding my walking poles up yesterday…and trying to resurrect them today…the joining mechanisms are broken and they are not safe to use…so they got carried for the day…ready to be ditched at my destination…and I will be in search of a new set before the next mountain range!!

Newly sown fields of sunflowers that will be blooming for the late June pilgrims…and the town of Sahagun in the distance…toes just hanging in….one more shoe off rest stop and then into the outlying paths leading to a cool shower and cool beer…

But first a compulsory detour (a few extra steps)

The official half way point on the Camino Frances route to Santiago de Compostela for those of us who started in St Jean pied de Port…

It was then the last (longest) 2kms to our hostel …. On the outskirts of town…street art, past factories and streets covered in weeds and then home…for me two nights…I walk the stage tommorow and transferred back so will catch up with friends a day behind…

Last few steps ….roundabout

And the new Camino Meseta Comrades enjoying a beer on the terrace!!!

Carrión de Los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza – day 17 – 17kms ( of farms and stone tracks…so I heard!)

Actually 4kms for me today…dropped bag at 8am, took breakfast…walked into town and stocked up on snacks….chips, chocolate, biscuits and more sunblock! Then explored the beautiful Monestry of San Ziolo …which my hotel is attached to:

Beautiful garden cafe…

Breakfast room…

Rugby field? Or maybe in Spain soccer pitch…at breakfast I caught up with an Australian group of four, and Gail, one of the wife’s was looking to take a taxi too, due to blisters and shin splints! So we agreed to meet and visit the Monestry (free for us as we are staying there) at 10am when it opened!

The cool stone walkways around the two internal gardens…

The fountain garden (with Sue framing the photo) I asked Gail to not include the feet at this point that are relaxing in jandals for the day!!! and not looking pretty!

And here the tree garden….

The covered pathways around each square sport amazing concrete architecture… let me tell you at this point the history behind this Monestry…

San Zoilo was founded by Count Gómez Díaz and his wife Originally dedicated to John the Baptist, it obtained its current name after receiving the relics of Saint Zoilus in 1047. In 1076, the widowed Countess Teresa donated the monastery to the Monks where it became a hospital and sanctuary for pilgrims (probably also with sore feet!)

The chapel inner sanctuary…

The crypt housing Teresa and her family…

And the library….gorgeous ceilings and original hand illustrated bibles on display..

And the Arches in this library….solid wood framing the stone semicircles…not for the tall in stature!

Of course it was cool within this massive stone building, with the chanting of monks in the background…until I realised….no monks, a Tv on repeat! I guess as not a functioning monastery now, more of a museum, this is the next best option…

After an hour of cultural!! Gail and I had time to take a coffee in the garden bar…resting our sore feet, legs…

The taxi turned up just before midday…first dropping me (at this one horse village – actually no horse) then taking Gail to the next village where the rest of her team were meeting….all for a mere €45 – €23 each! As I spend €20 a day on blister plasters, this was €3 well spent) and my sore foot was relishing being out of Jail for a day!!

This town has less than 60 inhabitants (pilgrims probably making up 55 of this number on a daily basis) …. However bags all arrived and so did a lot of very hot Camino walkers (having walked 17kms through open farmland!) i haveseveral Camino connections staying here, so is fun to catch up!

However, for my hot sweaty friends, we were all informed on check in there is no water! It’s been out for two days! No showers, no flushing…no tap water! But luckily on the 3rd day….our day….it has just come on!

I will take dinner tonight…at 6.30pm and breakfast tomorrow at 7am then I will fold my feet back into the salmons(shoes) to fight another day….on the homeward stretch to Leon !

Fromista to Carrión de Los Condes – day 16- 19.2 kms….

After a great day yesterday and extolling the virtues of the Spanish Meseta, today made me realise what all the warnings had been about!

Leaving the town of Fromista around 7.30am…had waited for breakfast…which again was probably not worth the hours of coolness wasted!

Past Spanish villas locked up like Fort Knox! I have just realised that every hotel…we are locked in or out at night too…there must be a high risk of break-ins! Around about here I ran into an Irishman (Mathew) who I walked with out of town…

Over the proverbial bridge lined with this very strong smelling yellow flower …

And through the last outpost!! Little did I know – there was a fork in the road…riverside way or the traditional way…he and I took the traditional way! Dumb move….the next 4kms was road side exposed walking – although this first 6kms was filled with Irish humour…

Around 6kms, he carried on, and I gave my feet their first 10 minute rest!

In a very picturesque (?) part of town outside a hay baling storage factory – this little town (Problacion de Campos) was devoid of cafes and in fact any other sign of life…

And I was on my own ponding the open roads…counting imaginary sheep in my head!

The odd sprinkling of Poppies to add colour to the day!

Finally the next town…Revenga de Campos…these names were producing a rather hopeless feeling (first Problem, secondly Revenge!) ok so around 9kms in and again no bar or toilet! Of course it wasn’t really bush wee country …as one was on the side of the road and in open view of the rest of the pilgrims! (For miles)

This kinda says it all…just me and my shadow…both needing a bathroom and a stone path that was very much starting to reverberate on my tender feet! Another 5kms of this (alone) finally stumbled (literally and physically) into the village of Villalcázar de Sirga…where the one cafe of the day was bursting with gasping pilgrims…and a steady run on the bathroom!

I spent about an hour here (putting off the inevitable…last 6kms) visiting the church

Which was lovely and cool inside…

Checking out more blooming roses…roses grow so well in this climate!

And basically wasting time…knowing my feet were going to struggle on the homeward straight!

Oh and they did…in the midday heat of 30 degrees (feels like 40 – for me at least and my very hot painful right foot!) I did have to stop about 2kms out and take my shoe off for a few minutes!

Finally arrived a little after 1pm at Carrión de Los Condes…and googled my hotel of course it was on the other side of town so let’s just hobble for another kilometre!

Through town and out the other side…

Over this bridge…then walked around in circles for half an hour trying to find the hotel…which is part of the Monasterio de San Zoilo…The monastery of San Zoilo was a Benedictine monastery in Spain between the 10th and 19th centuries. Today, the complex, on the banks of the river Carrión in Carrión de los Condes, houses a luxury hotel …. And that’s where I am for the night!

This is the river Carrion …. The best part of my day, lounging in the garden bar eating Pizza for mid afternoon lunch(dinner) with a cool beer…although not before plunging my feet (and legs) into a cold bath…

Tomorrow is 17kms of the last 6 (open air roadside walking) I did today…so I made a thoughtful decision (for my feet) to booked a taxi to the next town…sleep in a little and visit the monastery when it opens at 10am before I have to check out and taxi at midday!

Castrojeriz to Frómista – day 15 – 26.31 kms .. Today I was woken by the Irish group at 5.30 am and I thought get up start now or waste an hour until after breakfast – so I taped up my toes and left at 6.15am…

The church was illuminated in the twilight….electrolytes, chocolate bar and apricot in pack! Skipped breakfast at 7.30

First up a big climb!!! The goosebumps quickly disappeared…

The first hour was the hill climb as the sun was rising… thank goodness as the goosebumps quickly disappeared…

My french friend Jean -pierre pulled me up this hill – I thought I was hill fit but with 2 days on the meseta it was a chalkenge!

Then it was a bit of “the bear came over the mountain” moment and steep Downhill – zig zagging to protect my my knee….the toe tapeing working well!

Following the path and voila a food truck for my morning coffee at 9am! The best instant coffee ever! Caught up with Claudia from Germany!

Through more farmland and less undulating pathways

A small church before the first village of Itero de la Vega

As I had taken a coffee and chocolate bar (snickers) at the food truck I carried on… feet and legs feeling good!

Almost half way through! Ha!

Irrigation systems for my farmer followers (John)

This guy. Looking for food on the way!

Past a little sprinkling with the watering system which was welcome as at 10.30 am heating up!

It was then a flattish walk over canal bridges where the canals feed the farms with water..

Into the town of Bordilla which was about 6 km from the final destination

This was the second coffee stop of the day(midday) , replenished my water, bathroom stop and replastered the first blister in 15 days! The rest of the feet holding out well …,with 20km down!

Prayers for my friends… and on the road again …..homeward straight!

After a couple of miles we followed the canal into fromista! It was nice…. Pace a little slower this is the longest day so far!

New flora is starting to appear…

And this daffodil like flower on the edge of the canal….

And voila! The lock into the town of Fromista!

More storks nesting!

Another little walk, visit to the pharmacy for more blister plasters…and a beer!

Oh no (Bob) a radler Amistal that tastes like lemon! Swapped with the English couple and they brought me a Heineken …was about to leave the full beer here!

I showered and laundry washed and went to the bar for a real beer…my friend Claudia from Germany arrived and Jean Pierre ( from France had already joined me) – dinner at 6.39pm and bed…. Small day tomorrow 19km… will take my breakfast!

Everyone had been telling me – be prepared for the meseta! But to be honest this was probably my best day yet!

Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz – Day 14 – 21kms!

After a very Ho hum breakfast at 7am, the shuttle dropped me back to my starting point in Hornillos…a very unremarkable town….

Then it was a gradual uphill climb for the first hour or so!

Then out into the fields of wheat and windmills..

The pink sky behind me promising another warm day!

I’m kinda at the point where I never need to see another wheat field! Climbing climbing…more plasters on broken little toe….so far managing the complaining feet!

Then the landscape opened out to what seemed like miles of flatland…

The odd cross to amuse us!

The odd shoe on a pile of rocks!

And a soul searching stretch of gravel path bordered by wheatfields…

Then over the brow of the straight Hontanas Village appeared below …. The halfway point.,., coffee, bathroom and water restock for the 2nd half of today’s journey!

A cute little village with the first cafe open at 10.30am… nothing else further on, so my theory from yesterday is incorrect! Maybe stopping at the first cafe is smart!!! Here I met a German lady also travelling on her own Claudia!

As I left Hontanus I walked down the village street to the church at the bottom of the hill…

I went inside…it was nice and cool and I could light a candle for someone….

I did this for Steve Waugh (Jill’s brother) who passed away suddenly yesterday….and took a moment for the family…

Then I was out in the countryside for my next 10.5 kms…. Managing my screaming toe! The rest of the day was pretty flat and meandered through the valley….

It was nice to have a change of landscape from wheatfields and wind farms! I sat on the side of the path about 4kms from my destination…taking a break in the shade of a tree…but what I didn’t realise was that 20meters over the next rise were the ruins of the convent of San Anton…

So everyone that marched past me must have thought I was crazy….anyway…another break!

Along with the masses…. Actually took off shoes and put feet up for 20 mins…

Little memorials in the stone…

Under the windows to the sky! And shade of the ruins!!! 30degrees and rising outside!

Leaving here the vegetation took a desert like turn with waist high thistles – cactus like thistles! And this is where the title of today’s story kicks in…

My destination in the distance…at this point, the taste of my first beer is teasing my tastebuds….the sweat is rolling down the side of my face (my bandana already saturated) ….the shoes are loosened off as the feet always swell in the last few kms!….and the broken toe is screaming “Let me out!” My pace has slowed, and without my Camino buddies to chat to and distract me, all of the above kick in!

It’s just one foot in front of the other….

As the village gets closer! I google the hotel…but follow the Camino trail through town…

This gal almost getting me in! But as my hotel was at end of the town I kept plodding on…

Checked in and ran a cold bath (there you go Sue – I can do it) to soothe my feet, wash my hair then do the laundry! , which dries in an hour or so on my windowsill facing west!

Ok then it was beer time! A bar across the corner…. A handle only €1.80 and Jean Pierre from France….testing out my schoolgirl French, and Claudia from Germany joined me – until 4pm they locked the door and it was over….compulsory feet up time!

A nice Canadian couple Sarah and Jerry, who I walked with, off an on, today asked me to join them for dinner at 7pm….so it will be an eat and sleep evening as 25kms tomorrow!

Burgos to Hornillos del Camino – day 13 – 22.3kms

Today I walked for Janine (heal well) Gigi (recover quickly) and Steve W (RIP and prayers for the family)

Before I start a few pictures from my evening in Burgos last night…

I met my Camino Friend Jan for dinner…we then took a stroll around this beautiful city (daylight until 9pm)

Shaded plazas with everyone out enjoying the cooler evening…

Sitting on a park bench with the church spire and Jesus watching over us!!! We said our goodbyes (maybe forever – maybe not) and I wandered back to my hotel at 9pm…spying my other Camino friends Rosann and Micki – so goodbyes again as they are staying another day in this town….I kinda felt my so journey was starting all over! As the first 2 weeks (almost) has been fun meeting others and making great connections on this journey!

But no time to ponder…as I was up at 6am dealing to my toes with the very technical operation of plasters on hot spots! Then breakfast at 7am…where I saw Rosann and Micki again (yay) and on the road at 7.30am!

This looked like a good option…but no time to dally and smell the roses…

…. if I wanted to make the most of the cooler morning… finding my way out of town…I ran into a lady from England, Chrissie, and together we navigated our way out of the suburbs!

Past monuments

One last view of the cathedral spire – catching the rising sun!

Chrissie and I walked the first half of today’s journey together and it was very pleasant…with shaded areas…

Hay fields…

Motorway bridges….rest stops and easy chats!

The odd river or two and arriving at the first village of Villalbilla on the outskirts of Burgos…we decided not to stop here and carried on to the halfway point of Tardajos, found a great garden bar for coffee and breakfast (for Chrissie) around mid morning…

I have realised the secret of not stopping. At the first tent or food truck you see …. There is always another less crowded non touristy option!

I left Chrissie here as she only had a short walk to her accomodation…. And cleared the town… but not before….

A church stop and a prayer for my friends who are going through struggles….my sore feet are nothing compared to their world right now!

I don’t go into all the churches, but this one popped up on me when I felt I needed it!

Just a mile or so on was the last village before the final 10km of the day…

The wall art continues…this one the back of a large garage!

Today’s climb was beginning… in this village of Rabe de las Calzadas….

Then it was out in the big wide wilderness …. A gradual ( but continual) ascent of over 700m – totally exposed to the sun with wheat fields and hay making on the farms! Luckily I had refilled both my water bottles, as constant hydration was a must, and even a bush wee…as it was a long time between drinks – euphemism for restrooms.

I found this track very isolated with very few walkers, so kept going to keep at least one person in sight in the distance…

An oasis half way up this 7km stretch…but I dare not stop as I might not get going again!

There you go team…my view for half the day!! In the blazing sun ….. up and more up, even a bit hot for the poppies!

However there were some pretty little purple flower bushes… not sure if I am starting the meseta yet or this is just a gentle (?) conditioning process!

We were definitely back in windmill country as every ridge was lined with these big white birds! When I felt I was almost at the top I took a break…water break and shoe break..

On this pile of rocks…a few sandal bits were left floating around…,I hope the humans made it to their destination!

Hot sweaty mess selfie – alone on the track …not sure where all the pilgrims were that we saw this morning, maybe they had stopped earlier?

After prising myself off my rock haven… another 200meters over the (last) rise behold…my destination in the distance!

Back to zigzagging and looking after my knees for the steep descent, all the while the soles and little toes of my feet screaming! As always that village was a lot further away…so after another 30-40 mins I finally arrived (22.31kms)

Hornillos del Camino…I had to meet at a certain bar for my shuttle to my hotel at 3.00pm…I had an hour for a cold beer! Yay! But the barmaid (female) kept ignoring me and it took half an hour for her to get around to pouring my beer! Only after I asked the man next to me to order one for me (very kindly he did)

Then my 3.00pm shuttle turned up at 2.40pm so I had to scull the pint!

Checked in and had a cold bath on my legs and feet and arranged with the shuttle driver to pick me up at 7.30am (instead of the scheduled 9.00am) so I can at least get a couple of cool hours on the road!

Also dinner is served here at 6.30pm… so I can get myself (mentally and physically) prepared for tomorrow….we are into the Meseta!

To explain:

The Meseta Central is Spain’s vast, high-altitude central plateau. Covering about 210,000kms and it spans Castile and León (where Burgos is located), Castile-La Mancha, and Extremadura. Sitting at an average elevation of 660 meters, it is famous for extreme temperatures, vast agricultural plains and sweaty pilgrims!!!

I think I have 8 days of this ahead! But best not think about this right now…time to find a beer (that I don’t have to scull)

Love to all…