Day 16 - 17 Walking on Potatoes!

It's hard to describe the kind of path we are walking on, but Gerry from Florida nailed it - it's like walking on potatoes (very hard ones)! Imagine if you mixed a box of new jersey bennies, some nadines, some red desirees and a whole pile of large ruas and tipped them onto some dirt and let 10,000 feet walk over them. Not to mention the potato tortillas for breakfast, chips with lunch and potatoes for dinner - we are truly walking on potatoes!! 

It was lovely getting on the road early with the sun rising and a cool breeze on our backs. Wheat is being harvested everywhere and we are now seeing big rectangle hay stacks and the newly planted sun flowers growing bigger before our eyes. There is nothing monotonous about the Meseta.

In all the tiny villages we are intrigued by the subterranean houses built into the hills. People are still living in them - they would be wonderfully cool in the height of summer. They remind us of Hobbiton; Simon thought Peter Jackson should come over and shoot "Lord of the GRingos" I have to endure his humour daily!! He is having great fun giving all the hard to pronounce towns nicknames.  We've been to Eldorado (Belorado),  Acapulco (Atapuerca), Godzilla (Calzadilla) just to mention a few! Those of you who know Simon well, will back me up when I say he has a lousy sense of direction and is not a great map reader - he can't believe how many towns are called Cruce, Fuente, Puente and Iglesia (cross, fountain, bridge and church)!

Today is Corpus Christi, and we have just had lunch in Casa Simon with all the locals having post church drinks (they don't eat lunch until 4pm), we were celebrating officially getting to the half way mark. Buen Camino from Sahagun, 400km to go!

Day 15 - Rain and Pain in Spain

The weather finally broke last night and while sitting on the terrace enjoying an evening beer and G&T the heavens opened!! It was wonderful, the heat and dust were doused and everyone sat and enjoyed the thunder, lightening and amazingly heavy rain. Although it threatened today - the rain stayed away and after a typical breakfast we were off! 

Thank goodness we had a flat short walk today because I'm feeling everything!! Leg muscles, feet, remaining blister, neck and arm are all sore, but I'm not alone, it's quite funny watching pilgrims limp, walk gingerly, and incredible slowly comparing aches and pains, all with great humor and determination to keep moving on. The theory is a bit of suffering helps you stay present! I'M HERE!!!

Evening update: We are staying at the Hotel Real Monasterio San Zoila in Carrion de Los Condes, a converted 11th C Jesuit monastery.  In its heyday it must of been home to hundreds of monks, it is enormous with the most beautiful cloisters and courtyards. Note the short pilgrim!

Day 14 - Over the 300km mark!

Started the day early and left the long skinny town of Castrojeriz to be immediately faced with a 1km steep climb. We are both feeling pretty fit and knocked it off with hardly a pant!! From the moment we set off we had very hot temps and my arm tends to swell in the heat making it feel like a pressure cooker!! 

We had decided to stop for lunch at the delightful garden oasis of Boadilla del Camino. I was very jeolous of Nat as she settled in for a shady afternoon with the other pilgrims and I had to put my shoes on and walk another 6 km in the searing sun to make it to Fromista. 

The mind so often plays tricks on you and whether you are walking 20 or 30 kms the last 5 are always a grind. This is no walk I the park!!! Today was a pleasant surprise and we easy walked along a tree lined canel to find our destination. 

To Blog or not to Blog?

I was reluctant to blog about this, but those following on Facebook already are in the know. We walked day 12 into the beautiful city of Burgos and went straight to hospital to get my wrist checked and the cast replaced. Unfortunately the Drs didn't like the way it was healing and I needed to have it reset. Not a fun exercise and Simon was most distressed as he was left outside and had to listen to torture! My arm now has a new cast - proving a useful canvas for the daily pilgrim stamps. 

More fun was the thriving town of Burgos with its 13th C gothic/baroque cathedral (photos could not capture its ridiculous splendor) and maze of narrow streets and hidden squares full of bars, restaurants and my first Zara! Turned out a great place to catch up with friends as we all leap frog each other along the way. 

We met the wonderful Gerard, an amazing 80 year old who has walked from 200km south Paris on the French Camino over 1300 km with 500 to go! There is no age on the Camino, just amazingly interesting people putting one step in front of the other!!

After a rest day we were both keen to get back on the Camino and walked 21km in 30 plus windless conditions. We are now officially on the Meseta. These are the lonely plains that stretch 180 km from Burgos to Leon. Many pilgrims opt to miss this section because the scenery is flat and unchanging, but Simon and I are both looking forward to the tranquility of the next 7 days. It will be early starts to miss the afternoon sun as there is virtually no shade and little water. 

Day 10 - 11 Change of Scene!

Weekend walking brings the day trippers out of the woodwork! Lots of Spaniards without packs walking along with the pilgrims - it's hard not to be a tad resentful of them as they talk non-stop and spoil the Camino tranquillity. All part of the journey!! Weather continues to shine on us and it's beers and rosés all round as we finish just over 21km to the slightly 'down at heel' town of Belorado. Fun night out for dinner with friends John and Alissa at the '7.30 sharp or you'll miss out' albegue for a great pilgrims dinner. 

Day 11 - On the road to see the sun rise this morning as we have a long 31.2km day and both prefer to walk in the cool of the morning. We have now left the La Rioja and into Castille. Such a gorgeous change of scenery; walking through the regenerated Oak and Pine forests. Came across our first spiritual spiral today - you walk in while posing a question and by the time you walk out you should have the answer!! 

As usuall the last 5kms into town (Atapuerca) was hot and hard work - we have yet to decide if we have enough energy to see the archeological site down the road.  Here lies the oldest human remains in Europe - over 900,000 year old. Our bones feel a bit like that today!!