~ Little Towns, Big City and Friends Along the Way ~
To Carrion de los Condes
This was a long day, a little over 17 miles, so by the end of the day, I was pretty tired. The morning, though, the morning! I couldn’t sleep so I got up early. After quietly stuffing my pack, I grabbed a coffee and headed out into the dark well before 6. The moon was full and the first hour or two of walking was along a canal lined with trees. Quiet, hushed, moonlit, solitary, cool, fresh, gorgeous. Long after this Camino-time is over, I have a feeling that it is these morning walks that are going to haunt me.
Below is a photo of the moonlit walk and the town of Carrion as I walked into it after a very long slog of a day.
To Calzadilla de la Cueza
Ten hours of sleep and I was good as new. The place I stayed in had a kitchen so I was able to make a good breakfast before leisurely heading out the door. The word on the street was that there was a 12 mile stretch ahead with no water so I loaded up.
At the exact moment I stepped out of my albergue onto the street, I heard, “Silvia! Silvia!” I turned and who should I spy but Melanie, one of my Camino daughters. The last time I saw her, she was heading off to a small town where her grandparents used to live ages ago so we had a lot of catching up to do!
The day grew hotter. We walked together for quite some time and chatted away. Eventually, we needed to go at different speeds so I headed on past mile after mile of endless dirt. In the photos, you’ll see what I mean.
Melanie and I ended up being bunk mates that night. I enjoyed jostling her from the bottom bunk with my feet like in the olden days at summer camp. Dinner that night, prepared by the owners of Los Canarios was delicious. The hostel had this name because the husband and wife team both grew up in the Canary Islands.
To Moratinos
This was a shorter day. Funny how eight miles feels so much shorter, but it really does. My day focused on getting to Moratinos where I’d booked a solo room with good WiFi. It was my step-mom, Diane’s memorial service that night and I’d promised to speak. The day was bright and flat and very lovely. There was lots of time to think about Diane, how much I loved her and will miss her, as well as what I wanted to share in the service.
I also passed through a small town which marked the halfway point of the Camino. Wow. That was a cool feeling!
Because the day was short, I arrived well before noon to shower, wash my clothes and find some lunch. There was one spot open in town called La Bodega. It was housed in an old winery, which are dug into the hills. You’ll see a poto of this below. The dude was about as grumpy as they come but he made me an incredible meal. I got plenty so I could have leftovers for dinner. In this way, I got to enjoy my meal two times!
The memorial service was sweet. I’m so glad I got to be part of it. It was also wonderful to be able to see Jeff, Emilia and Henry because all four of us were there. I miss Jeff and the kids a lot.
To León
Looking at the map, it was obvious that there was no way I’d have time to walk all the way to Santiago de Compostela. This understanding created at need to strategize and it was about time for a rest day anyway. Chloe and Melanie, my adopted Camino daughters and I decided to meet up in a small town called Sahagún. I took a short taxi ride there and we met at the train station. We breezed our way into León where I’d treated us all to an Airbnb that was spacious enough that we each got to have our own space, plus two bathrooms and a kitchen!
Little did we know that León was celebrating a festival and it started that very morning as we arrived! Las Cantaderas is a celebration that goes back to the 14th century. It seems that back in the day, the government of the land gave 100 virgins to the Moors every year in order to keep the peace. The virgins apparently needed to be completely pure and perfect. No blemishes, no scars, nothing. One year, three brave young women, knowing they were about to be chosen, each pulled out a knife and said they’d cut their skin and do damage to themselves in order to protest this weird law.
According to the woman who told us about this, it was this protest that made those in power realize it was time to come up with another plan. As the woman, dressed in full medieval garb proudly told us, “It was the #MeToo movement of the 14th century!”
The day was bright and warm. We all strolled around, watched the parade, and thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of community celebration. Chloe and Melanie bought me lunch to thank me for the apartment. We had some of the most amazing sushi any of us had ever had. It was GOOD! I’d go back to León in a heartbeat. Aside from old Roman stuff like an aqua duct, walls and roads, the vibe was cute and of course, festive.
Below you’ll see the Cathedral, some of the old buildings, part of the Roman wall from the 4th century, and the parade!
To Hospital de Orbigo (I am not in a hospital!)
Today was a long slog of a walk. It was flat, for sure, but also, there was no shade and the sun was shining quite brightly. Chloe and Melanie got a kick out of my breakfast which was, to be sure, fairly gross. They took photos and laughed endlessly. For those of you who know me well, Bright Line Eating helps me in my food recovery and sobriety. This morning’s meal was about getting nutrients that I needed for my walk and not much else!
The town I am in tonight is very small. The hostel, La Casa de Hidalgo, is a 200 year old building that David, the host, has lovingly renovated. He cares for a beautiful grassy garden lined with trees, has the place all set up to make it easy to do laundry and each bed is graced by a privacy curtain. It’s quiet, peaceful and lovely here.
And I got to talk with Jeff.
Hugs to all of you. Xoxoxo
