Stage 19: Fromista-Carrion de los Condes

18.7 km/11.6 miles, 46°-78°, 6.25 hours
Took the Aussie brothers' advice (one worked in IT and has an app for everything) and took the slightly shorter route today that went along the road, rather than the scenic river route. I did the scenic river route into Burgos and sometimes scenic is just too dang long. Good choice for the team today, the path was a nice wide gravel one, without a lot of the large rocks that make me stumbley, the road was not very busy and there were nicely spaced towns with refreshments and bathrooms. Tomorrow starting out is a 17 km/ 10 mile stretch with nothing, so maybe no coffee for me in the morning. I've reserved in the first town at 10 miles, the others I've been chummy with lately are going further so I may not see them for a while. We're all thinking to arrive in Santiago about the same time so maybe we'll meet up again then, and we're on WhatsApp. We pass the halfway point tomorrow, hard to believe.
I went to a get together at the church run donativo Albergue close by, run by some Augustinian nuns. I came in late (getting my clothes from the laundromat) so missed the sharing of our names, where we're from and why we're doing the Camino, but was thinking that how I would have answered is that I'm doing it for gratitude- for this gift of life, for my family and friends and church community, and as a way to focus on prayer. We sang some songs in various languages and the nuns said they would pray for us. Then dinner with some of the usual suspects- the pilgrim menu del dia for 14€ with choice of first and second courses and dessert, wine included. Now to bed in my ultra modern high tech hotel room, alarm set for 6:30 to get on the road by 0800. Buenos noches😴Read more