Day 19. Castrojeriz

I stayed at a quaint hotel last night along with seven other pilgrims. The hotel itself was like a large house consisting of six guest rooms, each with their own bathroom, a small bar, an even smaller dining room, and a reception area that wasn’t much larger than a walk-in closet. The proprietor shuttled us back and forth, registered us, carried luggage up the stairs and ran the bar that served the 3-4 locals who were there. I arrived there shortly after 2:00 pm, then showered, napped for 30 minutes, then sat on the terrace to write my blog. Dinner started at 7:00, so that’s when all 8 hotel guests gathered at one table in the dining room (photo included). When we registered the proprietor asked us if we wanted dinner, but the reality was there was no other place to eat in this small village. We were 4 Americans, 3 Canadians, and 1 Australian. That was when a lady, I’m assuming his wife, came out offering us a great meal: soup (chicken,potatoes), salad (Mediterranean) , pork medallions, and choice of dessert ( fruit salad, flan, or ice cream). While the lady served us , the proprietor sat back chatting and joking in Spanish. Some people at the table knew enough Spanish to translate, keeping us apprised of what he was saying. It was a great family atmosphere and I was able to pick up enough to find him entertaining. We had many good laughs with him picking on me because I was the solo hombre (the only man).
At 7:30 am we had a quieter breakfast, with only the lady working, and shortly after 8:00 am the proprietor shuttled us back to the same place he had picked us up yesterday. Once again, it was cold (5 degrees) , but few clouds, and after an hour or so, a strong tailwind picked up. Hundreds of wind turbines here. The walking was easy today, a 20 km trek, mostly level, with a stop at the small pilgrim village of Hontanas, and later at the ruins of a 9th century castle.
Today, I connected with a young girl from Austin, Texas who recently graduated with her doctorate in physiotherapy. This trip is her reward to herself for having finished her schooling before going to a full-time job in Vail, Colorado. Two people she had previously met, an agronomist from Chile, who grows all kinds of berries, and a Spanish literature teacher, joined us. The Chilean spoke English fluently, and translated for the literature teacher, who just spoke a little English. My sense is that 70% of the pilgrims speak Spanish as their first language, which makes sense since we’re in Spain. If I were to come again, I would try to learn more Spanish beforehand. Chatting with other pilgrims makes the time fly by. So many interesting stories. However, early in the mornings, I do enjoy my reflective time. We’re generally quieter then, less apt to chat.Read more