Long walk to Frómista

A beautiful walk (again!) today, but one of the longer ones...25.8 kms I think...would consult Amr but he has dozed off beside me...so again we set off in the delicious cool air, which was just as well, as soon after leaving Castrojeriz there is a steep climb (12° ascent), the only demanding part of today, but we managed well with our slow and steady policy! Got to the top not even breathless, except to admire the view, still a little misty. Then it was only a short walk on the plateau and down the other side (this time an 18° descent) also steeply, but this part had been thankfully paved with slightly roughened concrete, so was not hazardous to walk down. Just as well, as we have packed up our sticks since Burgos, knowing that they were almost a nuisance when going on totally level paths...will get them out again in a few days just before León.

So we did more Maseta walking, and still interesting...I can’t imagine why people sometimes choose to go by bus through this part of the Camino. We crossed a river and into Placencia, another province of the autonomous region of Castilla y León. There are so many autonomous regions...not sure what the federal Spanish government does. So we are still in the grain crop and sunflowers region, and now the are many very green fields of lucerne and also beets. And today we saw something new - a field of lucerne being mowed, or harvested, leaving neat lines of the green leaves ready presumably to be gathered and used as fodder. Not sure if they leave the plants to keep growing to keep cutting off more stems...

There were 2 little towns on the way, at the first we stopped and had a fresh OJ, and also bought a baguette with jamon and cheese for lunch later (all sliced as we ordered) as our supply of food had run out, and we ate that at one of the rare areas of shade under trees at the top of a rise. Then stopped at the last little town, just 5 kms before here, and had a drink in the little rural hotel where we discovered quite a few of the people we have got to know are staying (after a 19 kms walk)....

But we happily plodded on, knowing that the last 5 kms were largely beside a canal and fairly shaded and pleasant. So we found our hotel easily having been here before, and have a room looking on to the Iglesia de San Martin - an XI century Romanesque church (consecrated in 1066!) and all is well with the world. I will include a photo from our window, but will have to wait till the sun goes down - at the moment it is pouring in and drying our clothes! Our friends Melanie and Jim, from Mississippi, are also here, so we will also probably see them at dinner tonight, which thankfully can be as early as 6 pm!! They are very good company - quiet, unassuming and interesting - we talk about books, and of course the Camino.

Well Amr has since woken up and found a shop and got a supply of cheese and apples for the next few walks, and is now gone to see San Martin, so I’ll go too. Will add photos later...Read more