Belorado to Santovenia de Oca

Today was a longer one, about 28km. Accommodation was scarce so the best we found to book was a bunk bed in a dormitory style albergue 3km off the Camino in Santovenia de Oca.

We started at 7am after an improvised coffee-free breakfast in our room. John’s headlamp was necessary till about 8am to see the path.

About 1 km out we were overtaken by our Swedish dinner companions from last night, Hans and Katerina. After a few sleepy villages we finally found coffee in Espinosa del Camino.

The path continued wide and flat to Villafranca Montes de Oca. From there it was a long and quite steep climb up to an altitude of 1150 meters.

Then it was about 12km through forest with no sign of habitation or cars all the way to San Juan de Ortega. We saw many signs warning us not to pick mushrooms, expressed in at least 4 different ways.

A sandwich for lunch in San Juan preceded an hour’s walk up the road to Santovenia. It is a nice clean modern albergue, with bunks in a dorm for about 12 people.

Lots of large fields of sunflowers were seen along the way, mostly harvested, surrounded by fallow wheat fields. Also a few sheep at one point.

After ablutions we had a beer in the courtyard out the front with a Pom, Steve from Manchester, traveling with his wife.

We enjoyed a good pilgrim’s meal in the albergue by the charming but overworked lady running the place.Les mer