Las Matas

Ok…one thing about the Camino, and I think I mentioned it before is the “food” challenge. So not only do the Spanish eat at very odd hours not at all timed with my 60 year old biological clock, but I am figuring out that the culinary efforts to feed the pilgrims amounts to either “conference” style feeding of the pilgrims, or generally very poor take out. For example, yesterday, I asked for a sandwich at a kiosk in a town and it was simply a French loaf with a couple of slices of ham ( and the terrible kind), and 2 mini slices of cheese. At the pilgrim supper, I had a salad which consisted of iceberg lettuce, 2 slices of tomato and a splash of tuna and pre-pkg oil and balsamic dressing, the second plate was a a plate of pasta with tomato sauce. This morning breakfast was either the egg and potato omelet or bread with meat and cheese…this is very typical, but more than 2 weeks in, I have not been complaining much, except today. I might also be a bit more sensitive because I have fought terrible wind for two days now…

My guide book says that there is an excellent restaurant in the town about 5 km before my final destination. It is even a Michelin star restaurant! I know that lunch will not be served before 130, so I wait…I wait very patiently for an hour…I toured the church…also lovely…and waited.

I was the first one in the restaurant, and greeted by a maitre de, and the tables are set with wine glasses etc. etc…and I think…oh no… they do not serve pilgrims like the guide book said, but none the less, I persist and the friendly maitre de seats me. We have a brief discussion about the type of wine I would like and between my “no Spanish” and his “no English” we settle on rose. A word the same in both languages.

Over the lunch, I am brought the pilgrim’s lunch. A wonderful soup, Castilian, a fish in tomato sauce and finally French toast and cream…I have never had a Michelin star restaurant experience for 18 euros (including wine), and likely never will again because you have to be dressed like you are a pilgrim and look all the more wretched for the experience.

Another thing I am learning about the Camino is that speaking Spanish is definitely an asset. You can get by like I do with no Spanish, but I think it would be much easier to engage with the experience more fully if you had access to the language. Everything is harder in Spain without speaking the language, from eating, to doing laundry, to finding places for buy new gear. Part of my experience today is a response to not being able to speak Spanish and deciding to be brave and try to do what the guide book suggests, despite the fact that it is harder to communicate. Despite my lack of language skills to step outside of the typical pilgrim experience.

While I was at lunch, locals started to come in. For some, the maitre de brought out olives and bottles of wine, for others he brought out I think a lamb chop…but it was really large, and for others they got a menu! All the while, the locals all said hello when they passed my table and I even had a conversation with a local using a translate app…I attached a picture. In this restaurant they use their napkin as shown. I wondered what that strap was for??? Apparently it is put around your neck. I can think of a few shirts that might have been saved with this technique rather than just putting it on your lap!

And the best part of lunch, after a jug of wine, was when I asked for a taxi to the hotel, the hotel driver came to collect me. I passed all these pilgrims walking in the wind, along the side of the motorway, and not for a second did I feel guilty. I enjoyed my authentic Castilian lunch in a wonderful restaurant that historically was a hospital for pilgrim’s.

I have arrived at a monastery turned high end hotel. I attached a view from my modest room in this old monastery. The town of Carrion de los Condos is historically important. It is the 1/2 way point to Santiago, and the town at one time housed 10,000 people who lived, worked and served pilgrims or were passing pilgrims. The monestery was politically important but also economically important and was established and nurtured as a secondary Santiago because pilgrims were 1/2 way through their journey which means that I am also now 1/2 way through. I have walked ( mostly) 400+ km at this point. Beginning tomorrow will mark the point where Santiago becomes increasingly less a dream and more a reality.Baca lagi