We departed La Perala at daybreak.looking back at the unusual tower of Iglesia de San Salvador.Today’s walk was straight, flat and typical of the photo abovethe double path is perhaps a demonstration of indecisiveness of pilgrims as they walk.someone needs to give this section a trimnearly 5 miles of walking straight and alternating between the gravel path and the infrequently traveled pavementWalking into El Burgo Ranero, a favorite breakfast stop after 5 miles.Enjoying a delicious version of tostadas and homemade preserves.
After a nice break and breakfast, we reached out to our favorite taxi on the Camino, a Tesla driver. We noticed his vehicle being charged as we walked passed his house into Burgo del Ranero, so when our breakfast barkeep phoned him and requested a ride for us, we were elated and jumped aboard when he arrived 10 minutes later.
The ride from El Burgo Ranero took about 15 minutes to skip an 8 mile chunk of Camino that ended at Reliegos. We paid the driver 18€, the best recent investment we’ve made for improving the quality of Camino2023. And off we went to walk the remaining 4.5 miles into Mansilla de las Mulas.Back on the straight, flat path into Mansilla…Upon arriving in Mansilla de las Mulas, we called our hostess, who confirmed that check in time was still at 1:00. So we relaxed and had a hot chocolate and complimentary pound cake then walked into town to locate Casa Mansilla.
We had a nice positive experience at the Mansilla hot chocolate stop. A young Spaniard, Sergio, sitting at the adjacent table heard Jim struggling on the phone conversation with our apartment hostess, trying to clarify when we could checkin and the checkin process. Sergio offered and we accepted for him to take Jim’s phone and continue the conversation for us… his English was very good. He had his own consulting company and he gave us his card, offering to intervene if we needed help with the language on the remainder of the Camino. He lives in Valencia.
Once we nailed down our destination, we did some recon to get our bearings for the day.
Our apartment in Mansilla de las Mulas: Entrance and stairway on ground level and 4 balconies living room(2), kitchen and bedroom on second level.living room, bedroom and kitchen
While waiting to checkin to our apartment we perused the Tuesday fresh market, located across the street, to develop a strategy and menu for our main meal for the day.
As soon as we checked in, we assessed our kitchen capabilities and returned to the market and a nearby grocery to shop. The result was a delicious collection of vegetables prepared by our resident chef, Linda.
vegetable melange prepared by Linda for our main meal. Components purchased from fresh market in square when we arrived: potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, onions, zucchini, carrots, bacon. Accompanied by fresh bread and Ribera del Duero Reserva wine (100% Tempranillo)
The remainder of the day was spent napping, reading and blogging.
Linda passing by the Arco de San Benito on our way out of townCrossing an 18th century bridge over the Cea River. The cross monument marks the point where the Camino de Madrid merges with the Camino Frances. The bridge has its origins in Roman times.Tree lined walking paths passed by a very large athletic park with multiple athletic playing fields and structures.As soon as we left the park the Camino became a gravel path again, parallel to a two lane highway after maneuvering through a series of traffic circles and interchanges linking the national highway (N-120) and the Autovia.The path took us passed many cornfields and was lined with trees that form protection from the afternoon sun.Linda spotted a deer in the field adjacent to the path and Jim snapped it, even though it was pretty far away for clarity. When reviewing our photos for the day, we discovered a second deer near the first but missed when we took the shot.The path was pretty much like this for most of our 6 mile walk after leaving Sahagún.To break the monotony, Linda walked on the parallel paved road to change the walking surface for a while.our first glimpse of La Perala, our Albergue for the day and evening, just outside of Bercianos.A favorite of ours, La Perala is only 6 years old and has a very hospitable staff. At 46€ for a double room with bathroom, its a real value.Our room in La Perala was not only spacious but had two bedside tables rather than one, electric outlets for each bed, an additional table and two chairs, not just one.
We once again renewed a pilgrim acquaintance with Artur, from Leon, France. We have met him so far at Hornillos, Hontanos and now Bercianos. He is walking farther each day than we are, but injured his right shin a couple of days ago and stayed the past two nights recovering at La Perala. As we mentioned before, Artur is 80.
Artur and Jim after our lunch together today
After Jim told everyone he saw today that he was celebrating his 77th birthday, a surprise birthday cake was delivered to our table tonight for dessert, compliments of our gracious hostess.
Interesting new addition to a small rest area in Terradillos de los Templarios the typical scenery for the first few miles of today’s walkour breakfast stop at a popular bar/albergue in San Nicolas del Real del Caminothe bar is filled with memorabilia, photos and interesting collections for the past 100 years+.returning to the path on the way to Sahagún.just couldn’t resist a closeup of these happy plants, adorning the path throughout Camino2023.This marker was on the outskirts of Sahagún, showing that we were leaving the province of Palencia and entering the province of León.This map of the province gives you an idea of what’s ahead of us.
We are at the extreme right side of the above map, in Sahagún. For the next 5 walking days (we will spend 1 rest day in León) we will be leaving the Meseta, with mountains already beginning to appear north of us. We are only about 65 miles south of the Bay of Biscay, part of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.
The following 3 days we will climb into a mountain range, including the highest point of the Camino Frances, then descend into a valley that weaves among the mountains for another couple of days before climbing back into the mountains as we leave the Province of León for the Province of Galícia.
Walking along the nice hedge that separates us from the 2 lane highway going into Sahagún.entering the city of Sahagún, just before crossing railroad tracks into city center, bullfighting arena on our right.our room in Hostal San JuanMain meal for the day on the side walk in Sahagún: Lental soup, spaghetti and shared mixed salad.
Our taxi arrived at 7:30 just outside our hotel in Villalcázar and took us to the edge of Calzadilla de la Cueza. This enabled us to skip a 12 mile section, which we also skipped in 2022 and 2019. Its not a difficult walk, just much longer than we prefer to walk plus, it has no services such as places to eat or drink or use the bathroom.
getting started at Calzadilla de la Cuezaa nice flat path for the first 2 miles along a well hidden secondary road
Shortly after we began to walk, we heard music. It was difficult to tell where it was coming from, but it was very nice tune that stopped briefly, then began again. It sounded like a reed pipe type woodwind instrument… too low a pitch to be a flute.
We stopped periodically, listened, searched the hills around us, but couldn’t determine the source and kept walking.
Finally, the music got stronger and appeared to be coming from the sunflower field ahead of us. We kept walking and spotted a man, still quite a distance from us, standing next to his car, playing a vertically held instrument and facing a large cross.
We’ve seen the cross before when walking this way and believe the cross is near the ruins of the Santa María de las Tiendas, a former monastery and pilgrims hospital.
The cross is near the site of the ruins of Santa María de las Tiendas, a former monastery and pilgrim hospital. A pipist can be seen standing by his car and facing the cross while playing.as close a shot as we could manage without leaving the path and potentially disturbing the pipistA sample of this morning’s musicThe footing was better, especially for Linda and there were almost no vehicles, except an occasional bike, so we walked on the road instead of the gravel path until just before the village of Ledigos.
We stopped for breakfast at a bar in Ledigos then continued on to our destination for the day.
Our first sighting of Albergue Los Templarios Our home for the afternoon and evening.
We’ve stayed here three times before. It’s a very nice albergue and very popular among pilgrims from all over the world. It’s relatively new, has modern private rooms with ensuite bathrooms as well as dormitories. The food is good and washing clothes is very easy and reasonably priced. Our room is 46€. A three course dinner with wine was 13€. A full load of wash was 4€. We opted to hang out our washed clothes on one of many clotheslines available (clothespins included) and the clothes were bone dry an hour later.
We arrived at 10:30 prior to a noon checkin. But we occupied the time by enjoying the green grass, free wifi and shady or in-the-sun seating… whatever your preference. Jim got a jump-start on today’s blog in the sun, while Linda read in the shade on the front porch.
Jim working on blog while waiting for checkin at Albergue Templarios in the village of Terradillos de los Templarios.looking in from the front gate of Albergue Los Templarios
Today was a relatively easy day in all respects.
We renewed our earlier acquaintance with an Australia couple at dinner. He, a veterinarian and she an educator in animal related disciplines . We appear to be “hopscotching” with them, due to their longer walking days and our periodic skipping of sections they are walking (for the first time). So we’ll probably see them again before the end of our respective Caminos.
This morning was another nice one for walking at a cool 50F, with an occasional breeze. The sun was bright and strong by 9:00 but was mostly mitigated by the cool, dry air.
While we are still on the Meseta, we see more structures and clumps of trees, dotting the fields of grain and sunflowers. Small villages/settlements are more frequent but the horizon is still very flat with no mountains to be seen.
crossing a major expressway as we left Frómista this morning the path along the secondary road leading to the first village of Poblacion de Campos, where we have stayed 3 times before but was already booked this time.An initially confusing sign for which way to go unless you read the fine print. We chose left, which is shorter and has potential rest/breakfast stops.
Shortly after we reached today’s half-way point (~4.5 miles) we spotted a sign while walking through Revenga de Campos. It advertised a bar just 50 meters into the village, something that has never happened in our experience. So we took a chance and ended up having a nice breakfast/rest/bathroom break. We also renewed a brief acquaintance we had back in Belorado with a nice South Korean family of 5.
Some 40 minutes later and “Buen Caminos” exchanged, we were once again, on our way.
Moving on to the next village, along the secondary road and on the straight, flat, gravel path.The next village we encountered was Vallarmentero de Campos. We usually stop here, at Albergue Amanecer, for breakfast, but today, it was closed… not opening until 10:00!!! And it was only 9:20, so we took advantage of the open outdoor restrooms and moved on.Albergue Amanecer is an unusual, somewhat primative albergue. Above left: Pilgrims patiently waiting for the bar to open bottom left: overview of the outdoor spaces of the albergue right: interesting artwork and some of the habitacions available for a donative fee, such as teepees, culvert (on or above ground), makeshift shacks, tents, small cottages? etc.Moving on after a brief stop at Villarmentero de Campos
Linda is frequently approached by other pilgrims about her choice to wear sandals rather than traditional hiking/running shoes or boots. She wears them because all other footwear she has tried have generated blisters. And she has over 2000 miles of experience to validate it.
The price Linda pays for walking in sandals is very filthy socks.Almost there…. approaching our destination of Villalcázar de SirgaThe dominating Iglesia de Santa María de Blanca of Villalcázar de SirgaToday’s main meal was our first “typical pilgrim meal” on Camino 2023. (Fries, two fried eggs, chicken, green salad)Villalcázar de Sirga (pop. 215) locals were preparing this mural for the village square for the festival starting tonight and through the weekend.The festival began after dinner in the square outside our hotel. Young and old alike wore costumes of all types.the owner of our hotel had two cute grandchildren who participated.
We watched the festivities from the terrace just outside the hotel bar until 9:00, then called it a day.
a better look, with better lighting this morning, of the Iglesia de las Asunción also better lighting for the “Rollo” this morning as we left Boadilla del Camino.a short distance out of Boadilla we began walking along the Canal Castile.huge water valves line the canal and are used to divert critically need water to feed the above ground aqueduct irrigation system.the Canal Castile supplies water to the aqueduct irrigation system for the varied crops of the regiona delightful walk along the canal this morninga ferry boat ride is available twice daily (most days) to give riders a cruise on the canal and along a 3 mile section of the Camino.The locks of the Canal Castile at Frómista, were used by boats transporting commercial goods mostly during the period of 1850-1870. The Canal took nearly 100 years to build and was replaced in the early 20th century by the railroads.The interior of San Pedro church… across the street from our hotel in Frómista.the exterior of Hostal San Pedroour room in Hostal San Pedrothe deck outside our room
We decided to have a late, 2-3ish lunch for our main meal at a nearby restaurant that was mentioned in a couple of pilgrim forum comments. It is called Los Palmeros and is right across the street from Iglesia de San Pedro. It was pretty busy on a Thursday afternoon with mostly local patrons.
Linds’s first course was a plate of freshly sliced large tomatoes garnished with lightly pickled cucumbers and baby peppers. The tomatoes were grown in a garden directly behind the restaurant.Jim had a delicious gazpacho soup with a tomato and cucumber gelato which when stirred, chilled the gazpacho to a perfect temperature and was then drizzled with olive oil,Linda’s main course was veal that melted in your mouth.Jim, similarly had oxtail, that literally melted in your mouth and the brown sauce was so delicious, we asked for extra bread to sop up anything left on the plate.Jim’s dessert was a so-called chocolate tarte but was several layers of dark chocolate with a rich chocolate ganache.Linda’s dessert was a chocolate popsicle like no other popsicle you’ve ever had… 70% frozen pure dark chocolate.Our wine was unknown to us, a young, Tempranilla wine bottled in 2022! It was an unusually tasty and totally satisfying wine from Burgos and is not exported, so only locals get to experience it…. and thankfully, us, too.Nicolas, our waiter and a very nice, comforting and helpful, English speaking food connoisseur himself, guided us though this truly culinary experience in an extraordinarily professional manner.
Our truly unexpected experience today with Nicolas at Los Palmeros in the small town of Frómista on the Meseta in Spain is perhaps the best culinary experience we have ever had. It’s another reason we keep coming back to the Camino Frances, now for the 5th time.
