To start today’s walk, we took a taxi from our hostal to Calzadilla de la Cueza where we began. This is the third time we have skipped this section. Carrion de los Condes is a couple of miles from Villalcázar and is followed by a 12 mile section of fields. No services of any kind, even water, are to be found. So after doing this section in 2015, ’17 and ’19, we’ve made it a non-issue and a more pleasant Camino.
From our taxi, this was a look at the typical terrain of Carrion to Calzádilla this morning.As the taxi pulled out, we began our Camino for the dayThe path ran parallel to the road… then we switched to the roadThis road is clearly a “road less traveled”, especially for a Sunday morning, therefore, safe. More pilgrim traffic than cars, no big trucks.a look back, still walking on the roadHere we are back on the path as we approach a blind curve ahead and a turnoff into the hamlet of Ledigos.a little pilgrim art on the turnoff to LedigosA rest break and Colacaoback on the path and the final 2 miles to our destinationA view of Albergue de los TemplariosLinda entering the gate and “oasis”.Jim’s view from one of his many breaks today at this very familiar albergue.
This being our 5th visit to Albergue los Templarios, we knew all the routines and where everything was. Our receptionist was in training and we waited patiently as he explained and executed the various activities for the checkin, washing and hanging clothes, meal schedules, etc.
Our backpacks were waiting for us when we arrived so we became very efficient. By 3:00 all clothes were washed, hung out and dried, our lunch/dinner was complete and we were faced with nothing to do but rest and read and blog until bedtime.
We did have some chat time with Lisa (Maui & Las Vegas, Ron (Utah) and Ander (Sweden) during lunch and Jim had a very limited exchange with a gentleman from Brazil who knew about as much English as Jim’s Spanish.
All told, the walk was good, the revisit to one of our favorite albergues was positive as expected and we are rested for a longer walk tomorrow.
Last night Jim had an upset stomach. We suspect something in the paella didn’t agree with him or maybe he was a little too zealous with eyes bigger than his stomach.
Bottom line, after being up most of the night, today he is not feeling so hot.
We still proceeded with our planned walk, which turned out to be a good idea as he’s feeling better but still not having any interest in food today.
The path we walked today easily met the expectations of Meseta naysayers. It was repetitive, boring and bleak.
Not so brilliant sunrise as we left Población the path after Poblacion de CamposIt was a cold 50F, 6 mph wind and spotty, drizzling rain all morningThe bustling metrolpolis of Revenga de Campos took about 3 minutes to walk through (pop. unknown).Main attraction of Villarmentero (pop. 11). We stopped here for bathroom break and bought two Colacaos to boost the local economy.The dirt path picked up again as we left Villarmentero, continuing on, along the mostly straight road we’ve followed since leaving Frómista yesterday morning.It continued on…… and on……and on, until we finally saw Villalcázar de Sirga (pop. 174) a mile ahead.
Our day was dedicated to trying to accelerate Jim’s recovery with a minimal, bland diet and rest. By 8:00, our efforts and we suspect, some assistance from the Camino, itself, Jim seems pretty much back to normal.
We were able to enter the reception area of Hostal Infanta Doña Leonor upon our arrival at 11:45, but had to wait for an hour for our room to be ready. And, you guest it, no soft couch or glass of wine while we waited.
Leaving Boadilla behind cloudy sky aheadWe walked by the first of many sunflower fields …… and then a plowed field with only one (sunflower, that is).A short mile after Boadilla del Camino, we began walking along the Canal de Castilla.
The Canal de Castilla was built from 1753-1859, covering 207km. The canal was used for ships that were pulled by mules on tow paths. Today the canals are used to irrigate agricultural fields.
Fields to the left of us….Fields to the right of usOne of several valves observed along the canal…… to feed irrigation ducts and more modern irrigation systems allowing beautifully green fieldsthe Canal making a broad turnA tour boat that provides a 90 minute ride along the 2 miles between this morning’s starting point to the locks (in the background). Operates M-W, 12:30 and 18:30. (5€ round trip, 2€ for pilgrims)The locks, on the outskirts of FromistaLinda cautiously crossing the locksThe hazardous (for pilgrims) stretch of road going into Fromista.The pleasantly, picturesque path leading out of FromistaA familiar style of sculpture seen along the Camino path.This is one of the few, safe pathways for pilgrims to navigate through highway overpasses and turnabouts.Just after maneuvering through the autovia intersection, we rejoined the Camino gravel/dirt path. This section of path is mostly straight, along a relatively unbusy secondary road for nearly over 18 kms (12 miles).Heading into Población de CamposOur home for the rest of the day and tonight
We first stopped at Casa Rural Amanecer in 2014. We were carrying our large backpacks, we had just finished walking from Itero de la Vega (12 miles) and were dead tired.
Our host welcomed us, pointed to an inviting leather couch, helped us with removing our packs and as we sat down, handed us a glass of wine. To this day, we can still remember the relief we felt at that moment and the minutes that followed as we waited comfortably for our room to be ready,
Today, our third visit to this gem on the Camino, was a little different. We had only walked 6 miles and our daypacks were much lighter, but we were still a bit tired. It’s been 10 years! We were again met by our host and welcomed. After a brief moment for eyes to recognize familiar faces, we were embraced like a long lost friend and handed a glass of cool sangria as we were offered a seat on that same leather couch as we waited for our room to be ready.
Our favorite reception area of the Camino FrancesOur view of the reception desk from the cushy, leather couch.The back yard of Hotel AmanecerHomemade paella for lunch/dinner with local wineThe paella and simple salad (tomatoes and lettuce) dressed with white vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt.A view of Amanecer from the back yard after Linda checked to see if our wash was dry. (see blowup below)Our wash, drying in the warm sun and dry air
We both slept for a couple of hours after having devoured our lunch and then took it easy until bedtime, having added another day of future memories for Camino 2024.
A taxi picked us up at the albergue door this morning at 8:10.
Looking back at Albergue Orion as we left via taxi to today’s starting point
We skirted a distance of 5 miles along the Camino from Castrojeriz to San Nicolás chapel. We had already walked this section in 2014, ’17 and ’19. We began skipping it in 2022, because the walking distance for the day became marginal for us (20kms, 12 miles), because our mid-way stopping point in Itero de la Vega closed with the owner’s death during the pandemic.
Today’s ten minute ride allowed us to go around rather than climb Alto de Mostelares and then avoid the 18% slope down the mountain followed by a winding path through the fields to the Rio Pisuerga, which forms the border between the provinces of Palencia and Burgos.
The taxi dropped us at the San Nicolás Chapel (13c) and primitive albergue, run by an Italian Confraternity. We immediately crossed over the Rio Pisuerga on a paved bridge (12c) and on the other side were surprised to see two of the three pilgrim friends we met along the walk into Hontanas, two days ago. They had spent last night at San Nicolás and the previous night at the San Anton ruins… two primative albergue in two nights. They said they totally enjoyed the experience at both locations.
They were trying to decide about taking an alternative route to save 4 miles on their planned walk for the day of over 35kms (21 miles). We were not familiar with the route in question, but described the route we were taking and what to expect. On the alternate route there were potential safety issues and a question of services along the paved road which had no apparent adjacent walking path.
They stuck with the same route we were taking and we played hop scotch, finally parting company at our destination in Boadilla del Camino.
The area we began walking through today is called the Tierra de Campos. The 12c Codex Calixtinus (1138-45) described it as “full of royal treasure, of gold and silver, fabrics and the strongest horses, and flush with bread, wine, fish, milk and honey. It is however lacking in firewood and the people are evil and vicious.”
Thankfully, based on our personal experiences in this area of the Camino, the evil and vicious folks must have moved on a long time ago.
Most of today’s walk looked like this. The field on the left is getting an irrigation system installed.The fields on the right show the results of an irrigation system already in place.Varied colors and textures of the different fields can entertain an observant pilgrim walking on the Meseta.This man made canal accounts for the green fieldsThis 2 mile section seemed to go on for ever, Boadilla del Camino is at the very top, the church is in the upper left corner.Iglesia de Santa María de la AsunciónRollo de la Justicia… just outside our Hotel Rural front door
First order of business was breakfast. We had cafe con leche as usual, but with tostados not an option, we opted for Santiago cake instead and were not disappointed. (Time for a change? We’ll see.)
As soon as we finished breakfast, we asked the owner, Eduardo, when our room would be ready and without hesitation, he said “now”. He also recognized us by saying you’ve been here twice before, and handed Jim the room key.
Our packs still hadn’t arrived by 2:15, so we had lunch/dinner. At mid-meal, Eduardo stopped by our table and announced our packs had been delivered.
So, the rest of the afternoon and early evening were spent doing our usual and prepping for tomorrow.
We are managing the physical part of the Camino pretty well, but are noticeably not as strong (legs) as on previous Caminos and seem to be more tired at the 5-6 mile mark. That’s better than before we left Greenville for the Camino, but still not as good as Jim remembers last year at this point.
The Meseta is doing its job to begin to tone our minds and improve our mental state. Hopefully, we will still continue to strengthen our bodies in parallel.
Because the mornings are much cooler, we started a little later today.
Walking out of Hontanas at 8:00… pilgrims already gone, tourists still in bed or having breakfast.We had a choice: Camino dirt path partway up the hill and potential stones for Linda to deal with… (open toed sandals.)… or flat, pavement, no pebbles on the road.. what would you do?No trees or shade on the Meseta? This is the Meseta that some pilgrims skip.the path on the right is the “Camino”… our path on the pavement runs parallel … the road was probably the original path for the Camino… and the Romans..We’re walking in a valley with the Meseta around us. With water more readily accessible more varieties can grow here.The official Camino path, merging with ours and probably the original Pilgrim path.approaching San Anton ruinsa look at part of the “primitive” albergueLeaving San Anton heading toward Castrojeriz.Less than a mile to go to CastrojerizIglesia de Santa María de Manzano on the right with Castillo de San Esteban on the mountain top“side” door to the IglesiaEntrance to Iglesia de Santa María de ManzanoMain altar from viewed from the NaveCloser look at the altarOne of several Flemish paintings in the IglesiaAnother Flemish painting (XV century)
On our first Camino, Jim’s first set of trekking poles broke on the walk to Hontanas. As we walked into Castrojerez the next day, he searched for replacements, but with no success until walking by a small, jammed shop that seemed to have all kinds of stuff. Hanging on the back side of the front door was a single set of Altus poles for 39€. Jim took them to the store owner and immediately purchased them. Jim and the owner were both delighted by the purchase.
Jim still has the poles which continue to perform well after 5 plus Caminos.
The store is in the first dark alcove in the opening between the trees in the top photo.. The bottom left photo was taken on our 2014 visit, the bottom right was taken today, 10 years later.
Jim has walked by the store each of the past 4 Camino’s, hoping to make contact with the owner, but the store has always been closed. Today we walked an extra mile from our albergue to look for the owner again and were pleased to find him behind the counter. Jim thanked him and recounted our experience 10 years ago and asked the owner to help him select a rain poncho.
Neither of us were very conversant in each other’s language. We did determine that the owner is 92 and the non-verbals were priceless. The encounter made for a very happy reunion before once again going our separate ways. (We learned later from our albergue owner that the store owner’s wife had recently passed away, only one month ago.)
Exploring. an alleyway in old Castrojerez on our way back from the store.Heading to the albergue after clearing the alleywayJim’s view of the Orion Albergue courtyard and the Castillo in the distanceA closer look at the Castillo with some help from an iPhone zoom.
As soon as we checked in, we got a light lunch to hold us until our 7:00 dinner time.
Today’s lunch to last us until our 7:00 p.m. dinner. The owner comped the wine when he realized today was our second visit to his albergue.😉
After lunch, we gathered up dirty clothes and while Linda was getting her shower and then chilling, Camino style, Jim gathered the dirty clothes and headed to the washer/dryer located in the nice jardin between the albergue and restaurant and began working on the blog for today.
Jim’s view from his perch near the appliances.The appliances, snacks and wine for blog writing creativity.
We ate dinner in the albergue dining which featured Korean cuisine. We enjoyed it in 2023 and it was tasty tonight as well.
Jolean, from the Netherlands, sat with us and we enjoyed hearing about her Camino experiences and also sharing some of our knowledge about what lays ahead.
Jim and Jolean chatting after dinner
We returned to our room at 8:30 to prepare for tomorrow’s walk and reflected on what a nice day is was in so many different ways,
walking out of Hornillosshortly after leaving Hornillos and just before the thunderstorm
Shortly after we left Hornillos and began walking back up toward the Meseta we were met with thunder, lightning and continuous showers.
We didn’t risk getting Jim’s iphone wet during the walk up to the Meseta in the thunderstorm, so, this is just as we arrived back on the Meseta as the rain stopped
Some 60 minutes and two miles later we finally reached the Meseta as the rain stopped but the wind continued.
Other than a brief period when we walked down to an off-Camino path toward San Bol, a primitive albergue, and then returned back to the Mesata plateau, we spent the morning continuing on some 4 more miles to Hontanas.
Descending briefly with San Bol off to the left then climbing back up to the Meseta as we passed the path to San Bol
A group of three pilgrims caught up to us and we began walking and talking together for a mile or so. One lady, age 71, was from Charleston, S.C. and was accompanied by her son and her 69 year old sister from North Carolina. The distraction of our interesting conversations made the time go by faster as the wind continued and the dark clouded skies threatened.
The group of three were faster walkers than we, and they finally wished us “buen Camino” and left us in their wake.
After 6 plus miles from our start, we sighted the steeple of Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción…
spotting the church steeple
and as we got closer the path began to head down off the Meseta again into Hontonas, which reminds us of one of the towns of the old west seen in classical American cowboy movies.
More of Hontanas becoming visible as we walk down from the Mesetagetting closerMain Street HontonasBreakfast stopThe toast was exceptional
We stopped at the bar/albergue on the edge of the village and had breakfast and chatted again briefly with our earlier pilgrim friends, before they continued on past Hontanas a few more kms to experience the Hospital de Peregrinos de San Antón, a primative albergue in the ruins of the San Anton Convent (12c).
Fellow American pilgrims met on our walk to Hontanas
After breakfast we walked to the El Pundito bar/albergue where we checked in and received the key for our room at La Fontana, a Casa Rural property just a few steps further down the “main street”.
After a brief rest and performing some chores, we walked across the street to have an early-dinner/late-lunch at 2:30.
The rest of the day was dedicated to reading, blogging and chillin’.
Jimandi 