Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun – 22 Kms, 30,165 steps
I had a nice rest at the Hostal Camino Real and enjoyed their breakfast buffet (lots of good protein) before leaving just before dawn. The forecast was for cool, cloudy weather and that was fine with me.
I walked along a senda, the path beside the highway, for several hours and the path surface was pretty nice. Then we got away from the road, back through farm fields, and the crappy, rocky surface was back.
Inquiring Minds Want To Know: What Do You Eat?
Good question! Most Spanish cafes and restaurants offer a “menu of the day”, which lets you select from several items for a first and second course, and dessert. Wine, water, and bread may be included, all for a usually low fixed price. Here’s a example of my mid-afternoon main meal yesterday:
Note that there’s a giant bottle of water and a full bottle of wine on the table, and I’m welcome to consume as much as I want. Such generosity is not always the case with the menu of the day – a single glass of wine may be served instead and water might cost extra.
As you can see, the servings are large. The food was tasty and I was pretty stuffed at the end of the meal. Three pork loins is generous.
My dessert preference is always Rice Pudding, but they were out of it so I requested ice cream. The weird hybrid bar shown above was presented and, while not what I was expecting, it was good. Total cost for my meal: 12 euros.
Back out on the Camino, I strode along through Ledigos and Terradillos de los Templarios (yes, we’re in Templar knights country) and I took a 30-minute break at my halfway point for the day, Moratinos. I ran into the trio of Australians I met in the first few weeks of my Camino, whom I haven’t seen since Burgos, which was a nice surprise.
At the next town, San Nicolas, I was concerned to see a Guardia Civil van parked beside the Camino path and pilgrims gathering around it. The Guardia is sort of a cross between what in the U.S. is the National Guard and the State Police. An officer approached me as I walked up and… wanted to know if I wanted a Guardia Civil stamp in my pilgrim passport (which was what everyone else was getting). I didn’t, but I thought it was an interesting positive PR exercise on their part.
I finally made it to Sahagun around 1:00, which meant I covered 22 Kms in 5 hours – not too shabby. I have two more 22 Km walks planned in the coming weeks, but everything else I think is 20 or less from now on.
Sahagun is a a larger town (pop. 2,800) and has a rich religious history tied to the Benedictine order. The town is awash in ruins, churches, and holy remains. None of which I’ll take in, as I’m out of here tomorrow at dawn. I’ve got two more days before I leave The Meseta behind and get to Leon, where I’ll enjoy some luxury hotel living and a rest day. Oh, yes!
The Occasionally-Examined Life 