Buenos dias, everyone! I’m luxuriating at the San Anton Abad hotel and albergue in Villafranca de Montes de Oca after a short 12 kms walk through rolling farmland. I passed through acres and acres of sunflowers today, all waiting to be harvested. Sunflower seeds and oil are major products produced here.
I’ve left La Rioja and I’m now in Castilla y León, the largest autonomous region in Spain. In the coming weeks I’ll be spending a lot of time traveling through three of its nine provinces, including the flat plateau called the Meseta.
In fact, it’s harvest season for many crops here, especially grapes. The vines I’ve walked by recently are bursting with bunches of ripe, dark blue fruit, and the pickers are out there. However, for the first time I’ve seen a large machine doing the harvesting – they must have some interesting mechanics in them to be able to gently suck up the grapes without denuding the vines of their leaves or otherwise damaging them.
The contrast between typical cities and the countryside is, of course, one of the strong features of the Camino. After a few days walking through farmlands and staying in small villages, it can be something of a jolt to find yourself back in a major city. I’m often glad to be returning to the wide open farm fields and wooded glades.
So, since my last post, I’ve stayed in Navarrete, Najera, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Belorado. Much of the path early on was over hard, rocky farm roads which are tough on the feet. Pilgrims very quickly become adept at seeking to walk on the flatest, least rocky, and shadiest part of the path. Some days have been longer and harder walks, others have been shorter and easier, all as I planned.
One thing I have noticed is that many restaurants here play very good music for my dining pleasure. By “very good” I mean pleasant blues, jazz, or soft rock, at a volume you can talk over. Very civilized.
Evenings can be boring, so I watch a little TV if my room is so equipped. The offerings are often the same frm place to place, so I can feel “at home” watching Midsommer Murder and Chicago Fire reruns (in English) as I progress along.
One of the lodging traditions here is that the host will carry your bag, or try to, up to your room. I often deline the offer, given the age or size of the host. It’s a nice gesture, nonetheless, and rarely seen elsewhere.
Tomorrow I’m off to Atapuerca, where prehistoric caves indicate human activity 1.4 million years ago! Sadly, the caves are a little bit far afield for me to have a look, but the village has an interesting little museum I’ll visit.
I have heard from some of the folks I met earlier in the Camino and they’ve all zoomed ahead of me. I don’t expect to see them again, but you never know when Camino Magic will happen.
Thanks for coming along on my trek and for all your encouraging comments. Cheers!
The Occasionally-Examined Life 