Sahagun to Leon

One of the things we have learned about the Camino is that there are many ways of doing the Camino and all of them are right - as long as they are right for the individual. Some people walk every step of the way, some walk only parts, some do it by bike, some have their bags transported, some do it (albeit, abbreviated) by car, and others use a combination, often based on their personal needs and time constraints. An industry has evolved to support these various transportation needs of the pilgrim.
This morning Michele's leg was still bothering her and we made the decision to take the 30-minute train to Leon. We decided that would be a good place for her to recover and for us to sightsee. Some of our other pilgrim friends made the same decision.
Since our train did not leave until 1:30, I showed Michele some of the sights from yesterday, in particular, the Arch of San Benito (photo 1) and the Puente Canto over the River Cea. (Photo 2). This historic stone bridge was originally Roman, but was reconstructed in the 11th and 16th centuries. Its five strong arches have stood the test of time.
Our train was on time and we arrived in Leon (pop. 130,000) about 2. It is a big, beautiful, cosmopolitan city, again dominated by its large historic churches.
We checked into Hostal Posada Regia which is very close to the Cathedral. We have a lovely room with bath and small balcony for $120 for 2 nights with breakfast.
First we headed to the Leon Cathedral , (photos 3 and 4) which was erected beginning in 1253 and continuing for 50 years. It is a prime example of Gothic architecture which was sweeping Europe during that time. Each city wanted to have the biggest and best and 200 of these enormous structures were built in a 100 year period. The cathedral has 1800 sq meters of medieval stained glass windows. It has a central portico framed by two slender spire capped towers and a magnificent rose window.
We then went to the Church of San Isadoro, a fine example of Romanesque church, dating from the 10th century.(photos 5 and 6)
We walked along the streets (photo 7) and then met 5 other friends for dinner at an Italian Restaurant.

Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun

Anyone who knows me well, knows I have lots of sayings -- some tried and true and some original. I have two that apply for today --"make lemonade out of lemons" and "finished is better than perfect." (The latter I learned in the quilting world but it applies to so many other aspects of life.)
My girlfriend Michele has been suffering from shin splints for 3 days, and they are still a problem. One of our traveling companions, Brent, is also having some inflammation in a leg. The 3 of us made the decision this morning to take a cab the 20 miles into Sahagun and give their wounds time to heal.
As it worked out, the town was beautiful and a wonderful way to spend the day. The weather was glorious and actually rose into the 70's. We spent the morning walking around taking photos (photo 1) and had coffee with some other pilgrims as they came into town, on their way to Leon.
We checked into our hotel, El Rueda, located on the Plaza Mayor for 50€ for 2 with bath.
Then, while they rested, I explored the city of 170,000. I was unfamiliar with it before, but it seems to be a town of churches, only one of which is still in use. The others are in various stages of renovation or have been turned into museums.
One beautiful rendition into a museum is the former Franciscan convent known as the Sanctuary of the Pilgrim. (Photo 2) Built in the Romanesque style of the middle of the 13th century on top of a small hill overlooking the city, it is now used for art exhibits and to showcase the restoration work. The spacious sanctuary had been sealed in years past and now has been opened to its original design to flood the room with light. (Photo 3) There was also a colorful exhibit of posters from past years celebrating the Camino and another exhibit of remnants of the cloister.
From there I walked through the Arco de San Benito (photo 4), a kind of portal to the city from the 1700's, to two other sites. First was the ruins of the Monastery of San Benito (photo 5) which dates to 1080 and was considered one of the most important Benedictine monasteries in Spain. Second, was the Iglesia de San Tirso, the first church built in the 12th C to use brick and credited with starting the craze for the Mudejar style in the area. The bell tower of this church and several others in town were fascinating. (Photo 6)
The last church of note and the only one still in use is the Iglesia de San Juan de Sahagun, which dates to 1627. The facade is nicely painted but it hides a aging building. (Photo 7) Look closely at this photo at the bell tower of the building to the right. You will see a hump on top -- that is a huge stork's nest. Apparently, storks like to nest in high man-made objects, like bell towers, antennas, silos, etc. What did they do before man? It's mating season here so there is a lot of activity.
Tonight we had about 12 of us for dinner at a paella cafe down the street. It's Mother's Day in Spain and many of the restaurants were full. We reconnected with Perry and with two friends from Germany who are doing the Camino with a well-behaved big dog, Nikko.
Then we sat on the Plaza Mayor with ice cream and cafe con leche, watching the kids practice soccer in the square and the adults socialize. We had to turn in at 10 but they all were still going strong.

Carrion to Calzadilla de la Cueza

We were blessed again today. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
We left about 8:30 after joining friends for breakfast in the hotel dining room. 3€ for toast, juice and cafe con leche.
Walking out of town was lovely, as it often is in the larger villages. We walked over the Rio Carrion (photo 1) and by the old Real Monasteria Benedictino which is now a luxury hotel known as San Zoilo. (Photo 2)
The first stretch of our journey was on an original Roman road still intact after 2,000 years of use -- save for a new gravel covering. (Photo 3). What is more remarkable is the fact that this section goes through an area of bogland that has no stone for construction. The Romans had to bring it from somewhere else. Amazing.
We passed by a place called Abadia de Benevivere, which would have been a great place to stop but was probably private.
Then we started the trudge to Calzadilla, an 8 mile track of farmland with no villages. However, there were 3 picnic areas, and at the middle one, an enterprising entrepreneurial Spaniard had set up shop complete with grilled sausage sandwiches and assorted other goodies.
The rest of our journey was on a very flat, featureless country road with little or no shade. On all sides were farm lands as far as the eye could see. Occasionally there would be a thin row of trees to border the fields, but that was all. (Photo 4)
We reached Calzadilla de la Cueza around 2 pm after only 10 miles, but it gave us both a chance to really recuperate from the wear and tear of consecutive days on the road. We checked into Hostal Camino Real for 40€ for 2 with private bath, a really good deal. Then we met other pilgrims for an afternoon drink and long chats. Dinner was at the Hostal restaurant (10€) again with friends Brent, Mike, our friend Perry from Holland whom we met in Santo Domingo and new friends Rene from Reno and Mike from Tahoe.
Today we reached our 200 mile mark on the road!

Fromista to Carrion de Los Condes

We awoke to one of the sunniest days we've had in a week. We started out at 8 and ended up quickly on a path that is directly beside a main highway. The path, also known as the "senda" is mostly straight and flat. (Photo 1)The beautiful weather certainly made this more bearable.
All along the Camino, the small communities have invested in metal art and sculpture which commemorates the pilgrim spirit. This piece (photo 2) can be seen along the trail as well as the autopista (highway) while (photo 3) is a small sculpture in the little town of Villovieco.
At Poblacion de Campos, we chose "the road less traveled." Our option included continuing on the highway (a shorter distance) or through farmland. We chose the latter (which few did) and for awhile we were on a path that cut through green fields. Then we crossed the River Ucieza and the trail followed the water canal for several miles. The river was tree-lined with birches, poplars and various grasses, and there were numerous birds serenading us along the way. I was not familiar with most of them but we did hear the distinctive sound of the cuckoo.
The river trail ended at the Ermita de la Virgen del Rio, where we had our lunch outdoors but we were not allowed in.(photo 4)
Our next stop was Villalcazar de Sirga, a very well kept little village with an impressive Iglesia. On the way into town, we noticed some dwellings built into the hillside. This one (photo 5)was actually right along the Camino. I had been in one of these when I visited Spain in 1997 and they can be quite liveable.
We had coffee in the square across from the 13th century Romanesque Templar church of Santa Maria la Virgen Blanca. (Photo 6) It houses the tombs of nobles and royalty and is a national monument. There is quite a bit of sculpture over the doors on the tympanum and elsewhere on the outside, but the inside is rather austere except for several large sculptured panels.
Then we were back on the senda headed for Carrion de Los Condes (pop. 2,400), our destination for the day. We arrived about 2:30, completing 13 miles. We checked into La Corte for 50€ for 2, with bath, and it was an exquisite room all in pink with a balcony. We also were overlooking the 12th century Romanesque Church of Santa Maria (photo 7). I guess every city has a church of Santa Maria.
We walked around the city and visited the church of Santiago which has now been made into a museum.
Michele was not feeling well so I went to dinner at the hotel with Brent, Mike, Christina and Martina. There were plenty of other pilgrims there, many of whom we keep connecting with along the way. That is one of the allures of the Camino.

Castrojeriz to Fromista

Although the weather forecast for Burgos (30 miles away) today called for rain, we were blessed with a clear but cloudy and cool day. Most of today was on a country road surrounded by miles of farmland, broken only by the occasional rural community.
We had a lovely breakfast at our hotel and then headed out on a very solid path. Our first challenge was an ascent of about 300 ft to Alto Mostelares at 2700 ft in about 1-1/2 miles. (Photo 1 - mountain in background). The views were worth the climb. (Photo 2). There was a small pilgrim park at the top and an enterprising Spaniard was selling fruit and coffee for a donation. Smart man. Nothing else on this 8 mile tract until we got to Itero de la Vega. Coming down the steep slope from the mountain was paved. They must have lost some pilgrims in the mud coming down the slope and decided this was a good preventative measure.
Going into the village, we crossed the Rio Pisuerga on the Ponte Fitero. (photo 3), which provides the natural historical boundary between the kingdoms of Castilla and Leon.
We now entered the Province of Palencia where Itero is located. There we stopped for lunch at a very popular cafe with an outdoor patio, full of pilgrims, before tackling a long stretch to our next village. This part is known as the agricultural area with rivers and canals that irrigate its fields. We saw plentiful fields of wheat and soybean along the path.
Our next stop was Boadilla del Camino. Unremarkable except for the usual Romanesque church, several albergues and a couple of bars. We had a coffee to rejuvenate ourselves and then did the last leg of today's trip.
These last 4 miles were the best of the day. (Photo 4) We walked along the Canal de Castilla, which was constructed during the last half of the 18th C and the early 19th century to facilitate wheat and other grain transport to the northern harbors. However, when railroads were built in the mid 19th Century, the canal turned into the spine of a huge irrigation system, which is still in use today. The canal is 129 miles long and flows through several provinces in Castile y Leon. (Photo 5)
We arrived in Fromista about 4 pm, completing 16 miles and just missing the rain. We checked into Hotel San Martin- a double with bath for 50€ in a fairly elegant building.
We then toured the beautiful little village (pop 800) with its 3 very simple, unembellished, Romanesque churches.
Pictured here are 2 (photo 6 and 7) are Iglesia San Martin (11 th C) and San Telmo.
We joined Brent, Mike, Christine and Martina (the latter both from Germany) for a pilgrim's meal at a cafe next door to our hotel. A long but fun day!

Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz

We left our lovely Casa Rural around 8, after finding out that it is one featured in "The Way" and the proprietor is related by marriage to Martin Sheen (aka Esteban). We were greeted with a new weather phenomenon - fog. At least it was not as cold and windy as it has been and there was no rain. It was actually quite beautiful to watch the fog lift over the fields, which had flattened since yesterday's terrain. (Photo 1). Most pilgrims curse the meseta for its wide open spaces and lack of scenery, but we quite embraced it. We marveled at the huge piles of stones along the way which must have been gathered centuries ago to allow for the cultivation of the fields.
Our first stop was Hontanas, a lovely pilgrim village tucked into a fold in the Meseta. (Photo 2) The Church of the Conception dominates the little town which was surprisingly well preserved. We reconnected with some pilgrim friends and had our cafe con leche before setting out again.
Our next highlight was walking through the ruins of the ancient (14th C) convent of San Anton (photo 3).
From there is was only about 3 miles into Castrojeriz (pop. 1,000), our destination for the day. (Photo 4) The view from the road is punctuated by Iglesia Santa Maria, which was not open, like many of the churches we've encountered.(photo 5) A peak above the village is home to ruins of a 9th century castle.
Our Hostal is El Meson Castrojeriz -- 36€ for a comfortable double with bath. Located on the far end of town, it will be an advantage tomorrow.
Brent showed up later with Mike from Florida and the 4 of us ate dinner in the very charming restaurant in the lower level of the Hostal. We had a delicious pilgrim's meal with goulash and the best flan I have had to date.
We completed another 13 miles today but tomorrow is a long haul, about 16 miles, so early to bed!

Burgos to Hornillos del Camino

Leaving Burgos around 8:30, the weather was about 32 degrees with rain. We donned our voluminous ponchos along with layers of clothing and headed out of town. The path took us through a beautiful city park (photo 1), across the Bridge of Lepers (photo 2), and through the university. Shortly beyond was this beautiful little church of El Pilar,which looked inviting, even in the rain.(photo 3). Michelle forged ahead while I held back to take photos and take care of some business. Lucky for me because our friend Brent caught up with me and we walked together and into Tardajos for a cafe con leche break.
We then headed into Rabe de las Calzadas with its beautiful 13th century Iglesia de Santa Marina. The village has put a lot of effort into its tiny town square ( (photo 4). Outside the village we walked passed the diminutive Ermita de Nuestra Señora Monasterio.(photo 5)
From here we headed into the sublime Meseta, distinctive for its undulating fields of wheat, soybeans, barley and oats. Today, since we had lots of rain and it is spring, the fields were all a lush green. (Photo 6). Unfortunately, we also had lots of mud which clung to the bottom of our boots and added a pound or so to each foot.
We arrived about 2 and fortunately, had reservations for a double with bath at Hostal de Sol a Sol, another Casa Rural, for 50€. Our friend Brent snagged the last room here, too. We settled in and pulled together some simple tapas with chorizo sausage and wine. After a brief respite, we went to dinner at the only restaurant in town. It was packed with pilgrims and locals and they even had "seating times." We had one of our best meals which included beef stew. Amazing what you can find in small places.
We walked back to the Casa past the Gothic Church of San Roman with the picturesque Hen Fountain (photo 7) and called it a night.