In the middle of no where!

Another day on el Camino. Bathroom games. Going into the bathroom this morning there was a pilgrim brushing his teeth as I walked past I said Buenos Dias he replied with a B..choke and splutter and sprayed the mirror with toothpaste, I think he saw the cheeky grin on my face he went to the toilet and as he came out he greeted another pilgrim brushing his teeth and got the same response as I did from him earlier. Any way back to the day. I had breakfast before leaving, as I knew it would be 17km before the next village. The walk across the never-ending plains was unshaded and tedious, then in the middle of no where amongst a little group of trees was a small container with plastic tables and chairs with a man dispensing drinks and snacks I picked up an orange soda an apple and a banana. And went to sit with two young German girls I met on the first day at Roncesvalles, we were in a shared porta cabin as the church albergue was full. I remember getting up the next day very early and walking across the dew damp grass in the darkness towards the toilets and washing facilities, and bumping into one of them in the darkness and greeting her with a " morgen” but minty also chipped in with a greeting of his own. He does pick his moments. So now I'm at the Jacques de mouley albergue in a little place called Terradillod de Los Templarios. This was a safe haven provided for pilgrims by the Knights Templar’s until the French king who saw himself as the direct descendant of god outlawed them. He had squandered all of Frances fortunes and had his sights on the Knights Templar’s who had created the first banking system and travelers cheques so that pilgrims wouldn't get robbed. He had Jacques de Moulet who was head of the Templar’s and other leadind knights arrested on Friday the 13th and the term of unlucky Friday 13th was born. I am now on a roof terrace sitting in the sun drinking a cold beer after walking 28km across open plains that test your patience. My feet are sore my ankle started to play up again, but   ......and it’s a big one I’VE PASSED THE HALFWAY POINT, and yes you've guessed it Life is Good

No flies on me!

Well after the start this morning things just got better and better. The walk to Fromista was a joy I followed an irrigation canal that went on for miles and I crossed over it via a very narrow walkway, and into Fromista. I stopped along the way at an alternative albergue for lunch, it had tepee's as the accommodation with a small bar come canteen over looking the gardens. One of the guests staying had more bites than Dracula’s favorite victim. I only stopped for a drink and something to eat, I had a look around and thought it must be good 30000 flies can't all be wrong. I settled for a cheese and tomato bocadillo. I saw a very large Spanish pilgrim with a very small back pack if you can call it that, walked in ordered a beer drank it and went out side. I finished up walked outside just in time to see him put his backpack into the boot of a taxi. A lot of Spanish people do the Camino bit-by-bit and return to do another section later in the year or even the following year. Really pleased that I managed 34km today. Any way I'm now in a small town called Carrion De Los Condes and I'm staying in a very nice old convent, and life is good

Ps I hope you enjoyed the Amos Lee song it's one of my all time favorites

Saw this and had to take a very small diversion Ermita de San Miguel I think it translates to hermitage of saint Michael

Amos Lee - Morning

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9yCO-uzDR0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Rod Brookstein
Check out this tune I just love it. I left the village of Itero De La Vega at about 7am and decided to walk the 8 or so kilometers to Boadilla Del Camino before having any breakfast, everything was still shut when I got there. So it was onto the next stopping point of Fromista. Had a handful of peanuts along the way and listened to Amos Lee. I Have not been using my phone for anything other than communication, so just this once I listened to some music . I'm fact just the one song. I sing it most mornings to myself when starting off . I'm in Fromista having my morning coffee and two magdalenas having covered just over 14km and the day has only started

Pickled on a stick!

Started late this morning about. 7:30 it was raining again I left the poncho in my pack and opted for a jacket and the rain cover over my pack. A quick check and I was off, I only got about 50metres up the road and saw a local shop open with Maurice outside enjoying a coffee, so I stopped and had one myself also bought some fruit for later. The walk took me across plains of cropped fields and onto a road the passed through the old convent of San Anton. Apart from the coffee I realized that I hadn't had any breakfast I couldn't reach the fruit in my back pack without taking it off, but I found a half eaten bag of hazel nuts in my belt pouch so that was breakfast sorted. I carried onto Castrojerez a small hillside town where I found an open bar and treated myself to two banderilla's (pickles on a stick) and a donut with coffee, by now I'd covered just under ten k. I set off in the rain after following the streets of this little town round the side of the hill it was sat on, I rejoined the plains and I could see in the distance that there was a climb ahead. The climb was steep but the views across the wide expanse I had just covered was breathtaking and worth the effort. A quick stop at the top to eat my apple and joy of joy a snickers bar. A short walk across this plateau led me to view that was even more breathtaking looking across Palencia and the start of the Meseta, I looked across the horizon and I couldn't see a town anywhere. Lucky for me a few kilometers in the distance tucked behind a line of trees and across a river was the town of Itero De La Vega. So now I have stopped for the day. I have noticed the ever-growing numbers on the trail since Puenta la Reina where the Arragon route meets the French route. There has been an increase in numbers almost on a daily basis with some breaking up their Camino to fit in with their time and some who are busing parts of it as well as the tourogrinos, I saw some today they had got of a coach at Castrojerez and walked through part of the town to the coliagate church, I saw them again at the foot of the bridge as the trail turns right towards Itero De La Vega I could see that a couple of had their legs resting on the seat in front of them (it must be really exhausting getting on and off that bus) .As a result it's becoming harder to find some time of solitude . A few people tend to cut out the Meseta as it is flat feature less offers no shade and takes on average six days to cross hope the numbers thin out to allow me time of contemplation. Adios

7km on a chocolate croissant

Went to bed content and tired, but was woken in the early hours by a lot of shouting and banging outside, and I was on the fifth floor of this huge albergue just behind Burgos cathedral. Left at about 6:40am in darkness and rain with another long walk to the city limits and out onto rolling fields that seem to go on forever about 5km after leaving the city limits I stopped for breakfast and saw lots of familiar faces, one of them was Maurice a Dutch man about mid to late twenties we both accused one another of stalking the other. Maurice I first met at Los Arcos he told me that he wasn't religious, but had given up his rented flat and sold all his belongings to do the Camino and I have since found out that he has attended mass. After greeting him with the usual joke and noticed that my poncho that I had been wearing was receiving admiring glances until I took it off, I was wetter on the inside than I was on the out. After breakfast of a chocolate croissant I walked a further 7 km to the village of Rabe De Las Calzadas where Ray and Martha were staying. They're having a bad time with various injuries. I stayed for about 30 minutes with them and then a quick hug goodbye I was off again across those persistent rolling fields I stopped in the next village and had a large French stick filled with nothing but sliced tomatoes an orange drink and a small red apple that was crisp and sweet. I sat on a very narrow pavement with my boots off and feet in the road daring anyone to run over them, only the local bread van drove past and was used to seeing peligrinos sat out side this little shop. After the lunch from heaven I put my pack back walked further into the village where I saw a gathering of pilgrims who by looks of things had called it a day and were drinking beers, it looked so tempting but I stopped filled my bottles with water, they raised their glasses and bid me buen Camino and I was off again. I am now in Hontanas 31km further down the road with sore feet and a chilled beer in front of me ..................... Life is good

Just Strolling !

Had such a good day today I had a small breakfast of coffee toast and marmalade then it was off from the little pueblo of Ages. The night before I went for a walk around this little village. (I know what you're thinking why is he going walking after walking, well let me tell you. There's nothing else to do) any way, I stopped in a little restaurant and I mean little 2 tables inside, the rest outside. They were playing "the four seasons by Vivaldi" while I had a beer in a frozen glass. The buildings in this area look more like the type you would find in southern France or Cornwall the little restaurant had oak beams and I felt like I was in a Cornish pub. This morning I left the albergue in darkness as usual across fields of wilting sunflowers, I stopped to take a backwards glance as I have done throughout and saw an amazing sunrise. Then the path took me to Atepuerqa, this site has the oldest human remains dating back 9000,000years. All the Camino follows the milky way, all the way through to finnesterre (the end of the earth) people having been walking this route even in pagan times until a hermit found the remains of St James one of the twelve Apostles who after the crucifixion of Christ went to Iberia to spread the gospel he returned to Judea in 44 ad where he was beheaded by Herod, his followers brought his remains back to Iberia (Spain) where they were discovered under a field of stars (the milky way) Santiago de Compostela (St James in the field of stars). As usual I digressed the walk towards Burgos was great apart from the walk across the city the plus point I had bacon and eggs at about midday, more than compensated. Moving across the bustling city brought me down to earth with a bump the sounds the pollution the people with their busy lives, heads down daring you to contest them for pavement space, I moved out of the way as I could see the look of anguish on their faces and I was just a pilgrim. I'm now on the town square enjoying the company of other pilgrims and life is good