León - day 1

Made it here. Good day. More later. 

Reliegos

More storks. Time for them to get the lead photo. In second place:

Also toward the end of the day, a nice wildflower tapestry:

Buy otherwise, today was 20 more kilometers of this:

There was a nice forest break, where I rested next to a creek for a long while:

But when I got walking again, I discover the forest was only about 200 meters wide. And then back to straight trail and plane trees.

Met up with the two women from a couple of days ago for dinner. Otherwise the day was walk, eat, walk, rest, walk, eat, check in, shower, hand washing, plan tomorrow, rest, dinner, prep for tomorrow, blog, (and sleep.)

Tomorrow is 24 km to Feeling Home Suites and Rooms in León (for 2 nights.)

Bercianos del Real Camino

10 km today, and the last 5 looked like this.  Straight and flat, with a plane tree every 15 feet. (The trees are a very nice addition - I understand in a couple of months this section gets very hot, so the trees are a real gift.)

It was easy trail and "only" 10 km, but for the first time since Roncesvalles, I was hiking at close to full speed without any notable issues with my legs. I was surprised when I came over a rise into Bercianos only 2 hours after I had set out for the day!

Fortunately, I had spent most of the morning chatting with other pilgrims at an outdoor café in Sahagún before leaving. Otherwise, I would have arrived before the alburgue was open.

This morning's conversation was an extention of the conversation last night at the monastery. It seems that many of us are on similar journeys as we walk - not just external, but internal as well.

Tomorrow will be another 20 km day, to Albergue Vive tu Camino in Reliegos.

And... same nest this morning - a baby Stork! 

Sahagún

Good traveling companions today, from Denmark and Australia. We are all going a bit slower than the majority, so we had a great time together, taking our time and taking it easy.

I'm staying in a former monastery now run as an albergue by the Marests / Society of Mary. (https://www.alberguesensahagun.es/en/)

They facilitated a pilgrims conversation in the evening, where many of us shared similar yet very personal stories of what we have faced, overcome, and learned on the Camino so far. Also a brief mass, a pilgrims blessing, and the a loaves and fishes dinner, in which the provided a first course bowl of bean soup, followed by a feast of all the things that the participants brought to share.

Also in Sahagún, 12th and 13th century brick churches in the Romanesque Mudejar style.

And a stork on something low enough that I could actually get a picture. (They nest on the tops of many church towers.)

Tomorrow: Another short day to Bercianos1900 in Bercianos del Real Camino

San Nicolás del Real Camino

If that picture looks like more of the same, you're right. Today's landscape added some gently rolling hills, bit otherwise it was much the same as the previous ones.

The weather was beautiful and warm. Great day for walking!

Good conversations today, especially with a Dutch woman who did touch therapy with psychiatric patients.

Tomorrow: Short walk to Sahagún and the Albergue de la Santa Cruz. 

Calzadilla de la Cueza

Less than 400 km to go! Passing halfway, and making good progress. 101 km (61 miles) in the last five days. A little below average for most Camino walkers, but still a good achievement for me given the challenges I've had. 

Both of my legs did fine today, though I'm still not up to my normal hiking pace. I'm going to slow down for the next three days, then two more 20+ km days to León.

Just a couple of towns today, at the beginning of the day. Then four hours of straight, flat, gravel road through the high plains of the Meseta. 

Mostly cloudy skies for most of the day, but just a few raindrops (until dinner time, which wouldn't have been an issue except that my laundry was drying on the line...)

From the best part of the day: 

The rest of the day was marching on and enjoying the wildflowers. 

Tomorrow: Alburgue Laganares in San Nicolás del Real Camino. 

Word of the day: I am engaged in 

"peregrinación" 

Villalcazar de Sirga

This is Iglesia de San Martín in Frómista. Built around 1066, it is one of the best preserved Romanesque churches in Spain. The symmetry and simplicity are remarkable, as are the intricate capitals (tops of pillars) that contain stories from the Bible and other moral teachings. (Pictures below.)

The acoustics are also incredible. I got the place to myself for a fer minutes, so I sand a few appropriate bits from Rutter and Webber. Wow. I could build chords on my own reverberations! 

The church was definitely the highlight of the day. Otherwise, I was walking slowly down 18 km of trail that was mostly next to a rural highway. Switch the wheat for corn, and it was much like walking the shoulder of a county highway back home. (Complete with a few groups of Harley Davidson noisemakers out for a Sunday cruise!) It can't all be incredible.

Oh, and it was slow going because my right leg started to hurt in much the same way that my left has been. So, I took it slow with lots of breaks and stretching, and got through ok. I'll have my luggage shipped tomorrow, go easy the next day, and then I've got a rest day. Hopefully this isn't the start of more troubles! 

Tomorrow: 24 km (the only option) to Albergue Los Canarios in Calzadilla de la Cueza.

Pictures of the church: