Caminar ala medieval

it is true, really, I am wearing my woollen jacket in the mornings!

Fromista - Carrion de los Condes

I interrupted the uninteresting Senda with visits to two small romanesque churches and then decided that I have enough of parallel road walking and hit it for Villovieco. when I was resting in its park, an older men came along, offered me bonbons and a sello for my credencial. he said that he was from a group of local elders who restaured the church and tend to the few pilgrims who walk this alternative route. he dissapeared for some minutes and reappeared with tomatoes and carrots, distributing them between me and four other pilgrims who just arrived. he invited us to see the church and explained every detail. I was impressed with a 15C closet, though I think its decoration was probably of later date.

in Carrion I chose the albergue in the 13C monastery of Santa Clara but was very dissapointed. for 7 euros there was no kitchen except for one microwave, no cutlery, no plates, nothing but a little salt, and the machine for cold drinks was very dirty. I met some hilarious people, though. a Canadian who never left his city, never used an internet or an ATM, and was afraid of flying, who suddenly felt the urge to go to Camino, and after four months of going over the flying fear, he went. a Belgian who walked from his doorway and was has been more happy in the north of France where he stayed with the local families but found his 'family' on the route as well, and another Belgian who got almost eaten by bedbugs in the new albergue in Burgos.

Carrion de los Condes - Ledigos

the infamous straight Via Traiana with unpleasant round dark red stones was everything I remember it to be. but the weather was very kind, the wind was blowing and the clouds were sailing across the sky, obscuring the sun. I actually had to rest in the sun, it was so cold! the albergue in the small village of Ledigos was in a former farm with a patio, had a kitchen with a beautiful adobe oven, a tiny shop, and was very friendly. I dined with a mother and a daugther from Switzerland. the mother is walking the whole way, but because her children don't have that much time, they take turns and each of them accompanies her for a week. in that day's newspaper I happened upon a full page picture and an article of the very man from Ledigos who so kindly accepted us and showed us the church!

I also learned that the original Camino didn't go through the village but a little to the south of it, where have once stood a medieval bridge and a hospic. it also bypassed Terradillos de los Templarios who got its name after the brook flowing through it and that the templars where actually stationed in the next village of Moratinos.

Ledigos - Sahagun

in San Nicolas de Real Camino I asked for a direct route to Grajal de Campos, which is off route to the south. a local elder drew me a map and after two hours of glorious walking amidst rolling wheat fields (I did felt the starters of a tendenitis coming, it must have been Via Traiana) I visited the amazing 16C Palacio del Conde. I had an individual guided tour and learned that the Conde was given the title of King of the Hippopotamuses for his battles in Tunis, had the splendid stairway of Italian stone built by the circle of Leonardo da Vinci, and the wood for the artezonado ceilings brought from America, had three doors in the dining room so that servants could come and go uninterrupted, and had an underground tunnel built to connect the palace with the castle nextdoor where the army was stationed (the tunnel really does exist, the upper supporting arches are today visible above ground). I got to carress a white owl who took refuge in the attic, too. its feathers were incredibly soft. the albergue is planned to open here in 2-3 years in the former palace prison.

as there was no other way but the road to Sahagun and I didn't want to provoke the tendenitis, I hitchhiked. the first car that came by took me directly to the door of the small and welcoming albergue of madres benedictinas.

Sahagun - Calzadilla de Hermanillos

a smaller stretch of 18km (I felt that before hitting the plains to Mansilla it could be wise to calm down the tendenitis with a long rest) through the wild scrubland to the solitary village of Calzadilla was a prelude to the vast plains for the next day. I thought it could happen that I would be alone in the albergue, which was small but complete, with a kitchen, a washing and a drying machine. I wasn't alone but four of nine people who slept there got lost and came there by mistake. the pilgrim book was full of such stories. I think it strange because you really need to be vigilant to find that alternative way. the authorities try to keep everyone on the official Senda. the party was one of the best on the route. a Spanish guy who started from here this year and just returned from Santiago to drive back home (he left his car in the village), told us that the crowds in Galicia were such that he never saw a single albergue from the inside because he always had to sleep in the sparts halls. I very much hope that these crowds finish the route before I get there.

oh, almost forgot to mention the absolutely amazing sunrise! with the sunrays forming a scallop shell and all!

Calzadilla de Hermanillos - Mansilla de las Mulas

a glorious Calzada Romana with only me, the neverending fields, the sky above, and Cordillera Cantabrica on the horizon. oooh. 20km of pure bliss. :-)

the weather was nice, too, being cloudy and cool until midday. on the way I decided to go all the way to Mansilla, to the friendly albergue I remembered from before. its formidable hospitality reached another dimension when the hospitaleras took me on a ride to the monasteris of San Miguel de Escalada and Santa Maria la Real de Gradefes! I was only inquiring if there is a bus to San Miguel, and since there is none, they must have decided that I looked to fragile to hitchhike, and that they (suddenly) wish to see the monasteries, too. it was definitely worth going, San Miguel has an almost unique moorish and mozarabic architecture (they are not the same!) with horseshoe arhces, clean lines and geometric designs, and one of only three black marble columns in Spain. they say that if you touch them your way will be a lucky one. and in Gradefes I did manage to locate two curious stonemason's marks in a form of a bird's head, and many others, also quite illustrious.

Mansilla de las Mulas - Leon

I felt strangely sleepy on the route today. I could easily have just laid down and fell asleep, or slept while walking. I don't feel sick, though, maybe I just really need a good night's sleep, after all the snoring and security lights of many previous nights. the last part I walked with Gerry from Ireland, and the conversation managed to keep me awake till we reached the albergue municipal. I got a single room (it is actually a triple but I am the sole occupant) and slept almost 4h. so, I am probably staying another day in Leon so that I can actually visit the city. and get two nights of good sleep. I bet my legs will get a kick out of it. :-)

I made two trips to Carrefour in the neighbourhood because I forgot my wallet in albergue (yes, sometimes even I need a little shopping splurge, and some choice of foods). my legs are holding that against me now and I gave up the evening trip to the historic centre. snif. I do feel sleepy again, too, so I would probably not go anyway.

take care!