Day 20 (Camino II): Carrion de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza

At breakfast, we see pilgrims, non-pilgrims, and those in-between like a couple from Bilbao who combine car drives and walks. We leave the hotel through the main entrance in the back of the building and get back on the Camino which passes by the front which is now a public entrance for the monastery complex. Last night I entered the monastery through a door behind the hotel reception which felt like a secret passage!

The façade of the monastery is fabulous and there is a man from Belgium trying to understand the explanation written in Spanish. It is a rare young pilgrim with a huge backpack who stops and lingers to absorb the history and culture on the way. He started the walk at his parents house in Antwerp and has been walking for two and a half months! He used his tent several times during the stretch through France. He is doing international tax law so has a lot to talk about with Chisoon, and we chat for a while.

Scallop shell motive: no guest is going to leave with this very heavy room key unintentionally

San Zoilo Monastery/Hotel: this is the kind of façade that makes you utter, "Wow, we stayed here last night?"

A Belgian pilgrim admires the eclectic architectural styles of the monastery

After a good hour's walk, I anticipate the first town to appear, but I realize then that I made an error - I mistook the beginning of the Roman Road in Brierley's map for a town. It means that we have no place to take a break or purchase additional food/drink for the rest of the route today which will be another 3 hours or so. Perhaps I am being punished for deviating from Brierley's stages and making the next two stages into three days. It means that during the entire walk today there would be no town or bars. Fortunately it is a short section of 17km only. Anyway, the fact that this Roman road still stands after two millennia is impressive.

A lot of snails are out today. I tried to be careful, but "crunch," there goes one of his comrades. Soon the asphalt gives way to an ancient road.

Beginning of an old Roman road, Via Aquitana

The Belgian fellow who plans to keep going past Santiago into Portugal has moved on and we are pretty much alone on this route with only several other pilgrims in sight. I can see how this Roman road was useful in the old days - wide, straight, raised from the farmland, and long. Yes, we are walking over 12 km like this with quite monotonous scenery.  I remember someone mentioning that if crossing the Pyrenees challenges your body, traversing the Meseta challenges your mind. We run into a couple of pilgrims who are returning from Santiago and walking all the way back to St Jean Pied de Port. That is some dedication.

Roman road: raised, long and straight

Occasional farmhouses break the monotony.

A disappointment on the Camino: at a break spot, there is trash - cigarettes, wine bottles, soda cans. It is unusual and I'd like to think that it wasn't the pilgrims who did it.

Dark clouds gathering

More dark clouds, but no rain yet



This is a nice path for biking.

Even a small platanus grove provides variety.

The wind balloons the cover and makes it look like I am carrying a backpack three times the actual size

Is it Mayan ruins? A mirage? The road that never seems to end affects you mentally.

Finally what looks like a church emerges from a distance. That has to be Calzadilla de la Cueza. But where is the rest of the town? It is only when you are close that it shows itself from the bottom of the hill. A woman with a Canada bandana (it rhymes!) is glad she has reached her destination, except I point out that it is not Teradilla which is still 10km away. She says she does not have 30km in her today and will settle here. We check into the small hotel which is the only game in this small town. After devouring a "Plato" we observe a passing rain from our second floor window.

A church finally. But where is the town?

Calzadilla de la Cueza coming into view



Clouds as we enter the town

A view from our hotel room window - we are in the middle of nowhere. The hotel is the center of town's activities - both a tractor and a taxi are parked here.

Just before dinner we sit down with some of the familiar faces. Agnes shows me the picture and video of nuns' singing last night. I am struck by the peace and joy in their faces. Interesting that they are not local but come from all over the world. I ask her to e-mail the picture and decide to include it in my post.

Sisters of St. Augustine singing for pilgrims at Santa Maria Albergue in Carrion de los Condes last night (Courtesy of Agnes)