Camino de Santiago LITE: Day 21 (Camino II): Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun

Last night people brought their tablets to dinner to exchange photos and this morning at breakfast they use them to map out routes and discuss hotels. Even though I have booked all accommodations in advance, I am unsure about tomorrow's destination. If we stick to our original booking at Calzadilla de los Hermillos, most of our route will be on natural trails, which is Brierley's recommendation, but the thought of slogging through mud makes me nervous if it rains heavily. Plus most people at breakfast seem to be heading for the other choice, El Burgo Ranero, the route to which is mostly on senda next to the highway. I handle my indecisiveness in a typical way - postpone the decision. We will walk today's route and then decide.

I walk out of the hotel alone, as Chisoon will travel the first 10km by a taxi. It is gloomy and the landscape does not promise to improve any time soon. Did I declare my love for the Meseta prematurely? Were people who avoid this section right after all? But even if I am taking the path next to highway, it is extremely quiet with no cars and no other humans, but only the chirping of the birds are in the air. Not bad. Up toward the alto, I see two people ahead. Agnes and Bruce, possibly? No, it is Juergen and Renate, walking slow and steady as usual, who seem delighted to see me. I find out we are staying at the same hotel in Sahagun.

The sun is out now, and I take off my poncho. And voilà, from atop the alto I am greeted by the magnificent Meseta landscape with subtle colors again. The world order is restored. Shortly before this vista opens up wide, there are stone decorations on the pavement by pilgrims, which I would call SteinStrasse, in honor of the German couple who are not far behind. This is not a bad place to express yourself, I guess.

A quiet start of a day: only the birds are heard

The sun's coming out.

I name this "stone street," well located as a fine vista opens up.

Meseta, rediscovering thee!

The noise from a group of English-speaking young people behind me is irritating. but I soon lose them in Ledigos, a small and attractive town with adobe houses. I am joined by Jill and Agnes, and we together walk to the next town and my rendezvous point with Chisoon. Terradillos de Los Templarios is a grand name but the glory of the KnightsTemplar is long gone.

Approaching Ledigos

Just outside Ledigos

Walking toward Terradillos

near Terradillos

It is an enjoyable walk from there with Chisoon through Moratinos and then San Nicolas del Camino, where we have lunch and catch up to Holly and Alec.

It's not raining but she is wearing the poncho to keep warm.

Much more diverse scenery compared to yesterday

Snails are out in force.

Approaching Moratinos

Moratinos: bodegas built into the hill

Taos on Camino?: An adobe house in Moratinos

walking toward San Nicolas

San Nicolas del Real Camino coming into view: the church is made primarily of bricks.

San Nicolas: houses built into the hill

San Nicolas: a welcoming restaurant/albergue in front of the church

The next two hours go by relatively fast and we check into our hotel as we enter Sahagun. It's a physically decent facility but the clerk is totally indifferent: "Where is the nearest pharmacy?" "In town." Jeez, thanks. Why don't you just say it's in Spain? Fortunately I don't have to ask him to work on my next hotel, since the place I had originally booked e-mailed me just now and I am deciding to stick to my original plan. Somehow I think we will get a more friendly reception tomorrow.

Hermitage of Our Lady of the Bridge: near Sahagun

Sahagun: drying laundry at the hotel

We stop at a pharmacy and load up on Compeed (about five years' supply!). We have a couple of hours to explore Sahagun which seems often neglected by pilgrims passing through but is a treasure trove of religious monuments. Although none of the churches were open, we enjoy the architecture. At the far end of the town, in particular, there is a dense concentration of churches and monasteries, which seem to run into each other and perhaps have rendered the short information in the Brierley confusing. Suffice I to say that the San Benito Monastery here was the most powerful Benedictine center in Spain at one point. We catch the beginning of pilgrims' mass at the Santa Cruz Monastery but do not stay. Later we learn from an Italian from Milan that it was an intimate service where each person was blessed. Restaurants in town are not open until 8pm, so we settle unfortunately for the service at our hotel by my nemesis, the same guy who checked us in.