Day 14 Castrojeriz to Frómista

We all slept well. It was such a change to sleep between sheets instead of in a sleeping bag and to have a bed rather than a bunk. No standing in line for the shower, but a scale in the bathroom. If the scale is accurate I have lost 4.5 kg (10 lbs) since I left home. I knew my trousers were now a size too big around the waist but I feel very well and fit so I will just try and eat more bread (baguettes) and drink more beer. What a nice challenge. Anyway it is 10 lbs less for my knees to put up with on the hill climbs and descents.
The senora had breakfast at 7:00. This may be typical Spanish but not really my thing. She had hot chocolate and a long shaped dough type fried pastry. Coffee and toast or bread would have suited us all better but it is always interesting to try something different.
By 7:30 we were on the road again and after about 30 mins we had a 250m (800ft) climb.
It was overcast and a very cold wind from the west so in our faces. For the first time I used my wool cap. I nearly abandoned it in Burgos because I didn't think I would need it but now I am glad I didn't.

Everywhere we looked we could see windmills. Once we tried to count but decided there were thousands of them and plenty of wind.

 

 

After the climb we were on a plateau for about 30 minutes and then back down to the 800 m (2,600 ft) level. We kept moving and although the wind was cold we kept warm. It was about 2 hours before we arrived at a village and were able to get a cup of coffee and a croissant.
We crossed a river by this old bridge

The country along the route was fields either planted with crops or being planted with a lot of irrigation systems, many of them watering the fields. There is also an extensive system of canals to bring the water to the fields.

After about another 2 hours we reached the next village and found a very nice place for lunch. As we got there and walked through the square in front of the church there was a crowd of children playing around the cross in the center. As we walked past them one of them was offering a few peanuts to each peregrino as they passed. I found that good and thanked him profusely. in the past the pilgrims were often dependent on gifts of food from the local people.

Lunch was beer and boccadillo (half a baguette with ham and tomato or whatever filling you want). Then back on our way. When we came out of the lunch place the children had all gone, but we soon found them again on the Camino route which went along a canal for about 3 km. it was very pretty and sheltered from the wind we had experienced earlier. We generally walked faster then them and as we passed they asked us where we were from etc. in return I talked English to them. Most of them were about 10 or 11 years old and were all very friendly and happy. A nice experience.

We then arrived at a lock on the canal and I could see that this canal was not just for irrigation but that at one time it had been for boats as well. It was the Canal de Castilla if you are interested enough to look it up but today I do not have an Internet connection except outside in front of the hotel where it is too cold to sit this evening.

We reached our goal for the day at about 1:30.
The Albergue was opening as we arrived so we registered, got assigned to our room and were able to leave our backpacks. The Albergue is next to the Church of St Martin, built in 1066 and recently restored but deconsecrated and now no longer used for religious services. I took some photos and went in to look around. Special price for pilgrims was €1. Here are pictures.

The statue on the left is St Martin from the 14th century, the one on the right is Santiago (James) from the 16th century and the Crucified Christ is from the 13th century. Otherwise there were no statues or ornaments except at the tops of the columns. It had a very nice feeling of space and balance. There was a group of people in there while I was there and then they started chanting, psalms I think. Very nice and peaceful. I said a prayer to St Martin to whom our church in Richmond is dedicated.
Back to the Albergue where I met a peregrino from Australia who had got the pass code for the wifi from the hotel next door, so I sat on a bench outside the hotel, signed on and had a nice long chat with Christa on Viber. Free wifi makes it all so easy. Some of the photos from my iPhone also moved to my iPad while I was sitting there but it got too cold after a while and I went back to the Albergue which is right next to the hotel but the walls are too thick for me to get a signal here. Finishing today's blog with pictures will have to wait for another day.
We walked around the rest of the town and looked at a restaurant recommended in my guidebook but just an appetizer is more expensive than a whole peregrino meal including wine at the other restaurants. Speaking of wine, Werner had found a supermarket where the local red wine cost €1.25 per bottle. It was as good as anything we had tasted so we drank 2 bottles before dinner between us. The price of local Tempranillo wine seems to have hit an all time low.
We went to dinner at the restaurant next to the hotel but their menu was not very good so we moved to one we had seen earlier. The owner was very friendly and we had a good dinner. I had a huge plate of salad and then roast beef and French fries it was excellent. The wine was good and included as usual in the pilgrims menu. Christa told me on the phone I was losing too much weight so I will have to step up the calories.

When we got back to the albergue it started drizzling so went in and got ready for bed. It is now 9:30 and the light is already turned out in our room and the snoring has started. No wonder we get up early in the morning.
Today we covered 25km (16 miles). Total so far 365 km (227 miles)

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