Phew! We’ve arrived in an albergue in Calzadilla de la Cueza, a small village with two albergues that can take in total some 130 pilgrims, roughly double the number of permanent inhabitants. We left Fromista just after 6 a.m. and made excellent time to Carrión de los Condes. The path followed the road for much of the time but since we had our own track it didn’t prove a problem and in any case there’s little traffic on these roads.

Unlike previous days, today was warm but overcast, pleasant walking. We stopped for breakfast at an odd little bar with two large wigwams in the corner. Medieval music that sounded much like Hildegard of Bingen was playing as we arrived.

After a short stop we continued the remaining 19km to Carrión de los Condes where we ate the ubiquitous bocadillo and dos cafe con leche, i.e. coffee with milk. We debated continuing or stopping at one of the local albergues being run by nuns. To continue meant an additional 17km of walking along an old Roman road, characterised by long stretches of extremely straight tracks with gentle undulations. There were no villages en route so once started we wouldn’t be able to turn back. The weather forecast gave a 60% chance of thunder and lighting in each hourly period that covered our walk together with heavy rain. So, nuns or thunder and lightning. We choose to walk.

As we started my vision started to crack as a migraine aura started to kick in. Almost immediately a large floater appeared in my right eye. I initially thought some small insect had got under my contact lens but as I’ve just discovered that unfortunately wasn’t the case. This floater is a cracker 😖. According to google this could be a retinal tear or possibly bleeding into the vitreous humor, or simply something a little more benign. We’ll see how it goes over the next few hours. C’est la vie.

Our legs are tired, 36km since this morning has proved hard going. Thankfully we only received a few drops of rain but they were accompanied by strong Westerly winds which are now rattling through the awnings outside. Mum is drinking a cold beer; I’m sticking to lemonade. We’re about to go pick out bed in the dormitory.

Ok. It’s now clear why we pay €40 a night at small hotels rather than €5 at the albergues. I had thought that rather than live in our own little Camino bubble, we should embrace the ethos and take part in the full social experience. I fully acknowledge the error of my ways 🤔.

We’ve been allocated beds in a room roughly the size of our lounge which is currently holding 6 double bunk beds. Our tiny annex is next to the main room which is holding a further 14 bunks, so 40 people in an area smaller than our downstairs. There are four unisex showers in a small toilet/shower area adjacent to the main room. Privacy simply isn’t an option 😩. It’s definitely back to double rooms with an en suite bathroom tomorrow night.🙏 In the meantime, we’ll go with the flow. Bring back the nuns.

Given past experiences on the Camino, we won’t have to set any alarms tomorrow morning. When the lights turn on and people shuffle around trying to be quiet, the shushing and remonstrations that ensue will guarantee our attention.

In the meantime, mum is trying to have a shower. The floor is wet so I’m sitting outside waiting to hand various items of clothing to her as she succeeds in drying various parts of her anatomy. Hopefully she’ll do the same for me. More installments later perhaps.

What a team! Showered, toileted and raring to go, we’ve moved down to the washing machine room where the sole washing machine has only 11 minutes to go. After which we’ll insert our bundle and head for the bar where food and wine await. Upstairs, some guy in the main area is already snoring. We’re in the shed, perhaps my reputation has preceded me 😄.

Now a cockerel has started crowing. I’m getting homesick.

8 minutes left.

Dorothy waits patiently, excuse the finger.

Success.

While the washing machine did its bit sending any bed bugs to whatever heaven bed bugs go to after a life spent irritating humans we ate at the albergue’s sister hotel down the road. Spaghetti Carbonara for starters, a couple of chicken drumsticks and chips for main course washed down with a bottle of red wine specially created for the siblings and ending with a decent slab of melon can’t be beaten at least not after 36 km of hard walking.

Unembarrassed that her only clothes were a T-shirt over her bathing suit, mum tucked in, got 25% of the way through the Carbonara, 10% of the way through the chicken but only 0.001% of the way through last year’s chips. But she finished off with 100% of the melon. There’s a distinct evolutionary advantage to having no taste buds worth talking about and I ate the lot. Mum agreed that the wine was OK so we have a result ☺️.

We’re now waiting for the dryer to finally annihilate any remaining bed bugs and we’ll settle down for the evening. Mum’s usually snoring by 9:30.

Buen Camino