David's Camino, 2005
Walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela -
The Way of Saint James
Part 3 - Burgos to León
Two stages of the walk and 369 kilometres completed. With the
exception of H who was suffering quite badly with her ankle, we were all in
remarkably good physical shape. We still suffered from the "Camino Shuffle" -
after sitting down for a while at the end of the day, the muscles had to be
coaxed back into walking! We'd had a rest day and enjoyed the delights of the
city of Burgos.
Now it was time to face what many writers have described as the
hardest and most boring stretch of the Camino, the meseta, the
high plain stretching between Burgos and León which is
renowned for being the main grain producing region of Spain. A number of walkers
bypass this area by taking the train or bus between the two cities. We tried to
talk H into doing this to give her ankle a rest but her stubbornness and her
determination to walk stopped her from giving in to this easy temptation.
The wide open country of the Meseta
Day 23 - Burgos to Hornillos del Camino - 20km - Total 389km
It felt good to be on the road again and we had a pleasant walk
out of Burgos along a tree lined route following the river - so much more
pleasant than the route into Burgos! After 11 kilometres of easy walking, we
reached Tardajos where we stopped for coffee. It seemed as if everyone on the
Camino was there and the bar was crowded with pilgrims. Because we had had a
day's rest in Burgos, there were no familiar faces in the crowd. We would have to
get to know another group of walkers.
A couple of kilometres after Tardajos, we entered the attractive
village of Rabé de las Calzadas, named from its situation
at the intersection of two Roman roads. Between us, we had three different maps
showing the Camino; each showing a slightly different route and different
distances between towns. The profile on all the maps agreed that today's route
was flat. It started climbing as soon as we left Rabé and
continued climbing for several kilometres as we walked through large open grain
fields. There were virtually no trees anywhere and it became quite hot walking
under the blazing sun. After a couple of kilometres of flat walking, we dropped
quickly down into Hornillos.
Hornillos del Camino is described as a typical Camino town of
one street of houses lining the Camino. With a population of only 70 inhabitants
and many of the village houses empty or falling down, it was easy to look at it
as a dying village. Once there were three large hospices to cater for the
large numbers of pilgrims but only a few fragments of walls remain. Many of the
stones seem to have been used to build the houses and underground storage units that
surround the village. Unlike many villages we have walked through, this one was
neat and tidy with very little rubbish lying around. The upsurge in pilgrim
numbers walking the Camino is bringing new life into the village, a small shop
had opened which stocks food items likely to appeal to the pilgrims - fruit,
yoghurt, tinned vegetables, sweets, etc. The bar did a brisk trade in serving
food and drinks to the pilgrims and seating space was at a premium. We had huge
boccadillos and our usual cerveza con limon
at the bar for lunch. That night we dined there and had a very pleasant
meal. You could see that a lot of care and attention to detail had gone into its
preparation; a much nicer meal than the one we had in Burgos the previous night.
When we arrived at the albergue,
there was a French woman who was in considerable pain from a bad ankle. She and
her companions were waiting for a taxi to take them back to Burgos to see a
doctor. Apparently she had been walking well when she suddenly collapsed on her
ankle. Amongst the new people at the albergue was another
French woman, Christine whose bunk was next to ours. She was a very sexy looking
woman who flirted with all the males. We would see quite a lot of her during the
next few days as she was walking at a similar pace to ours. She was walking the
Camino in stages. Previously she had walked from Le Puy to Puenta la Reina, from
León to Santiago and Puenta la Reina to Burgos. This year she planned on
completing the gap from Burgos to León.
Day 24 - Hornillos de Camino to Castrojeriz - 21km - Total
410km
This morning we got up with the early risers and were on our way
by twenty past six in an attempt to avoid the heat of the day. It was our
earliest start so far. Low cloud and mist hung over the hills and we walked for
several kilometres through the mist with little to see. After six kilometres, we
reached the Rio San Bol and the mist started to lift. Here in the middle of
nowhere is a small refugio. It has no electricity,
no running water and no toilets. In spite of this, a number of people who have
an interest in "New Age Spiritualism", consider San Bol to be one of the more
important places on the Camino. The hospitallero
has a reputation for being "rather strange".
From San Bol, the route climbed up onto a plateau through more
grain fields with not a tree to be seen. The fields were full of piles of stones
which, from a distance, looked like the ruins of old buildings but were just
piles of stones collected from the fields. Suddenly, the
route dropped very steeply down into the village of Hontanas where we stopped at
the bar for a Cola Cao (hot chocolate) and some cake. This was another
example of the economic impact of the increased number of pilgrims on the
Camino. The bar and adjoining albergue had only
been open for a couple of years and a small new hostal has opened to cater for
people wanting a little more comfort.
The route wandered through dry, sparsely vegetated valleys to
the ruins of the convent of San Antón built to cater for
the sufferers of Saint Anthony's Fire. This debilitating skin disease has some
symptoms similar to leprosy and sufferers were shunned in the same way as lepers
were. Many sufferers made the pilgrimage to Santiago hoping for a cure and
miraculously, those who were treated by the nuns at this convent and others
dedicated to Saint Anthony on the Camino were cured. We know now that the
disease is caused by ergot poisoning from eating bread made from mouldy barley.
The convents grew their own grain and their stock turnover was such that mouldy
barley was not a problem. When the mouldy grain was removed from the diet, the
patient got better. Part of the attractive ruins is used as a make shift
refugio; plastic sheeting being used to provide weather proofing.
Shortly after San Antón, we came in view
of Castrojeriz with its ruined castle dominating the high hill above the
village. The village stretches in a narrow arc around the base of the hill and
it seemed a long way from one end to another. It's not a particularly attractive
village. We settled in to a pleasant private albergue
in an old mansion. There was plenty of space which was nice but there was only
one toilet and one shower for the twenty pilgrims.
I had developed a bad cold and had an annoying cough. H's ankle
was not getting any better. We decided to pay to have our packs carried to
Frómista tomorrow. We could not talk H into not walking so
at least this would make it a little easier for her. It cost the same for five
packs as for one so it made sense to have them all carried. Another pilgrim with
very bad blisters talked about joining in but in the end thought that it was not
the right thing to do. A case of "No Pain, No glory!"
Pilgrims in Castrojeriz
Day 25 - Castrojeriz to Frómista - 27km
- Total 437km
It seemed strange to be walking without our packs on our backs
and we did feel a bit like frauds when we were walking with the other pilgrims.
Not long after leaving town we came to a long steep climb. We
were getting fitter as it seemed to be quite easy climbing. At the top there was
a rest area with tables and seats but there was so much rubbish lying everywhere
that it was rather unpleasant despite the magnificent view back towards
Castrojeriz. One thing we've noticed on the walk was the rubbish thrown along
the path. People seemed quite happy to carry full bottles and cans of drink but
discarded the empty container as soon as the contents were consumed. The concept
of "Carry it in; carry it out!" hasn't made an impact in this part of the world. After a short walk
across the top, we had a very steep downhill into gently undulating country and
were back into the wide open wheat fields. The grain was starting to ripen and
the fields were turning a rich golden colour.
Just before the Rio Pisuerga, we came across the tiny but
attractive Hospitale de Peregrinos de San Nicolas set in the middle of the
fields. Built by the Benedictines of the monastery of San Millán
de la Cogalla in the 12th century, it has been restored as a refugio
by the Italian Confraternita di San Jacopo di Compostela di Perugia.
We crossed the river on the Puente Fiero, the
bridge described in our guidebooks as the most beautiful medieval bridge
on the Camino. It is still open to vehicular traffic which is controlled by
traffic lights because of the narrow carriageway. The pilgrims just wandered
across taking the whole width of the road. While we were having a rest stop just
after crossing we saw a car travelling at high speed, race through the red light
scattering the walkers as they scrambled to get out of the way. A few seconds
later several cars crossed the bridge in the opposite direction; nearly a nasty
accident. We stopped for coffee in the attractive village of Itero de la Vega
with the other pilgrims.
Eight kilometres of open, treeless grain fields and we arrived
in Boadilla del Camino. We stopped for ham, fried eggs, bread and wine for lunch
at the very pleasant and friendly albergue. It was
one of the more pleasant places we had come across and seemed to be an
attractive place to stay. Except
for H, we were all walking well and easily, enjoying the open countryside. A
couple of kilometres after Boadilla, we started following the Canal de Castilla.
Originally built as a navigation canal, it is now used to provide water for
irrigation. We followed the canal into Frómista where we
crossed a series of old locks. The signs explaining everything were all in
Spanish with no translations as usual.
As a group, we tried to communicate with our limited (with the
exception of H, very limited) Spanish whenever possible. At times this was hard
and often quite hilarious. We didn't expect or want to have everyone converse
with us in English. We found that very few people spoke any English and
conversations with French, German and Dutch pilgrims confirmed that not many
Spaniards spoke other European languages either. It was even more surprising
given that English is now the "official" European Community language, that the
language is not taught in many Spanish schools. It must make it very difficult
for young Spaniards to obtain work elsewhere in Europe. It reminded me of the
very insular attitude that the French used to have towards speaking any language
other than French.
The Iglesia de San Martin which dates back to the eleventh
century is the only remaining part of a large monastery which used to dominate
the centre of Frómista. It is a superb
Romanesque church which has been well restored. The 100 or so capitals have been
carved in a series of narratives featuring both religious and secular motives.
One of them, which features in the postcards on sale in the church shows a hand
groping a man's genitals while another has a couple of men in a passionate
embrace. Several others feature rather amorous couples.
We were now over half way to Santiago so we bought a bottle of
Cava to celebrate.
Day 25 - Frómista to Carrión de los Condes
- 19km - Total 456km
A Mexican woman in the next room snored so loudly that she
kept a lot of people awake last night. French Christine threatened to kill
her.
H's ankle seemed to getting worse and we talked her into getting
a lift for the day to give her ankle a rest.
After breakfast provided by the hospitalleros,
B and I were on our way by half past six. A and C had left a few minutes earlier
and we could see them in front of us as we followed the wide, clearly defined
track by the country road. At Población de Campos, A and
C followed an alternative route while B and I stayed on the main route. We all
met up again in Villarmentero de Campos where we stopped at a small open air bar
for coffee. The village has a population of only fifteen people so the owner
of the bar deserves a few points for taking the initiative in providing a service to the
pilgrims. He probably deserves a few for the Gregorian Chants he was playing on
his CD machine. But he definitely didn't get any for the filthy toilets and the
poor service. When we arrived along with half a dozen others, he was busy
talking to a friend and kept everyone standing around waiting for ten minutes
while he finished his conversation.
Pilgrim statue in Vilalcázar de
Sirga
After a short detour into the attractive village of
Villalcázar de Sirga we had an easy six kilometre walk
into Carrión de los Condes where we met up with H. We
stayed in the albergue next to the Church of Santa Maria. There were lots
of rules - lights off at a certain time; lights on at half past five in the
morning; front door unlocked at half past five; pack your rucksack downstairs;
no boots upstairs, etc.
We ate dinner at a nearby bar and had an excellent meal which
was extremely good value at 7 Euros for three courses and wine.
Day 27 - Carrión de los Condes to
Calzadilla de la Cueza - 17km - Total 473km
At half past five, the lights came, loud martial music was
played over loudspeakers and the priest went from room to room giving everyone a
blessing. We knew it was coming but it was a rude awakening and further sleep
was impossible. Although we were one of the last groups to leave the
albergue, we were on our way by a quarter to
seven.
We walked out of town and split into two groups: H and B walked slowly while A, C and I went at a faster pace. A few kilometres
out of town, we started following a gravel path which followed the route of the
original Roman Via Aquitania that was also part of the original pilgrims' route
across this part of Spain. There was no sign of a Roman Road though. It was
probably under the bitumen on the adjacent highway. The path was flat, straight
and through endless grain fields. We were a bit surprised to find that it was
not as boring as people had made out. There was always something to look at -
birds, flowers growing wild on the edge of the path, distant hills and some
trees - not many but some.
There were no towns between Carrión and
Calzadilla, so it was virtually non stop fast walking. After about fourteen
kilometres, we could see what appeared to be a church tower but as we got
closer, the expected village didn't appear around it. It turned out to be part
of the cemetery with the village hidden from view in a valley.
Calzadilla is a one horse town without the horse. That's being a
little too harsh really but there is little to see and little to do. A few years
a go, an enterprising local started running a small bar to cater for the passing
pilgrims. He expanded this into a refugio in some
adjoining, near derelict buildings. Then he built a new
albergue complete with swimming pool, washing machines, etc. This has
now been followed by a new bar, restaurant and a small number of "luxury" rooms.
This is the only place in town where you can buy food or drink but despite the
monopoly, prices were reasonable and the quality very good. It turned out to be
a delightful place to spend the afternoon relaxing.
H and B arrived in Calzadilla about an hour after us. H should
have had a few days rest to give her ankle a chance to heal but she was too
stubborn and determined to complete the walk.
We had an excellent dinner with good service for 8 Euros for
three courses including wine. A number of the books we've read on the Camino
talk about the food being boring with lomo (pork chops) and flan (crème
caramel) being the only thing available night after night. We were
surprised by the choice of dishes.
Day 28 - Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagún
- 22km - Total 495km
We were on our way by just after six o'clock. It was early for
us but we had only a few biscuits between us to eat before setting out. After
six kilometres we arrived in Ledigos where we planned to have breakfast. The
albergue was deserted and the bar wasn't open. A,
C and I sat on the steps of the bar to wait for H and B. We had only been
waiting a couple of minutes before the bar owner arrived. By the time H and B
turned up, he was ready to start taking orders. Then the bread man arrived with
fresh bread and pastries. Rich, strong coffee and chocolate croissants for
breakfast; our timing had been perfect.
Three kilometres later and we were in Terradillos de Templarios
where the Knights Templar are supposed to have lost the Golden Goose. We walked
through San Nicolás del Real Camino and yet more grain
fields. We still hadn't found the dreaded mind numbing boring country that
everyone writes about.
The last few kilometres into Sahagún were
along dirty rubbish strewn roads with near derelict buildings. It was not a very
inspiring approach to town. The albergue is
described in the guide books as being one of the best on the Camino. It
certainly has the potential to be absolutely stunning. The old Iglesia de la
Trinadad has been converted into a small concert venue, a tourist office and the
albergue on a mezzanine floor. Curtains separate the sleeping area
from the concert hall. The kitchen and bathrooms were absolutely filthy with
mould and mildew everywhere. The floors had not been swept for some time and
were quite dirty. When it became dark, we discovered that all the lights with
the exception of those in the showers had been disconnected. Not even the
emergency exit lights worked. Just as we were eating our dinner in the half
dark, an orchestra started rehearsing on the other side of the curtains.
Thankfully, rehearsal finished by half past nine and we were able to get to bed
at a reasonable time. In the meantime, we enjoyed the amateur orchestra's
rehearsal of exciting Spanish music by Rodrigo.
The conditions of the albergue
coloured our impressions of Sahagún but there were a
number of attractive old buildings and pleasant squares scattered through the
old town. There were also a couple of very old bridges on the outskirts of town
which were well worth stopping for.
Day 29 - Sahagún to El Burgo Ranero -
18km - Total 513km
After eating breakfast in the near dark, we were on the road by
a quarter to seven. Again, we walked in two groups. I started off walking with A and C
but after we had stopped for morning
coffee, I walked with H and B.
The pathway by the road continued through more grain fields. It
quickly became quite hot and some shade would have been very welcome. Plane
trees and oak trees had been planted along the path but they were too small to
provide any shade. Future pilgrims will appreciate the shade from these trees.
Just before Calzada del Coto, an alternative route turned off to
the right across the motorway. When I had stopped to take some photographs, A
and C followed the arrows that turned right into the village and the alternative
route. I could see the route we were following continuing straight on, but when
I caught up to them in the village they were adamant that they had followed the
right route. We waited for quite a while for H and B before deciding to see if
we could find a track which would lead us back over the motorway to the route we
had planned on following. The problem was that new roads had been built since
our maps had been published and it was confusing. The alternative route which followed an old Roman road
was considerably longer and the availability of food and drink along the way
were doubtful. C asked another walker if he knew the right route but he appeared
to be under the influence of drugs. "Man", he replied, "I get up in the morning
and walk with the sun on my back and just keep following the yellow arrows. When
it gets dark I stop. Where I am or where I'm going, I don't know."
After a few false tracks we found our way back to our route. H
and B were now in front of us (an example of the tortoise and the hare) and we
caught up with them in Bercianos Real Camino where we stopped for coffee after
having a look at the recently restored Capilla de San Roque. Eight hot
kilometres later, we arrived in El Burgo Ranero where we booked into a pleasant
new, private albergue. We had beds, not bunks in our own
room which was a
pleasant change particularly after our night in Sahagún. At 10 Euros each it was
one of the most expensive nights we spent on the Camino.
El Burgo was a very ordinary town. It was clean
and tidy but there was little of interest. Most of the houses were new or had
been extensively renovated. There was an old church in need of lots of love and
care. Of course, it was locked as nearly all Spanish churches are. The treasures
it once held are now in the museum in León for "safe keeping".
We chose to eat at the cheaper of the two restaurants as it
started serving earlier than the other. We were still finding it hard to adjust
to the late dining hours at Spanish restaurants, although some of the ones
catering for the "pilgrim" market do open earlier. We had what was probably the
worst value meal of the trip with very small servings of poorly cooked food. The
fish that most of us ordered had been frozen and had not been cooked through.
B's pork was so tough that he couldn't cut it with the knife provided and the
salads were tiny and limp.
Day 30 - El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas - 19km -
Total 532km
We were all awake early and had the luxury
of being able to pack up with the lights on without having to worry about people
wanting to sleep longer. After an early start, we walked through to Reliegos, a
distance of 13 kilometres, where we stopped for coffee. The coffee wasn't very
good but it was pleasant to sit in the shade of the large trees in the centre of
the town. The sun had been beating down mercilessly all morning and the small
trees along the route had offered no shade. The grain was
ripening and it wouldn't be long before the harvesters moved in. In the hot days of
late summer when all the grain had been harvested, this would be a very desolate
area.
By eleven o'clock, we were Mansilla de las
Mulas. The albergue wasn't due to open until 12.30 so we relaxed
at a nearby bar with an ice cold cerveza con limon
before shopping for food for lunch. We were surprised to see a minibus unload a
party of "pilgrims" and their packs at the door of the
albergue. Travelling between albergues
by bus and taxi is not normally allowed but it turns out these people had all
suffered quite severe food poisoning at the albergue in
Bercianos and had taken the bus to town to get medical attention.
The albergue in Mansilla was very
pleasant with a delightful central courtyard with lots of potted flowers where
most people sat and relaxed. There were washing machines here and you could sit
with your wine and cheese and watch the lines of drying clothes. The building is
quite old and the floors slope in all directions. The stairs are particularly
difficult due to the old angles of the treads. The
hospitalerras are very friendly and helpful.
Day 31 - Mansilla de las Mulas to León -
18km - Total 550km
We had a fairly slow walk on the gravel path by the main road
through uninteresting country to Puente Villarente. Just before the town,
the path ended and we were forced to walk on the road. The medieval stone bridge
in the town is still the main road and there was hardly enough room for two
trucks to pass let alone any room for the walkers. It was a hair raising half a
kilometre or so.
Once across the bridge, we stopped at the bar for coffee and
were surprised to be given a slice of cake each as well. All the pilgrims who
stopped here were given this small token by the owners. A very nice touch which
was much appreciated.
At Arcuhueja we left the Camino and caught the bus into
León. We were going to have another rest day here and
found a very pleasant hotel. The prices were similar to what we had paid in
Burgos but the quality was much higher.
Day 32 - León
What a delightful city León is; it was
such a delight to wander around the old town looking at the old buildings and
the magnificent cathedral. It is a prosperous city with lots of upmarket shops
and restaurants. We spent a very pleasant day relaxing, sightseeing and window
shopping. It was great not having to set off in the morning on another day's
walk. Mind you, I probably walked about twelve or fifteen kilometres around the
city sightseeing.
León Cathedral in the
early morning
Near the Hostal San Marco, which originally was a pilgrims'
hospice but is now a five star hotel and museum, I ran into a Canadian couple
who were having trouble following the route out of town. They had a limited
number of days to do the trip and had planned to walk 30 to 35 kilometres a day.
After their first day of 39 kilometres in 12 hours of blazing hot sun, they were
too tired to see or do anything else. They ended up travelling by bus between
Burgos and León. They were due to fly out of Madrid in
less than two weeks time, so they still had little time to spare. Their packs
were very large and looked heavy.
The third stage of our journey was over; just one more stage to
go to Santiago de Compostela!
Part 4 - León to
Santiago de Compostela
Part 1 - Col du Somport to Puenta la Reina
Part 2 - Puenta la Reina to Burgos
Books, Music and Links on the Camino
